The Con Dem Westminster government (in its recent budget) has failed to deal with the problem of soaring fuel prices something that it hitting all of us, but, has added impact on families and businesses in our rural areas. Plaid has again called for a fair fuel regulator which would cut fuel duty when prices spike unexpectedly by freezing the price at the pump. This week's Finance Bill includes no provision for tackling the cost of fuel, which is one of the main drivers of rising inflation. The Bill faced its second reading on Monday. Plaid Cymru and the SNP tabled a motion of opposition on the basis that the Finance Bill fails to address a crucial issue which is damaging economic growth. Fuel aside, this Westminster Government, which once claimed that it was ‘the Greenest Government ever’, has promised much but has delivered little, failing to tackle our over reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation by developing renewable energy.
Plaid Cymru’s Elfyn Llwyd MP said:
"The issue of fuel prices really is the elephant in the room as far as the Budget is concerned.
"Fuel prices are one of the main sources of rising inflation yet the Chancellor has failed to tackle this problem, instead choosing to introduce tax-cuts for the rich and slash payments for the elderly.
"The Coalition has yet again shown itself to be completely out of touch with ordinary people and failed to act on an issue which affects the vast majority of the UK population.
"Rising fuel prices are a great problem for families and businesses in my constituency.
"It seems that they keep going up, whatever the government claims they have done - and so does the fuel duty that they collect.
"Motorists in rural areas spend significantly more on fuel than those in urban areas. Figures from the Office for national Statistics also show that poorer families spend more of their income on petrol than richer families, so there is an earning effect as well through soaring fuel prices.
"After 7 years of Plaid pushing for a genuine fuel duty stabiliser, it is hugely disappointing to see that neither the Labour nor Conservative governments in London have agreed to this common sense idea.
"Looking at the long term, I would also urge the Government to urgently address the lack of investment in renewable energy that we are seeing at present.
"We have to be moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels and moving towards a greener economy.
"Sadly, the Coalition's betrayal of its promise to be "the greenest Government ever" is making this extremely difficult.
"Plaid has consistently maintained that the future of energy generation lies with renewables and we will continue to campaign hard on this issue, regardless of the London parties' inaction."
Showing posts with label fuel duty stabiliser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fuel duty stabiliser. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
TIME FOR A FUEL DUTY REGULATOR
Rapidly rising fuel prices have prompted calls for the introduction of a fuel regulator. While we are all getting hammered by high fuel prices, the situation is worse in the more rural areas of Wales. The introduction of a fuel regulator who would cut fuel duty when prices spike unexpectedly, freezing the price at the pump. George Osborne, in the Budget later this month should introduce a genuine fuel duty stabiliser, something that is supported by motoring organisations and the Federation for Small Business, this would cap the price of petrol at the pump if it increases beyond expectation.
The Chancellor should also look at extending the rural fuel duty derogation which is currently being trialled in parts of Scotland where 5p per litre is cut from the bill. Plaid (and the SNP) have long recognised this problem and have been pushing for it in Budgets in 2005 and 2008 with widespread support from real people outside parliament. New Labour ignored the problems of rising fuel prices, the Conservatives simply lifted the idea, watered it down and re-branded it as their own.
We are all suffering from the consequences of the massive hike in the cost of fuel recently, not all of it down to the rising cost of oil. The Tory-led Government's VAT increase and fuel duty hike last year merely pushed the price of a litre up. Businesses and especially families in rural areas, where a car is a necessity not a luxury are facing the pain because of these choices. For the short-term we need to have a fuel duty stabiliser and a special price for fuel in rural areas, but we also need to diversify and invest in renewable energy alternatives to reduce our reliance upon oil and other fossil fuels.
The Chancellor should also look at extending the rural fuel duty derogation which is currently being trialled in parts of Scotland where 5p per litre is cut from the bill. Plaid (and the SNP) have long recognised this problem and have been pushing for it in Budgets in 2005 and 2008 with widespread support from real people outside parliament. New Labour ignored the problems of rising fuel prices, the Conservatives simply lifted the idea, watered it down and re-branded it as their own.
We are all suffering from the consequences of the massive hike in the cost of fuel recently, not all of it down to the rising cost of oil. The Tory-led Government's VAT increase and fuel duty hike last year merely pushed the price of a litre up. Businesses and especially families in rural areas, where a car is a necessity not a luxury are facing the pain because of these choices. For the short-term we need to have a fuel duty stabiliser and a special price for fuel in rural areas, but we also need to diversify and invest in renewable energy alternatives to reduce our reliance upon oil and other fossil fuels.
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