Government Relations
News
Scotland Secretary makes flying visit to Tiffany field post Budget
“The Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore took a flight out to observe an installation in Tiffany oilfield in the North Sea the day after the UK Government’s budget. The Minister discussed the positive measures for the oil and gas sector announced in the Budget with James Edens and Dave Haywood of CNR International on the flight from Aberdeen airport.”
All Party Parliamentary Group Reception
House of Commons Reception builds links between Industry and Parliament
On 17 January the British Offshore Oil & Gas Industry All Party Parliamentary Group held its Annual Reception in the House of Commons. Attended by over 150 senior representatives from across Oil & Gas UK’s membership, the wider oil and gas sector, government departments and members of both the House of Commons and House of Lords, the event provided an excellent opportunity for industry to meet with key policy makers and politicians with an interest in our sector.
After a welcome from the Chair of the Group, Dame Anne Begg MP, Oil & Gas UK Chief Executive Malcolm Webb emphasised the current challenges and opportunities faced by the industry such as changes to the tax regime, decommissioning and proposed new EU safety regulation, before warmly introducing the two invited speakers.
First to address the reception was Energy and Climate Change Minister Charles Hendry who highlighted the importance and scale of the industry and welcomed the ongoing and constructive dialogue had with industry as part of the PILOT forum.
Business Secretary Vince Cable pointed out the huge contribution the industry makes, in particular, the skills, manufacturing and technological prowess of the supply chain and oilfield goods and service providers which form a leading UK export business of huge importance at this time of economic rebalancing.
Following the Secretary of State’s speech, Malcolm Webb launched a new Oil & Gas UK DVD “Working for Britain” which tells the story of the UK oil and gas industry through the eyes of three individual industry employees and underlines the economic, technological and security of energy supply success of the the sector.
Holyrood Cross Party Group – Oil and Gas
The last meeting took place on 14 December in the Scottish Parliament. MSPs were addressed by Miles Oglethorpe from Capturing the Energy, a project established to record the oil and gas industry to promote recognition of the sector’s technical and cultural importance, and by Oil and Gas UK’s health and safety manager, who explained the association’s concern about the proposed EU Regulation on offshore health and safety.
Britoil’s Clyde installation – image courtesy of “Capturing the Energy”
Oil & Gas All Party Parliamentary Group
Most recently the group met on 11 Jan 2012. Malcolm Webb, CEO of Oil & Gas UK briefed the group on industry’s concerns regarding the European Commission’s proposed new Regulation on Offshore Safety.
The APPG also met on 6 Dec for a presentation on skills shortages in the industry with Gillian Black of OPITO. In addition the group met on 30 Nov to discuss Energy Security of Supply with Chris Hunt of UKPIA and David Odling of Oil & Gas UK addressing attendees and highlighting, amongst other issues, the continued importance of UKCS production
Holyrood Debate – Oil and Gas
During the course of the Scottish Parliament’s debate on oil and gas in November, the Scottish Energy Minister was joined by MSPs of all parties in recognising the number of jobs supported by the offshore oil and gas industry, its contribution to public funds and energy security. Click here to read the full debate .
Seabed Users Development Group
Oil & Gas UK took an exhibition stand at the annual SUDG reception in Westminster. Environment Director and current Chairman of the group, Mick Borwell, addressed around 50 guests, including coastal MPs and Lords, giving an update of oil and gas activity in the UKCS and explaining how the industry works with other seabed users.
SCDI – Meet the Politician
Oil & Gas UK has sponsored two “Meet the Politician” events in Aberdeen with the SCDI. Labour’s Richard Baker MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie MSP tackled questions about independence, skills, the economy, business rates and local infrastructure.
Scottish Affairs Committee – Health and Safety
Oil & Gas UK’s Health and Safety Director Robert Paterson gave evidence to Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee’s investigation into health and safety in Scotland. This covered developments in offshore safety post Piper Alpha, including an explanation of Step Change in Safety, the importance of engaging the workforce and the impact of the proposed EU regulation on offshore safety.
Politicians visit Total’s Elgin-Franklin field and Shell’s Aberdeen Offices
Oil & Gas UK helped to organise a visit to Aberdeen in late October for six members of the Westminster and Holyrood Parliaments. The visit incorporated Helicopter Underwater Emergency Training Course, a visit to Shells’ Tullos offices to see the UK Direct and Control Centre (DCC) and to hear about the Brent decommissioning project and a day at Total’s Elgin Franklin installation.
Below Left: from left to right - Tavish Scott (Lib Dem MSP for Shetland) Rhoda Grant (Highlands & Islands Labour MSP), Lindsay Roy(Labour MP for Glenrothes) , Malcolm Bruce (Lib Dem MP for Gordon), Liam McArthur (Lib Dem MSP for Orkney), Gordon Birtwhistle (Lib Dem MP for Burnley) and the Oil & Gas UK External Affairs team – Andrew Bassett and Jenny Stanning.
Above right: Elgin IOM, Total’s Colin King, briefs Lindsay Roy, Tavish Scott and Liam McArthur on a tour of the installation
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the scale and importance of the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry as well as the rigourous safety training and procedures required for travel offshore.
Oil & Gas UK Awards – political audience
We were pleased to welcome the Scottish Energy Minister and local MPs Malcolm Bruce, Anne Begg and Sir Robert Smith to our annual awards. Sir Robert Smith MP was the guest of honour and spoke about a bright future for the industry as he revealed award winners in all categories.
Below left: Sir Robert Smith MP gives the keynote speech
Above right: Host Sarah Mack with Sir Robert Smith MP, award winner for overall excellence, Anne Davies from BP and award sponsor Pete Jones from Marathon Oil
Party Conference season
October was party conference season and Oil & Gas UK had a presence at all three national events. Working with Policy Exchange, Oil & Gas UK sponsored three successful fringe events entitled ‘Re-monopolising Power? Reforming the Electricity Market’ which involved a diverse range of speakers including MPs, academics and those from think tanks and industry. Sir Robert Smith MP, Meg Hillier MP and Tim Yeo MP joined us at the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Conferences.
Tim Yeo MP addresses the Oil & Gas UK fringe meeting at Conservative Party Conference, with David Odling from Oil & Gas UK (r) and Simon Less from Policy Exchange (l). Photo courtesy of Policy Exchange.
The conferences also provided an opportunity for us to make contact with senior politicians and their support staff.
Our political engagement continued outside the UK party conferences, with another fringe at the SNP conference in Inverness at the end of October. Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, joined Steve Johnson from Prosafe to speak on the theme of the oil and gas supply chain.
Offshore Europe 2011
Skills were a key topic for discussion at Offshore Europe this year as was the work of OSPRAG. Working with some of our members, we organised a political tour of the stands and a photo opportunity and briefing at the OSPRAG capping device, officially launched by the UK Energy Minister, Charles Hendry. Local MPs, Sir Robert Smith and Malcolm Bruce, joined some new faces at Holyrood, Kevin Stewart and Dennis Robertson, and some more established MSPs in Tavish Scott, Maureen Watt, Lewis Macdonald and Richard Baker.
Below left: Politicians see the Capping Device
Above right: Communications Director, Trisha O'Reilly, welcomes the group to the Oil & Gas UK Stand
