Last updated 21:54, Wednesday, 25 June 2008

SCOTLAND’S fuel coalition took its case on rising fuel costs to First Minister Alex Salmond during a meeting in Edinburgh last Tuesday.

The group, representing farmers, fishermen and hauliers, came together for the first time in a united call for action to address the impact of spiralling fuel prices.

The group comprised NFU Scotland, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and the Road Haulage Association in Scotland.

Collectively, they represent more than 9,000 farmers, 3,500 fishermen and 1,000 haulage companies.

The farming and fishing industries contribute more than £2.5 billion annually to the Scottish economy and directly employ more than 70,000 people.

The coalition has identified six steps to alleviate the fuel price pressure on food producers, hauliers and consumers.

These included the UK government scrapping plans to increase fuel duty by 2p a litre in October and fuel duty on road diesel and unleaded fuel being reduced and subjected to a fuel price regulator which sees duty reduce as oil prices increase; EU legislation should be used to reduce fuel prices in more remote areas; farmers should qualify for the same red diesel rebate as their fishing counterparts; aid should provided to Scottish fishermen, as has already been provided to the French and Spanish fleet; and hauliers should be granted ‘essential user’ status, qualifying for a duty rebate.