MP challenges minister on Cumbria petrol prices in Parliament

Local MP Tim Farron today raised the issue of higher petrol prices in rural areas like Cumbria, calling for more support for local families facing sky-high prices at the pump.

Tim secured an urgent debate in Parliament on the issue of fuel prices, after a report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found customers have paid £900m in extra costs at the pump due to inadequate competition.

The report also found rural areas like Cumbria pay on average 1.2p a litre more on petrol than urban areas.

The Liberal Democrats are putting pressure on the Government to do more to tackle petrol profiteering, including hauling the bosses of firms who have failed to cut prices into Downing Street to hold them to account.

The party is also calling for an expansion of the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme to more rural areas like Cumbria, which would mean cutting fuel duty by 10p a litre, easing pressure on families in rural communities facing sky-high prices.

Speaking in Parliament earlier today, Tim said: "Rural places such as Cumbria are seeing fuel prices on average 1.2 pence per litre higher than urban areas.

"Will the Prime Minister summon these companies' bosses to Downing Street and press them to return these extra profits by lowering their prices accordingly in the coming months?

"And will he finally expand the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme to more areas as the Liberal Democrats called for last year, to support rural communities struggling with some of the highest petrol prices?"

Responding, the Minister for Energy Security Graham Stuart said: "I thank the right honourable gentleman for his question. The RAC is right and he's right to highlight the particular issue in rural communities such as he represents and indeed I represent and the particular pressures on consumers there.

"He will understand that the rural fuel duty relief is a matter for the Chancellor and that what we need is a properly functioning market. That's why we are implementing the findings of the CMA in full and putting in place an interim regime starting next month."