Westminster downplayed value of North Sea Oil

Hi Tap,

Came across some interesting news this morning from Aangirfan concerning North Sea Oil.

HIDDEN OIL WEALTH - TOP POLITICIAN WHISTLEBLOWER

In 1974, Professor Gavin McCrone was asked by Edward Heath's Conservative government to work out the value of Scotland's oil.

The report concluded that an independent Scotland "would tend to be in chronic surplus to a quite embarrassing degree."

The government kept the report secret.
It was only released in 2005 under freedom of information legislation.

Lord Healey, now 95, told Holyrood magazine: "I think we did underplay the value of the oil to the country because of the threat of nationalism but that was mainly down to Thatcher.

http://aangirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/hidden-oil-wealth-top-politician.html

Denis Healey: Westminster 'worried stiff' about losing North Sea oil

Scotland would prosper under independence thanks to North Sea oil and Westminster politicians are "worried stiff" about losing revenues from offshore production, according to a former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

http://news.stv.tv/politics/225958-denis-healey-westminster-worried-stiff-about-losing-north-sea-oil/

Gordon