@Symon

i hadn't seen the gers report for 2009/10. in the executive summary for 2008/9 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/06/22160331/2) it says:

incorporating a share of the expenditure associated with the UK Government's financial sector interventions, in 2008-09, the estimated current budget balance for the public sector in Scotland was a deficit of £10.5 billion (9.1 per cent of GDP) excluding North Sea revenue, a deficit of £9.4 billion (8.0 per cent of GDP) including a per capita share of North Sea revenue or a surplus of £1.3 billion (0.9 per cent of GDP) including an illustrative geographical share of North Sea revenue. These estimates are comparable with the estimate of the UK's current budget balance published in the March 2010 UK Budget.

Not including a share of the UK Government's financial sector interventions, in 2008-09, the estimated current budget balance for the public sector in Scotland was a deficit of £10.5 billion (9.1 per cent of GDP) excluding North Sea revenue, a deficit of £9.4 billion (8.0 per cent of GDP) including a per capita share of North Sea revenue or a surplus of £1.2 billion (0.9 per cent of GDP) including an illustrative geographical share of North Sea revenue.

the ones from earlier years pretty much had the same numbers if i recall correctly: the surpluses of around £1bn (~1% of scottish gdp) stuck in my head.

btw, the 2009/10 gers report you quote shows scotland's national debt as a proportion of gdp (6.8%) is still better than the uk's (7.6%). this is despite the fact that oil revenues are down because of tax changes made in westmister. so scotland still subsidises england, even when both countries are running a public sector deficit.

besides, if scotland had had control over its oil revenues for the last 30-odd years, nobody could doubt it would be as wealthy as norway and have equivalent levels of public services and healthy public finances. the tories and zanulab (same thing) pissed all that away. clueless evil bastards.