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The Value and Distribution of the Benefits of North Sea Oil and Gas, 1970—1985

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2020

S. A. B. Page
S. A. B. Page*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
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Abstract

Oil and gas from the North Sea will make the United Kingdom a net exporter of energy in the 1980s and supply a substantial portion of its needs through the 1990s. In value terms, the benefits are principally to the balance of payments and government revenue. The former is improved slightly relative to the pre-oil price rise position, but significantly compared with either the present balance or that of other industrial countries. The absolute size of these benefits and the share of the government in the total are extremely sensitive to the assumptions made about changes in the exchange rate, including those which result from the improvement in the balance of payments. Many decisions about the distribution of the benefits are already being taken, for example in policies for the energy sector and the exchange rate. It is therefore too late to plan to allocate all the benefits to a single purpose, and it may be undesirable to do so.

Type
Articles
Information
National Institute Economic Review , Volume 82 , November 1977 , pp. 41 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © 1977 National Institute of Economic and Social Research

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References

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