Members' Business — S6M-05607 Stuart McMillan: Greenock and Inverclyde Faced with Higher Forecourt Prices that Rest of Scotland

That the Parliament rejects what it sees as the unfair fuel-pricing policy reportedly facing the people of Greenock and Inverclyde; understands that reports from BBC Scotland and the Greenock Telegraph suggest that forecourt prices in the area are significantly higher than in other parts of Scotland, including in more rural constituencies; believes that fuel retailers operating in Inverclyde have failed to acknowledge the impact of what it sees as a localised approach to pricing on people and businesses in the area, which, based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), ranks highest in Scotland for levels of deprivation; welcomes the announcement that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will conduct a market study into the supply of road fuel in the UK; notes the view that changes are needed to prevent fuel retailers from charging significantly higher prices in one area compared to nearby locations; believes that reducing reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles is crucial, in light of the climate emergency; considers, however, that some people rely on their car for work or health reasons, and that purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle, or using public transport, is not always an option; highlights what it sees as the vast profits being made by big businesses, including oil and gas companies; believes that this is in sharp contradiction to the cost of living crisis facing society that is plunging more households into poverty; notes the view that the UK Government must extend measures to help households, including through a cut in VAT and reduction in fuel duty; further notes the calls on the UK Government to act immediately, before autumn and winter 2022; notes the view that, if immediate action is not taken, the oil and gas sector in Scotland will carry a disproportionate burden of funding a UK-wide response to the cost of living crisis; notes calls on fuel retailers to reduce forecourt prices in Greenock and Inverclyde so that they are in line with the rest of Scotland, and looks forward to the CMA’s report into the supply of road fuel across the UK being published later in 2022.