Rising fuel costs affecting emergency services

North East Scotland SNP MSP Nigel Don has today (Saturday) called on the UK Government to ensure rising fuel costs for essential emergency services are met from increasing fuel tax revenues.

His comments come after a Parliamentary Answer revealed the cost of fuel to the ambulance service has doubled since 1999.  The answers show that the annual fuel bill for the ambulance service was expected to reach £7 million by 2010 before rising fuel prices are taken into account.

Commenting Nigel Don said;

"As the UK Government takes in increased fuel tax revenues of over £4 billion some of this money could be used to offset the impact on our essential emergency services.

"As a result of high prices the UK Government should have the financial flexibility to meet the pressures the ambulance service and other essential emergency services will be under. 

"Yesterday the UK Government claimed rising revenues would be spent on increased government costs.  The UK must be clear – are these rising costs supporting essential emergency services or is it servicing UK government debts?

"The Scottish Government received the tightest financial settlement ever from London, with a 0.5 % increase in the Scottish budget.  As the First Minister said yesterday Scotland must make a claim on the additional resources flowing to the UK Treasury to meet these rising costs."

ENDS

Notes:

1. The Parliamentary Answers are below.

Emergency Services

S3W-13262 - Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP) (Lodged Wednesday, May 21, 2008): To ask the Scottish Executive what the fuel costs have been for the (a) police, (b) Scottish Ambulance Service and (c) fire service in each year since 1999.

Kenny MacAskill (Thursday, May 29, 2008): This information is not held centrally for the police or fire service. Fuel costs for the Scottish Ambulance Service in each year since 1999 are shown in the following table.

Year - £000  

1998-99 - 2,849 

1999-2000 - 3,209 

2000-01 - 3,376 

2001-02 - 3,306 

2002-03 - 3,372 

2003-04 - 3,925 

2004-05 - 4,240 

2005-06 - 4,994 

2006-07 - 5,157 

2007-08 - 5,611 

S3W-13261 - Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP) (Lodged Wednesday, May 21, 2008): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated fuel costs are for the (a) police, (b) Scottish Ambulance Service and (c) fire service for (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Kenny MacAskill (Thursday, May 29, 2008): This information is not held centrally for the police or fire service. The following estimated fuel costs for the Scottish Ambulance Service are based on forecasts.

2008-09 - £6.072 million

2009-10 - £6.638 million

2010-11 - £6.970 million

2. A UK Government spokesman claimed the additional oil revenue to the Treasury will have to be spent on increased government costs, leaving a "broadly revenue neutral effect on public finances".

Source:The Herald
 

3. During FMQs on 29th May 2008 in response to a Question from Tavish Scott on the rising fuel costs facing essential ferry services the First Minister said;

The First Minister: I believe that, as a Parliament and a country, we must make a claim on the huge additional resources flowing into the United Kingdom Treasury as a result of the sky-high fuel prices. That must be done because that is where the financial flexibility is available to meet some of the pressures that Tavish Scott rightly mentioned.