Britain to 直面する £8bn-a-year oil and gas 法案

By Steve 強硬派s
Updated: 10:03 BST, 16 March 2005

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ALMOST £8bn a year may have to be spent on 輸入するing oil and gas by the end of the １０年間 in a major challenge for whoever is （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長 in the next 議会.

An 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の windfall for the Treas ury and the British economy for the past 30 years is coming to an end as North Sea reserves run 乾燥した，日照りの and companies look to bring energy in from overseas.

Britain is 始める，決める to become a 逮捕する importer of gas this year, and of oil by 2009, and the repercussions could be 抱擁する. An £8bn 法案 is 同等（の） to more than 2p on the basic 率 of 所得税. North Sea 生産／産物 is 拒絶する／低下するing as major fields in the 地域 円熟した.

The UK 沖合いの／海外の 操作者s 協会 is hoping to manage the 拒絶する／低下する in 生産（高） so that Britain still pumps out three million バーレル／樽s of oil and gas a day in five years' time. But even then, it 予測（する）s the 年次の 輸入する 法案 will be between £5 billion to £7.5bn.

UKOOA 経済的なs director マイク Tholen said: 'Energy is 明確に going to climb up the 協議事項 for whoever is （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長, whatever their 説得／派閥.'

The 貿易（する） equation is just one energy 頭痛 the （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長 is likely to 直面する as 経済学者s 準備する for a new 時代 of 燃料 prices, given the 急速な／放蕩な-growing Chinese economy.

記録，記録的な／記録する energy prices and high electricity and 石油 costs account for almost a third of the 現在の インフレーション 率 of 1.6%. Gas 法案s have 発射 up by 20% in the past 18 months, hitting 消費者s' 使い捨てできる income at a time the City's money men are 関心d about a slower 小売 sales.

分かれて, 人物／姿／数字s this week showed sky-high oil prices drove up British 製造業者s' costs at the fastest pace for nearly a １０年間 in February.

The （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長's coffers are 現在／一般に cushioned by the 会社／団体 税金 and 石油 歳入 義務s 徴収するd on North Sea 操作者s. The North Sea 税金 take is likely to be nearly £5.3bn alone in 2004-05.

Tholen argues that the British economy has also been 避難所d by the weak dollar. 'If the 交流 率 was at 2000 levels of $1.40 to the 続けざまに猛撃する, we could have 石油 at £1 per litre,' he said.

Britain's 経常収支 赤字 is likely to be £28bn in 2004. Investec 経済学者 Philip Shaw said this shows the 輸入する 法案 could be a かなりの thorn in the economy.

But he argues the main 脅し is in the US: 'If the price of ガソリン remains high, there is a chance that it will begin to 影響する／感情 the pace of growth in America, and then that will 影響する／感情 the world economy.'