Marcus Jones
Main Page: Marcus Jones (Conservative - Nuneaton)Department Debates - View all Marcus Jones's debates with the HM Treasury
Motoring Fuel Costs
Marcus Jones Excerpts(13 years, 5 months ago)
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Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con)
It is a privilege to speak under your chairmanship, Mrs Brooke. I am grateful to Mr Speaker for allowing this debate, and I want to congratulate FairFuelUK on its campaign for British motorists and for all the British businesses that have to buy petrol or diesel.
Let us get one thing straight: cars, vans and lorries are the lifeblood of British industry. More than 34 million vehicles are licensed in this country, which is one for every two people. That is why the current cost of petrol and diesel is one of the biggest brakes on economic growth and is crucifying many families who are struggling to keep their heads above water. That is especially true in my constituency of Harlow, where high costs are hurting many small businesses. I want to look at the current situation, the record profits of energy companies and what is to be done. As The Sun newspaper said in its editorial last Saturday:
“It’s welcome news that Parliament is to investigate why petrol prices remain sky-high even as the cost of oil plummets.
While they’re at it, they can look at why gas customers face 19 per cent rises from a firm with annual profits of more than £1 billion.
Consumers are being fleeced from all sides when buying essentials.
It's time our MPs stood up for us.”
I am here, with my colleagues, to stand up for motorists.
Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)
Does my hon. Friend agree that there is huge frustration throughout the country about how, when the price of oil falls, the prices at the pumps seem to reduce very slowly and perhaps not to the same level, but when the price of oil increases, the petrol and diesel prices at the fuel filling stations seem to go up within minutes?
Robert Halfon
As ever, my hon. Friend has hit the nail on the head. I will set out in my remarks what is happening and what we should do about it.
Let us look at the numbers. In my constituency of Harlow, there are 33,000 households and 37,000 cars and vans. According to the Royal Automobile Club, which has done excellent work on the fair fuel campaign, we drive 9,000 miles a year. At 32 miles per gallon, an ordinary Harlow motorist is using 281 gallons or 1,277 litres every year. The cheapest unleaded petrol in Harlow that someone can buy is £1.33 a litre but in most cases Harlow motorists are spending £1,700 a year just to fill their tank. For most people, £2,200 of income before tax goes on that. That is a tenth of the average Harlow salary.