First Minister John Swinney has criticised the UK Government's plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, arguing there is a strong case for developing domestic resources rather than relying on imports.
The SNP leader confirmed his opposition to the proposals at First Minister's Questions yesterday, signalling a further shift away from the Scottish Government's previous presumption against new oil and gas developments.
Mr Swinney told MSPs: "The government has set out our view that because we are going to be using oil and gas for years to come there is a rational basis for considering oil and gas developments within our own jurisdiction if they offer lower carbon emissions than imported oil and gas."
He told parliament the UK government's bill includes several measures his government supports, adding: "But we do not support the provisions of that bill in relation to the position on the granting of new licences."
The UK Government's Energy Independence Bill would prevent new exploration licences being issued, although it would allow additional production from existing fields and nearby discoveries.
The SNP has confirmed it will seek to remove the licensing ban from the legislation and will oppose the bill if the provision remains, despite supporting other measures.
The intervention represents a significant change from the Scottish Government's 2023 energy strategy, which proposed a presumption against new oil and gas exploration.