MORAY MP Angus Robertson has welcomed an announcement from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) that it is reviewing the pricing of petrol and diesel in the UK.
In light of continuing public concern about pump prices, Mr Robertson said the OFT will gather evidence to determine whether or not there are competition problems that it can tackle in the sector.
He said the six-week review will consider whether there are issues making it hard for independent retailers to compete, lack of competition in rural areas, and whether falling costs of crude oil are reflected in the forecourt prices.
Mr Robertson said: "I welcome this investigation into the fairness of fuel pricing. The rising costs of fuel have hammered householders and local businesses for too long, especially in rural areas like Moray - and scrutiny of the sector is long overdue.
" The OFT will, I hope, look into differentials between prices in certain areas and also look into the difference between fuel stations, given that prices at fuel depots are constant for all retailers on a given week.
"However, this is to be a UK wide investigation and I hope that the whole chain is looked at, from the refinery to the car petrol tank and all the handlers in-between."
