Current status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 15 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential economic impact on the North East Scotland parliamentary region, including on employment in decommissioning activities, if a change in ownership of BP’s North Sea assets results in changes to the timing, scale or location of decommissioning activity.
I refer the member to the answer to questions S7W-02745 and S7W-02746 on 15 September 2026.
The commercial decision announced in July of a sale of BP’s North Sea assets has caused great uncertainty for their workforce and the wider energy workforce in Scotland.
The Scottish Government closely monitors and considers a range of evidence in relation to the energy transition. The First Minister and I met with energy leaders in the North East in the days after this announcement, and I continue to engage with BP and other relevant partners including the trade unions to understand the potential impacts of the sale.
Regulation of the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure is a reserved matter. Any assessment of potential impacts on decommissioning from bp’s sale of assets would be a matter for the UK Government.
The Scottish Government supports decommissioning activity happening in a way that facilitates an orderly, managed and just transition to net-zero and maximises the benefits for Scotland’s businesses and communities.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.