Connarty Demands Oil Minister Opposes Flight Tax On Oil Workers.

Michael Connarty demands Oil Minister must oppose Government plans to radically increase flight tax on North Sea offshore workers.

MICHAEL CONNARTY DEMANDS OIL MINISTER OPPOSES FLIGHT TAX ON NORTH SEA OFFSHORE WORKERS

“STOP ROBBING NORTH SEA OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY,” DEMANDS SCOTS MP

Michael Connarty, the MP for Scotland’s only oil refinery at Grangemouth, today accused the government of, “robbing the North Sea and threatening its ability to contribute to UK gas needs by increasing the tax burden.”

Speaking in the Commons, the MP revealed that when he recently met oil company, Total, they made clear that they would not have gone ahead with their West of Shetland investment if they had known about the recent tax hikes which have imposed air passenger duty on oil industry offshore helicopter flights as well as a crippling extra 12% on oil company corporation tax, taking it to 62%.

Connarty demanded that the Conservative Energy Minister, Charles Hendry tackle the Treasury to step back from taxing the flights of workers going to work in the North Sea. He said, “I have been offshore many times as Secretary of the Parliamentary group for the Oil and Gas Industry. The people who work offshore take great risks and work in a hostile environment. They should be rewarded by government, not taxed.”