To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support employment in the oil and gas sector in Aberdeen.

The Government are committed to supporting the oil and gas industry, which is vital to our energy supply, as well as supporting 375,000 jobs across the UK, many of which are in our world-class supply chain. The Government is establishing the Oil and Gas Authority which is already helping industry to drive down costs and improve efficiencies. In addition to this, the Treasury has also introduced a wide-ranging package of measures to encourage further investment. These actions are helping to generate and support jobs in the sector.

Despite the immediate challenges created by the decline in the global oil price, it is vital that the industry continues to invest in training and developing people, securing the skills and expertise the industry needs to ensure a positive future. The Oil and Gas Authority will therefore encourage companies to retain apprenticeship, trainee and graduate schemes during this period.

Government officials have also been participating in the Energy Jobs Task Force which was formed in early 2015 and will support jobs across the energy sector in Scotland, with an initial focus on oil and gas, given the current challenges being faced in the sector.