The UK operates a Fuel Duty Relief scheme designed to cut petrol costs in rural areas where public transport is less reliable and car dependency is higher. This was introduced by the Liberal Democrats in Government between 2010-2015.
Currently only the very remotest areas of Britain benefit from fuel duty relief – such as Orkney & Shetland, the Hebrides and the Isles of Scilly – and the current saving is just 5p per litre.
The Liberal Democrats have called for Fuel Duty Relief to be extended to cover most rural areas in Britain – where residents are disproportionally affected by fuel price increases – and for the relief rate to be doubled to 10p per litre.
Below is a template Council Motion that can be moved in rural Local Authorities to call for the extension of the fuel duty relief scheme to their area.
Council recognises that, because of it’s rural nature, residents in AREA NAME have been disproportionately affected by the steep rise in fuel prices over the past year. Car journeys in AREA NAME are in general longer, and public transport services less frequent, than urban areas.
Research by the Countryside Alliance has found that rural households spend an average of £2440 a year on filling up their car, £800 more than households in urban areas.
Council believes that more should be done to support residents in AREA NAME with rising fuel prices.
Council notes that the Government operates a Fuel Duty Relief scheme for rural areas, but at present in only applies in extremely remote parts of Britain such as Orkney, Shetland, the Outer & Inner Hebrides and the Isles of Scilly.
Council further notes the EDM tabled by Richard Foord MP (Lib Dem, Tiverton & Honiton) calling for Fuel Duty Relief to be extended to cover most rural areas in Britain, and for the relief rate to be doubled from 5p to 10p per litre. Coupled with a 2.5% cut in VAT, also called for by the Liberal Democrats, this would save the average driver in AREA NAME £7.60 each time their fill up their car (and over £200 over the next year).
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zawali MP to express our support of the Lib Dem proposal to extend fuel duty relief to more rural areas, including AREA NAME, and for the relief rate to be doubled to 10p.