Oral Answers to Questions

Torcuil Crichton Excerpts

Tuesday 10th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

The price of oil and gas is particularly volatile at the moment, given the conflict in the middle east. My understanding, as we came into the Chamber today, was that prices of oil were down by something like 25% on the day. The most important thing that all of us can do to deal with what is happening to prices at the moment is to support de-escalation. That is the Labour party’s policy, but I am not sure what the policy of the Conservative party is. None the less, that is the best way to get down both the price of petrol at the pumps and of heating oil. The North sea will play an important part of our energy mix for many years to come, which is why I met North sea oil and gas companies just last week to talk about what more they can do and how we can help.

[Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab)]

T4. When it comes to the rising cost of living, may I ask the Chancellor to look again at the rural fuel relief scheme? The scheme is meant to give a 5p discount per litre on petrol and diesel in specific island rural communities, but I have checked and found that, in Stornoway in my constituency, petrol is 138.9p today, yet in the middle of Glasgow it is 129.9p—9p cheaper. The scheme works in reverse, with urban drivers having all the advantages of competition and choice. The scheme costs little, but inflation has reduced it by 35%. I ask the Minister to press the accelerator and go an extra mile.

[Mr Speaker]

Many Back Benchers did not get in earlier, so, please, it would help me if we could try to speed up.