In our present circumstances, particularly with the Middle East Oil Crisis, he had an opportunity to say something to reinforce and substantiate some of the things which the Prime Minister said in the House yesterday or the day before about certain people thinking very carefully on the question of United Kingdom oil demand in future if the cut-off which we have been suffering in the last 36 hours goes on.

But just as the Middle East Oil Crisis has political implications for the world, the exploitation of North Sea oil has immense political implications for Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.