A Conservative minister has been accused of snubbing survivors and relatives of victims of a helicopter crash in the North Sea.
Four people were killed when a Super Puma ditched two miles west of Sumburgh Airport in Shetland in August last year.
It was the fifth helicopter accident involving the transfer of oil and gas personnel in the North Sea since 2009.
Frank Doran, the Aberdeen North MP, hit out at Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin after the Tory minister refused to meet the families and survivors of the August 2013 crash.
The Labour MP said that it was part of Mr McLoughlin's job to at least listen to what those connected with the incident had to say.
"The families and survivors of the numerous helicopter disasters in the offshore oil and gas industry are entitled to answers," he said.
"And it is the responsibility of the Secretary to State to be part of that process".
Mr Doran said he had requested the meeting following five incidents in five years in which helicopters had either ditched or crashed in the North Sea, claiming a total of 20 lives.
He said that survivors and relatives wanted to understand the causes of the crashes and to present their call for a public inquiry to the minister.
Around 60,000 or so people currently work offshore in the oil and gas sector and Mr Doran said that many of them were aware of "weaknesses in the system".
While the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced a series of measures designed to increase offshore flight safety, Mr Doran said that confidence that the recommendations would improve matters was "low".
He added it was unusual for such a meeting to be refused..
In October lawyers for the families of the oil workers killed in the 2013 crash said that they were "horrified" there would be no public inquiry into the safety of helicopter travel..
A spokesman for Mr McLoughlin admitted that steps were needed to increase offshore workers' confidence in the helicopters they use for travel.
The Department for Transport spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of those involved in this tragic incident.
"The Transport Secretary has received Frank Doran's letter and will reply."
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