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Finance (No. 3) Bill

I support amendment 51, tabled by the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce). As neighbours, we share the same interest in the oil and gas industry and know full well its importance not just to the north-east of Scotland but to the whole United Kingdom. One of our disappointments about the imposition of the tax is that the Government seemed not fully to understand the industry and its importance, which I hope they understand now. Like the right hon. Gentleman, I am pleased to hear from my contact with the industry that discussions are under way, with the possibility of improvements to field allowances. If the Government had thought the tax through properly, they would have already prepared the ground for field allowances to mitigate the damage done to the industry. It is not possible to overstate that damage. A huge blow was dealt to confidence, not just because the industry had been involved in regular discussions with the previous Labour Government and the current Government about a review of the tax system to deal with a host of areas that had been remained untouched over the years, but because of how that was done. It seems from all the available information that the politicians had no contact or discussions even with tax experts in the Treasury. This was a purely political decision that did not arise from the review, from consultation, or from any wider consideration than the need to raise money. It is clear that the industry will prosper for the next couple of years, certainly in the North sea, because the investment for the two years has already been committed. We are concerned about what will happen from 2013 onwards, when owners and shareholders and those at the companies' headquarters will be looking for investment. As I am sure the Minister knows, investment decisions are made not locally but in places such as Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Paris and Madrid, and the people who run our industry have to pitch for that investment. There is huge uncertainty because of the damage caused by the initial tax imposition and the tax system proposed in the Bill, but discussions about what is to happen in 2013-14 are taking place now. The sooner the Government can give us an indication of what they intend to offer in field allowances the better it will be, not just for the individual companies involved but for the country, because investment from abroad is desperately needed.