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Sandra welcomes oil debate |
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Monday, 05 June 2006 |
 Sandra White MSP has welcomed news that a debate on the Repatriation of control over Scotland's North Sea resources to the Scottish Parliament will be opened tomorrow at Westminster (6 June). The Party Leader Alex Salmond MP, will argue for the revenues from the Scottish sector of the North Sea to accrue to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP's Scotland (Oil and Gas Resources) Bill will be the first time a detailed proposal to bring home control of Scottish oil and gas has been debated in the House of Commons and marks the beginning of an SNP campaign, leading up to the Scottish election next year.
Sandra said: "In the last 30 years North Sea Oil has generated a windfall of over £200bn for the UK Treasury. And this at a time when Glasgow has some of the most deprived areas in Europe. We send a billion a month southwards while more than a quarter of children live in Child poverty and many hundreds of our old folk die of cold related illness in the winter. It is an utter outrage and generations of unionist politicians have a lot to answer for.
"Bringing control of these resources home would allow us to address these problems in the way that all other normal countries do.
"At the moment Oil Revenues are at record high levels and Scotland's wealth is now filling the black hole in the British budget which saves Gordon Brown from the embarrassment of tax rises or spending cuts.
"Responsibility for oil and gas should be within the remit of the Scottish Parliament. This would see dozens of energy department jobs moving from London to Scotland and would, in itself, be a multi-million pound boost.
"Gordon Brown takes Scotland's oil wealth for granted at the same time as he tries to play down his Scottishness. But with responsibility for oil, the Scottish Parliament could create a Scottish Oil Fund which would help provide services and infrastructure for future generations.
"It will be interesting to see how many Scottish MP's support it."
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