RHA: Fair Fuel UK gets cross-party support

Thursday, 16 June 2011 8:56 AM

Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow has successfully led a debate in Parliament on the high cost of petrol and diesel.

Speaking after the debate on Tuesday 14 June Mr Halfon said: “We want a fair deal for fuel for motorists and businesses. I made the case in the strongest possible terms that there should be no more rises in fuel duty during the rest of this Parliament - a key aim in the FairFuelUK Campaign. Petrol and diesel are necessities for everyone in my own community of Harlow and for the whole country. As well as no more rises in fuel duty, I am urging that the Government sets up a Commission into why fuel prices at the pump are still far too high, even though oil has fallen on the international markets and to examine alternatives to rising fuel duty”.

Fair Fuel campaigner Peter Carroll said: “Nearly every MP present at the debate agreed with the call for more transparency in the market so that hard pressed motorists and businesses can see ‘who’ is taking ‘what’ out of the price of a litre. FairFuelUK strongly supported the call by Mr Halfon that the Government should commit to no more rises at all in fuel duty in this Parliament. The plan is that fuel duty will rise in January. We have to stop that rise’.

Justine Greening MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, replied on behalf of the Government and acknowledged the active role of FairFuelUK in the run up to this year’s Budget.

“We are encouraged that MPs from across the political spectrum recognise the plight of UK road hauliers”, said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “We particularly welcome their acknowledgement of those transport operators who are being undercut by foreign vehicles entering the UK with tanks of fuel bought on the continent for which they have paid up to 24 pence per litre less in fuel duty.

Peter Carroll added, ‘This debate was just the start of a long battle in Parliament. All our recent polling quite clearly shows that the cost of fuel is right at the top of people’s agenda. We urge everyone who is suffering from the effects of high fuel prices to sign up their support at www.fairfueluk.com

FairFuelUK is supported by the RAC, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association together with nearly 160,000 members of the public.

Road Haulage Association – phone us first

For more details, contact RHA Head of Media Relations, Kate Gibbs on . . .
Tel: +44 (0) 1932 838917
Mob: + 44 (0) 7979 531451

www.rha.uk.net

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