Hansard

The result of the division is: For 118, Against 2, Abstentions 0.

Motion, as amended, agreed to,

That the Parliament recognises the importance to both the Scottish and the UK economy of the oil and gas sector in Scotland; welcomes that oil and gas extraction will continue in Scotland for decades to come; notes progress in delivering Scotland’s first oil and gas strategy; recognises the world-leading capability of the Scottish oil and gas sector and supply chain workforce; supports close collaboration between the Scottish Government and its agencies, industry and academia to work to meet the future personnel and skills needs of the sector and ensure continuing sector growth; notes the challenges to the industry in managing a finite and unpredictable resource; believes that the industry must play a role in encouraging young people to pursue a career in engineering, working with schools, OPITO and the further and higher education sectors, paying particular attention to the encouragement of young women into the industry; recognises the high costs and technical challenges of extracting remaining oil and gas resources from the UK Continental Shelf and the future costs of decommissioning; recognises that attention to safety must be paramount both at work and travelling to and from oil and gas installations; believes that workplace safety representatives, trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive have key roles to play in ensuring that safety comes first; notes the need for constant investment in North Sea oil and gas assets for personnel safety; further notes 43 offshore field transfer deals during 2012 between private and state-owned companies; appreciates the necessity of long-term certainty around the £30 billion decommissioning of oil and gas platforms, and recognises the decline in North Sea production from its peak of 137,099,000 tonnes in 1999 to 51,972,000 tonnes in 2011.