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T&C campaign fuels Westminster debate
b10-1021 MP Richard Fuller ouside Portcullis House, Westminster.
‘Dodgy’ deals and your Times & Citizen campaign to stop unfair fuel prices were at the heart of a debate in the House Of Commons.
MPs, including Richard Fuller, MP for Bedford and Kempston, and Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire attended the debate on Thursday and unanimously voted for an inquiry into unfair fixing of fuel prices.
Mr Fuller told the House: “I would like to congratulate my local newspaper the Times & Citizen which has been running a campaign in support of trying to get fairer fuel prices.
“It is incredulous to people how fuel prices can be so different.”
The debate was in support of a motion which was put forward by MP and fuel campaigner Robert Halfon to call upon the Office Of Fair Trading and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to launch a full investigation into oil firms active in the UK.
Figures were revealed which showed that there is a three week delay between the fall in oil prices and the reduction in the cost at the pumps. And in a speech to the house Mr Halfon claimed that for nine out of the last 18 months the saving has not been passed on at all.
Mr Halfon, who has launched his own national Petrol Promise campaign, told how he had spoken with an industry whistleblower who confirmed that the price is manipulated.
He said: “Oil companies are uncompetitive, there is also evidence that dodgy speculators are running the market and forcing up the price of oil.”
During the debate MPs also spoke about the plight of those in rural areas who rely on cars for their daily lives.
Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire told the House: “Today in Cranfield in my constituency I have students who cannot take their place at Bedford College because of the price of fuel.
“Lots of two car families are going down to one car because the cost of fuel has gone up so much. It is having an effect on families too.”
The Times & Citizen’s petrol prices campaign launched earlier this year in response to the fact that motorists in Bedford were paying around £40 a year more than if they filled up in neighbouring towns.
And to take our campaign forward we have arranged to meet with Mr Halfon in October to find ways to work together to get a better deal for local consumers.
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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