WEIR COMMENTS ON GRANGEMOUTH STATEMENT

 

Speaking following a statement in the House of Commons today (Thursday) on the strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery, SNP Westminster Business and Enterprise spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, has called on all parties to return to the negotiating table, and urged fuel retailers behave responsibly in terms of pricing.

 

Mr Weir, who is a member of the Business and Enterprise Committee, said:

 

"While Scotland has ample stocks of fuel to deal with any disruption, all parties must get back around the table to resolve this dispute responsibly.

 

“It is also crucial that retailers behave responsibly, and it is disturbing that some filling stations have jacked up their prices given the already sky-high price of fuel.

 

"I know that the Scottish Government, along with UK Ministers, are working hard to bring the company and the union together, and has offered, with the possible involvement of the Faculty of Actuaries, a constructive way forward.”

 

ENDS

 

Contact SNP Westminster Press: 0207 219 0074

 

A transcript of Mr Weir’s exchange with the Business Secretary is detailed below:  

 

Mike Weir MP: “I too would welcome the Minister's statement today and I note the contact he has had with the Scottish Government and I hope that it will continue in this constructive spirit because although it is principally a Scottish problem, I understand that Grangemouth also supplies parts of the North of England and Northern Ireland so it is important for many areas. I also welcome his assurance today, and it's also been given by the Scottish Government, that there are sufficient supplies and I hope he'll understand the importance of politicians of all parties and also the media doing nothing which will escalate the problems since there have been reports and I know from personal experience in my own area and adjoining constituencies, there has been a run on petrol stations and some of them have run out of particularly diesel and unleaded fuel. It is causing difficulties in some rural areas. He did mention the question of looking at the activities of oil companies. Now there has been at least anecdotal evidence of some filling stations having jacked up their price quite a lot while this has been going on however I appreciate there could be an investigation into this at a later date. Does he have any powers to take immediate action if there is any evidence this is being done?

 

John Hutton MP (Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform): I am grateful to the points that the Hon Gentleman has made. It's not an appropriate time to be grandstanding in relation to this dispute and I hope that this temptation has been resisted by everyone and I think we should work together in a sensible way to try to resolve these matters. From our perspective here there will be no problem, we don't envisage any difficulty. We have good working relations with the Scottish Executive and we will preserve those and I think it's in everyone's best interests to ensure that fuel is preserved and supplied as close to normal as possible. He is right to say there has been some local shortages. I understand they have been corrected as soon as possible - they've been temporary. I think there could well be some of those in the next few days as well I don't want to pretend that those difficulties couldn't arise.

But I think the essential point for people, his constituents and people across Scotland is this: that there is sufficient supply. There is no reason for people to start buying fuel in any way other than they would have done. There is enough fuel: diesel and petrol and also industrial fuel supplies for Scotland and that I think is the most important message.