PROPOSAL FOR A FUEL DUTY REGULATOR

That this House notes the vote in the Scottish Parliament which saw a majority vote for the UK Government to cancel the rise in fuel duty planned for April 2011 and implement a fuel duty regulator; believes that the UK Government must now listen to the views of people across Scotland who can no longer afford extortionate fuel prices; further notes that petrol and diesel prices in Scotland are among the highest in Europe and have reached record levels and that the planned rise in fuel duty by the UK Government in April 2011 could increase prices by a further 4p per litre; recognises that such increases impose an additional burden on households and businesses at a time of rising living costs and could undermine the economic recovery; further notes the UK Government's proposal to introduce a 5p-per-litre fuel discount scheme for island communities; and calls on the UK Government to cancel the rise in fuel duty planned for April 2011 and implement a fuel duty regulator that would ensure that some of the additional revenue that the UK Governmentwill receive from increased revenues due to recent increases in oil prices is used to reduce fuel duty to help support Scottish households and businesses.