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Previous analysis by the Scottish Government have used a range of different price assumptions based on historic trends and a range of external analysis and forecasts.

The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regulates the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations and pipelines. A table of draft decommissioning programmes under consideration and approved decommissioning programmes can be found via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-decommissioning-of-offshore-installations-and-pipelines

There are a number of estimates around the potential cost and timing of oil and gas decommissioning activity, including:

Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise published an Oil and Gas Decommissioning Action Plan in December 2016. This includes an analysis of decommissioning costs and activity. This can be found via: https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/knowledge-hub/articles/publication/oil-gas-decommissioning-action-plan

The Oil and Gas Authority’s Decommissioning Strategy summarises current cost projections, outlines efficiency improvements and transformative options that will support the delivery of Maximising Economic Recovery UK. This can be found via: https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/decommissioning/strategy/

Oil and Gas UK’s Decommissioning Insight 2016 report presents forecasts of offshore oil and gas infrastructure decommissiong in the UK and Norway over the next ten years. This can be found via: http://oilandgasuk.co.uk/decommissioninginsight.cfm

The Scottish Government Oil and Gas Production Statistics 2015-16 includes estimates of oil and gas production activity in Scotland (including Scottish adjacent waters). It reports production volumes, approximate sales income, operating costs and capital expenditure. This can be found via http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/oilgas1516

Statistics on the estimated commodity balances for Scotland, including the North Sea, of oil, petroleum products and natural gas are published at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/oilgas.

Estimates for trade in oil and gas, oil-related products and petrochemicals in value terms can be found via the following sources:

Statistics on the estimated value of exports of oil and gas from Scotland, including the North Sea, are published at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/oilgas.

Export Statistics Scotland, which provide estimates of exports for onshore petrochemicals are published at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/Exports/ESSPublication

Statistics on UK Government revenues from oil and gas production can be found via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/government-revenues-from-uk-oil-and-gas-production--2

Future tax revenues from oil and gas production depend on a range of different factors including production, prices and profitability.

Activity in the North Sea oil and gas sector depends on a range of different factors, including oil and gas prices, costs, investment, demand and exploration and production efficiency.

Tax revenues from oil and gas production depend on a range of different factors including production, prices and profitability.

Scotland’s economic fundamentals are strong. Even without oil, GDP per head in Scotland is higher than the UK average excluding London.

An independent Scotland would have the opportunity to pursue policies designed to grow the economy and invest in public services.

Information on the number of exploration and appraisal wells drilled is produced by the Oil and Gas Authority. This information can be found via https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/data-centre/data-downloads-and-publications/well-data/

The North Sea has a bright future, with up to 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent of known reserves remaining in the UK continental shelf. Production has increased by an estimated 16% since 2014 and is expected to continue to grow in 2017 and 2018. The oil and gas sector has shown great resilience during challenging global conditions, with average unit operating costs around half their peak level in 2014. Merger and Acquisition activity so far in 2017 has already seen nearly twice as much money invested than across all of 2016, highlighting the continued appetite to invest in the basin.

However, last week’s Oil and Gas UK Business Outlook clearly highlighted the urgent need for fresh capital in the basin if we are to unlock the remaining 20 billion barrels of oil and gas. The UK Government holds the key fiscal levers and the Scottish Government will continue to call for further measures to urgently stimulate activity and investment, which will be of particular help to the hard hit supply chain

We have repeatedly called on the UK government to take steps to incentivise investment and maximise economic recovery. It is encouraging that the UK Government has finally listened to the Scottish Government about the need to ensure ‘the right assets are in the right hands’. This is an area where we have repeatedly called for reform and which the UK Government have been too slow to react, and therefore it is important that we now see urgent action from UK Ministers and not simply the establishment of another talking shop.

In answer to (a) and (b), the financial year 2016-17 runs from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017. The number of houses for social rent built over this period are published as part of our quarterly statistics.

The most recent official statistics published on 13 December 2016 and covering the period 1 April to end September 2016, show there were 1,566 new build homes completed for social rent as part of the Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme. However, as well as new build homes, there were also 189 homes delivered for social rent by way of rehab projects and off-the-shelf projects. The next set of quarterly statistics for the period to end December 2016 is due to be published on 14 March 2017.

(c) All local authorities publish a Local Housing Strategy (LHS). This is supplemented with a Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), which sets out over a five year period, plans to prioritise delivery of the objectives set out in the LHS. The number of homes for social rent being built in 2017-18 will be determined by the SHIP. These documents are used as a basis for the development of Strategic Local Programme Agreements (SLPAs) between local authorities and the Scottish Government, enabling them to deliver their affordable housing priorities, including homes for social rent, in mixed communities that fit local needs.