NICOLA Sturgeon is to press her case for wide-ranging tax reforms to support the oil and gas sector during a face-to-face meeting with David Cameron this week.
The Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow and it is understood that he will meet the First Minister in person, with the crisis facing the North Sea oil industry high on the agenda.
The Scottish Government is pushing for a series of reforms aimed at supporting jobs and investment in the North Sea, following the collapse of the oil price to under $50 a barrel.
Ms Sturgeon informed members of her cabinet yesterday that she was planning on meeting the Prime Minister in the capital. Her spokesman said: "It's not been confirmed yet but we understand the Prime Minister is coming on Thursday".
Energy minister Fergus Ewing has called on the UK Government to reverse its 2011 increase in the supplementary charge related to oil and gas receipts while also bringing in an investment allowance and a tax credit for exploration.
The treasury has indicated that it will bring in new measures to support the industry in its March budget, however, the Scottish Government has called for swifter action.
Scottish ministers are also planning to put further pressure on energy companies to pass on lower wholesale fuel prices to consumers in the form of reduced energy bills.
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