§ Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many additional jobs he estimates will be created in Scotland to December, 1973, as a result of the discovery of North Sea oil;
90W(2) how many jobs have accrued to date from the discovery of North Sea oil.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithIt is estimated that some 2,500 people in Scotland are currently employed on various activities connected with the exploitation of North Sea oil. Since employers are still formulating their plans, any estimate of the additional jobs which will arise from those activities must be subject to appreciable margins of error. However, expansions of which we are aware are expected to create a further 5,500 jobs in Scotland over the next three or four years. This figure could increase substantially. It is not possible to say how many of these jobs will arise by the end of 1973.