12/11/2012

MPs To Vote On Fuel Rise Delay

MPs will vote on Monday evening on plans to increase fuel duty by 3 pence a litre in January.

Labour have said "it would be wrong" to bring the new rise in s soon an want it delayed until at least April.

Conservative MPs concerned about the cost of petrol said they believed Chancellor George Osborne was "in listening mode" over the issue.

Pollsters Populus interviewed 2,100 UK adults on behalf of consumer organisation Which? and found 85% of people expressed concerns about rising fuel prices.

The survey suggested 39% of people would cut back on motoring costs, while one in 10 said they had used savings to cover motoring costs.

Which? also said the figures showed 8.7 million households curbed their spending on essentials last month, while 6.4 million households used savings to cover outgoings.

The organisation's executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Rising fuel prices are the number one consumer worry and people are already telling us they're having to cut back and dip into savings just to get by.

"On the back of inflation-busting energy bill rises and increasing food prices, consumers can little afford another hit on their household budget. We're calling on the government to think again about their plans to increase fuel duty in January.

"The forthcoming Autumn Statement must focus on measures that will help put money back in the pockets of consumers, because the economic recovery is at risk if we don't increase consumer confidence."

(H/GK)


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