THE Scottish Government is to produce its own forecasts for North Sea oil revenues in a bid to quash fears over the affordability of pensions and public services in an independent Scotland.

A report due "very soon" will present dramatically higher predictions of future oil wealth than official figures used in UK budget calculations.

Details of the forecasts, being drawn up by Scottish Government officials, emerged as the SNP administration sought to limit the damage caused by a leaked cabinet briefing in which Finance Secretary John Swinney voiced concerns over the affordability of state pensions and unemployment benefits in an independent Scotland.

The dramatic revelations sparked rowdy clashes at Holyrood yesterday, where Alex Salmond faced Labour accusations that he "refuses to say in public what he says in private".

The Scottish Government's new report will be based on higher long-term predictions of oil prices than the $90 per barrel used by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The First Minister's chief spin doctor cited alternative predictions of $130 per barrel, produced by the UK Government's Department of Energy and Climate Change, and $150 per barrel, taken from OECD figures.

Mr Swinney's fears were based on OBR forecasts showing a fall in total UK oil revenue from £11.2 billion to £5.3bn in 2016/17.

Mr Salmond trumpeted his Government's forthcoming alternative oil forecasts during First Minister's Questions when he came under sustained attack over the leaked briefing.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said: "What in public the SNP claim is scaremongering, in private they agree is the truth."

But the First Minister insisted: "What John Swinney pointed out to the Cabinet is that the opportunities from Scotland having its own natural resources will allow us to transform the Scottish economy and society."

Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: "The First Minister makes statements in public promising the earth, while he knows full well in private that he can't afford to pay for them."