Mark Williams MP Champions Rural Fuel Rebate for Ceredigion

I was very pleased to hear Welsh Minister David Jones announce yesterday that he has written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, asking for rural parts of Wales to be included within the rural fuel rebate scheme.

This came after our local MP Mark Williams quizzed the Minister during Welsh Questions.

Mark Williams wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the issue in January, and has long campaigned for a rural fuel rebate in areas such as Ceredigion, where the price of fuel is often higher despite there being fewer public transport options.

The Government has announced that they will pursue a rebate scheme, which would apply in the Highlands, the Northern Isles, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Islands of the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly. The scheme could see fuel prices at the pumps in these areas be reduced by 5p per litre.

During yesterday's Welsh questions session, Mark Williams pointed out the difficulties many in rural Wales are experiencing due to the current high cost of fuel, and asked for the Wales Office to urge the Treasury to include parts of Wales in the scheme. In response, David Jones confirmed that the Wales Office had written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Commenting, Mark Williams said:

Mark Williams MP
- Fighting for Ceredigion 



“The Government should be congratulated on their plans to introduce a scheme to help make rural fuel affordable, when the previous Labour Government claimed this was impossible.

“However, it is important that that help should be available to other similar communities, and I would argue that much of rural Wales would meet the criteria on remoteness and sparseness.

“This is a very good scheme, which is why the Liberal Democrats have been arguing for it for many years, but it needs to apply in all extremely rural and sparsely populated areas, so that we are not paying more for our petrol.”

It's good to know that our local MP is fighting for local, rural residents here in Ceredigion during what are difficult times for the rural economy with the escalating price of oil.

Here's hoping that the Government will agree with the representations made and include rural Wales in this rural fuel rebate scheme.