SNP MSP John Finnie says the Chancellor must not go ahead with his planned hike in fuel duty after figures revealed the extent of the rising cost burden on police forces and fire brigades across Scotland.

The cost of fuel for fire brigades more than doubled between 2002 and 2009, while police forces are expected to spend an estimated £7,885,000 this year on fuel in comparison with £4,810,000 in 2002-03.

The figures also show the amount of duty paid by fire brigades to the Treasury in 2009 was over £953,000 in comparison to over £563,720 – an increase of 69 per cent.

Police forces are estimated to pay over £3.4million to the UK Exchequer this financial year in comparison to £2.2million paid in 2003 – an increase of 53%.

Mr Finnie, SNP MSP for Highlands and Islands and a former police officer, said:

“Record fuel prices are damaging to our emergency services – as these new figures clearly show.

“That is why the Chancellor must rethink his position on implementing his hike in fuel duty, which will only add to the pressures these emergency services are under.

“It is a scandal that fire brigades are spending more than double the amount of money of fuel in the space of only seven years.

“The figures show the Treasury has benefitted from a huge increase in the amount of duty paid – with the cash almost doubling between 2003 and 2009.

“This surge in funds to the UK Exchequer should be used to help offset the impact of high fuel prices on our essential emergency services.

“While emergency services budgets are tight, we must do everything in our power to help support them – not pile on even more pressure with higher costs.

“With record North Sea oil and gas revenues flowing to the Treasury, Scotland needs to see some of that money being used to bring fuel prices down.

“For too long now emergency services, households and businesses have called for action to tackle rising fuel costs. If the UK Government refuses to do this then the powers must be passed to the Scottish Parliament so that it can.”