Question
Oil is the lifeblood of the refinery sector, but the Government missed an opportunity to back this foundational industry both upstream and downstream. The Rosebank oilfield is already priced into the OBR’s assumptions. If that does not get the go-ahead, it will be back to the drawing board, Chancellor—won’t it? Is the fiscal headroom not already thin and will it not disappear even more if Rosebank does not get the go-ahead? The reality is that this Budget is built on sand.25% point-scoring
Answer
It was the Opposition who fluffed it when it came to approving Rosebank and Jackdaw. They could not make sure that they signed the right paperwork at the right time. We had to clean up their mess in that and a whole range of other areas.100% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (5/100)
The reply does not answer the question as asked. It mentions Rosebank only to assign blame for approval delays, without saying what the Government would do if Rosebank is not approved. It says nothing about fiscal headroom, whether that headroom would shrink without Rosebank, or whether the Chancellor agrees the Budget is built on sand.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government need to go back to the drawing board on its plans if the Rosebank oilfield does not receive the go-ahead? | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply mentions Rosebank only to assign blame to the Opposition for approval delays and says the Government had to 'clean up their mess'. It never says what the Government would do, or whether its plans would need rethinking, if Rosebank is not approved. |
| What is the Chancellor's assessment of the current level of fiscal headroom? | Not Addressed | Generic | None of the statements mention fiscal headroom or give the Chancellor's assessment of it. |
| Will fiscal headroom shrink further if the Rosebank oilfield does not receive the go-ahead? | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply does not address whether headroom would shrink if Rosebank is not approved; it only refers to Rosebank and Jackdaw approvals in blame terms. |
| Does the Chancellor agree that the Budget is built on sand? | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply does not say whether the Chancellor agrees or disagrees that the Budget is built on sand. It only offers partisan remarks about past approvals. |