Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the petroleum retail industry on fuel prices in rural and remote areas.

Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with representatives of the petroleum sector on a range of issues, including fuel prices.

The rural fuel duty rebate scheme allows around 125,000 people living in the UK’s most rural communities, including on the Scottish mainland and Scottish Islands, to benefit from a five pence per litre fuel price cut. The government also recognises that fuel costs remain a significant part of business and household costs, particularly in rural areas. That is why at Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced the main rate of fuel duty would remain frozen for the ninth successive year, which by April 2020 will have saved the average driver a cumulative £1000 compared to pre-2010 escalator plans.