CHANCELLOR George Osborne will use his trip to Scotland tomorrow to pay tribute to the people who work in the UK offshore oil and gas industry in the wake of the recent helicopter tragedy off Shetland.
Mr Osborne is due to sign a book of condolence for victims Sarah Darnley, Gary McCrossan, Duncan Munro and George Allison and will extend his sympathies to their families.
In a speech to oil and gas industry representatives in Aberdeen, Mr Osborne will stress how Britain owes a "huge debt of gratitude" to the brave professionals who work every day in "an inherently dangerous environment".
The Super Puma helicopter crashed close to the shore as it made its way over the North Sea on August 23.
It was the fifth incident involving this type of helicopter in the North Sea since 2009.
Accident investigators have questioned the air safety regulator's stance in ruling out technical issues as the cause of the accident.
Super Pumas were grounded immediately after the crash.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Friday it did not believe the accident was caused by an "airworthiness or technical problem", based on information available.
The CAA backed a recommendation by the oil industry's body on helicopter safety that the Pumas could fly again.
However, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which is leading the inquiry into the crash, said it "can't figure out" how the CAA had arrived at that verdict.
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