Latest Press Releases
| LOCHHEAD & ROBERTSON CALL FOR FUEL DUTY REBATE SCHEME TO COVER RURAL MORAY |
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| Tuesday, 13 September 2011 00:00 |
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Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead and MP, Angus Robertson, have both welcomed the news that the European Commission has approved the UK Government application for the rural fuel duty rebate scheme in principle and has formally published the legislative proposal required for a change in EU law.
Concern has been expressed, however, that the UK Government will not extend a scheme far enough and is urging UK Ministers to take a broad view. Richard Lochhead MSP said: “ The SNP has been arguing the case for a long time that rural Scotland should get a fuel discount scheme where car ownership and use is a necessity and not a luxury. “ Rural households are already being hammered with increasing energy bills and pay that is not keeping pace with inflation. A discount scheme cannot come fast enough, and with agreement now received from the Commission there is no excuse for continued Treasury delays.” Moray’s MP Angus Robertson said: “ It is nearly a year since UK Ministers announced this scheme and they took nearly six months after that before approaching the European Commission. Far too much time has already been wasted and action is needed now. “ Our rural communities in Moray and elsewhere need this urgently and we also need the Treasury to deal with the issue of up-front costs to ensure that rural petrol stations are not burdened by the scheme. The discount will be extremely important but the Treasury must implement it in a way that will not harm rural businesses who will be operating the scheme." |
