§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the length of time the 16,000 jobs that have come to Scotland due to the oil-related development will last.
§ Mr. John SmithIt is not possible to provide such an estimate. It is hoped that the expertise built up over the current period and the next few years will enable firms to compete successfully on a global basis for offshore business and thus ensure continuity of oil-related work. The number of jobs quoted covers a very wide range of industries, and diversification into other fields should, therefore, be posusible if the demand for oil-related work should fall off.