SNP and Conservative MPs clashed over carbon capture and energy jobs in the House of Commons yesterday.
Aberdeen South SNP MP Stephen Flynn said the UK Government had overseen the loss of 35,000 jobs in the industry in recent years.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng responded by claiming that the SNP-Green cooperation agreement at Holyrood was making North Sea investment "difficult to attract", comparing the coalition partners to the Extinction Rebellion campaign group.
'Audacity'
Speaking in a debate about protecting energy sector employment, Mr Flynn said: "We have to admire the audacity of the Secretary of State (Mr Kwarteng) in talking about protecting jobs in the energy industry when of course his government have presided over the loss of some 35,000 jobs in Scotland’s North sea industry over recent years alone.
"It gets worse, because this is the same Government who opted not to fund carbon capture and underground storage in the north-east of Scotland, costing some 20,000 new jobs."
Scottish business leaders have been urging the UK Government to add the Scottish Cluster as part of the Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Track 1 programme.
This follows the UK Government’s decision to allocate the Acorn Project as a ‘reserve’ bid.
'Happy to compare'
In response, Mr Kwarteng accused his SNP counterpart of "extraordinary arrogance".
"I will make three points about that," he said.
"Acorn was an excellent project, and we want to see it developed very soon in the next wave, which we want to accelerate.
"There is an extraordinary arrogance in members of the Scottish National Party giving us lectures about energy when they are not committed to nuclear and are in bed with the Greens who simply want to flick the switch to turn off oil and gas in their own country.
"I am very happy to compare our record as job creators with the hon. Gentleman’s Extinction Rebellion approach to the North Sea."
Investment
Mr Flynn, however, hit back, describing the Secretary of State's remarks as "unfounded garbage".
He added: "If he wants to talk about records, let us talk about records, because despite energy being reserved to this place, it is the Scottish Government who have delivered the £62million energy transition fund; it is the Scottish Government who have just delivered £30million to Aberdeen South harbour; it is the Scottish Government who have just delivered £15million to the Aberdeen hydrogen hub; and of course it is the Scottish Government who have just delivered a £500million just transition fund for the entire north-east of Scotland.
"After taking out some £375billion from Scotland’s natural resources, when are the Tories going to give back?"
Mr Kwarteng rose again, saying he wouldn't take lectures about energy policy from Mr Flynn.
He added: "His party is committed to a job-destroying coalition with the Greens, who want to switch the lights off the North sea.
"Everybody knows that; that is why investment is very difficult to attract, and our job is to mitigate against their Extinction Rebellion approach and encourage investment."