Treasury takes £25 per week in fuel tax

A survey of petrol prices shows that for a household filling even a modest car with a 30 litre tank £25 a week or £100 per month is going to the UKTreasury in tax.

With prices rocketing and the Treasury raking in billions from high oil prices through its high fuel taxes, the SNP is today putting forward proposals in the House of Commons that will bring down the price of fuel at the pumps for people across Scotland.

At the same time Gordon Brown's Labour Government is again planning to increase taxes on car owners – upping vehicle duty on older cars – hitting the less well off.

Labour MPs today have the opportunity to vote to bring down fuel prices and to scrap plans to increase car taxes on those already suffering at the pumps.

With one former Labour Transport Minister backing a Fuel Duty Regulator the SNP are calling on Scottish Labour MPs to do the same.

Commenting ahead of today's key votes which will be attended by SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond, Stewart Hosie MP said:

"A survey of fuel prices in Glasgow East shows that they are well above average with prices of nearly 125 pence a litre. Even a family with a modest size car is paying £25 to Gordon Brown's Treasury every time they fill up their tank.

"The SNP is putting forward plans to support people in Glasgow East faced with higher fuel costs and rising prices.

"All SNP MPs will be voting to lift the pressure on people struggling to meet fuel costs.

"Instead of speaking up for the people of Glasgow and Scotland Labour MPs will vote against bringing down the fuel price and in favour of increasing car tax on the people who can least afford it.

"With massive oil revenues flowing from Scotland to the UK Treasury, bypassing those who are suffering most from rising prices it's time some of that money found its way back into people's pockets.

"The SNP is proposing positive actions to alleviate the problem of rising fuel prices. Instead of supporting Scotland with a fair share of oil revenues and a good deal for people in Scotland, Labour MPs are backing Brown and piling more pressure on tight household budgets.

"SNP MPs will today be on the side of people in Glasgow East and across Scotland suffering from rising prices. Whose side will Labour be on?"

The SNP proposal for a fuel duty regulator will be debated in the House of Commons this evening. Labour MPs are expected to vote against the proposal which would reduce fuel duty in line with rising prices.

Labour MP Stephen Ladyman, a former Transport Minister recently called for a fuel duty regulator saying "Let's start of stitching our deal with the motoring public by scrapping the fuel duty escalator and replacing it with a duty moderator that recognises when the price of fuel goes up the exchequer VAT take increases and the rate of fuel duty moderator goes down."