Fair deal on fuel needed for motorists, according to Ed Miliband

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Louise Thomas

Editor

Motorists must receive a fair deal on fuel, Ed Miliband said as he suggested the Government is “very sympathetic” on progressing PumpWatch.

The Energy Secretary was also asked whether the Government will continue the previous Tory administration’s fuel duty freeze, although he declined to comment ahead of the Budget on October 30.

In January, the last government opened a consultation on a new PumpWatch scheme designed to make it easier for drivers to shop around for the cheapest petrol and diesel.

The scheme sought to force fuel retailers to share information on price changes, with tech companies able to use the freely available data to develop new price comparison tools.

Speaking at energy security and net zero questions on Tuesday, Conservative MP Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) pressed Mr Miliband for an update on the future of PumpWatch.

He told the Commons: “When it comes to petrol prices, for the last 11 years the government froze fuel duty and then cut it in 2022 and froze it again.

“When it comes to the CMA, the government instructed them to carry out a review and we came up with PumpWatch.

“The consultation was done in January. When I wrote in September to the Government to say ‘What are the results of that consultation?’, they said they were looking at it and would consider it in due course.

“Is this a priority for the Government? If not, what other ways are they going to ensure that petrol prices are kept low at the pump? Are they going to freeze fuel duty?”

Mr Miliband replied: “I won’t comment on the Budget, obviously.

“We’re very sympathetic on PumpWatch. We think it is important that there is a fair deal for consumers.”