Bruce response to North Sea helicopter incident

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Apr 2009

Following the news that a Bond helicopter has gone down into the North Sea leading to the reported loss of those lives on board, Malcolm Bruce who is the MP for Dyce where Bond helicopters are based said:

"Helicopters are the air taxis for the Oil and Gas offshore industry and this is a shocking and tragic event that will reverberate around the oil and gas community. Our sympathies are obviously with the families of the men who were lost.

"The news will also come as a blow to the staff at Bond who will be shocked by these events particularly following the incident earlier this year. These helicopters are often required to fly in challenging circumstances and we will have to await the outcome of an investigation as to the cause.

"The CAA must quickly establish the safety of this aircraft and take the appropriate action wither to reassure or to suspend operations."

ENDS

In the House of Commons on Thursday 2nd April, Malcolm Bruce questioned the Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr Jim Murphy MP about the need for reassurance for the industry. the full exchange follows below.

2 Apr 2009 : Column 1073

Malcolm Bruce (Gordon) (LD): Thousands of my constituents work in the offshore oil and gas industry and I am sure that many will be shocked and dismayed by the tragedy this morning. BP's North sea headquarters and Bond's operations are based in my constituency and I have spoken to both companies this morning. The House will understand that they are deeply shocked at what has happened.

I have also spoken to Grampian police, who are co-ordinating the rescue and the recovery. It is important the people understand that hundreds, if not thousands, of people are waiting to come home from offshore or go back again, and will face that journey with considerable apprehension in the circumstances, as will their families.

We know that 10 of the missing or killed were from KCA Deutag Drilling, one from PSN and two from Bond. It is important to extend our sympathy to the companies and their associates because I know that they will all be in deep shock.

Given the position that people face, I hope that the Secretary of State understands that we need the earliest possible reassurance, and to know how, on a fine day, a helicopter only minutes from Aberdeen airport had such a catastrophic failure that there was an impact that no one appears to have survived. We understand the professionalism of the AAIB. I am sure that it appreciates that we must get to the bottom of the incident as soon as possible and reassure people. Everybody depends on the workhorse of the North sea, but the House must understand that people will not feel comfortable flying in helicopters today or for the next few days until they know.

Mr. Murphy: The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point, based on his many years of interest in and championing of the North sea oil and gas industry. He rightly spoke to people at the scene this morning. I spoke to Dave King, chief inspector of the air accidents investigation branch, earlier today. We discussed in some detail the need for quick action at the scene, but also the need to ensure that it is the right action. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman agrees. The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that hundreds of men and women are waiting to travel to oil platforms or to come home from them. I think that 1.6 million people in the oil and gas industry travel on aircraft over the North sea every year. There are families today who have lost someone very near and dear to them-I cannot comprehend their loss. I grew up with the North sea oil and gas industry in my family because my father worked on the rigs for many years, but I have no sense of the scale of the loss that those people are going through. However, I have some understanding of the scale of the uncertainty that others now feel. It is important that we do all we can to maintain the confidence of all those in the wider North sea oil and gas community.

The full statement is available via the link provided.

Related Link:

Secretary of State for Scotland's Statement to the House of Commons on the North Sea helicopter crash.