Stuart McMillan MSP has received assurances from the UK Government that it will deliver the recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Road Fuel Market Study – after calling for more urgent action in the Scottish Parliament.
The SNP MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions on 5 December 2024 following an update from the CMA which highlighted how continued weakened competition was impacting fuel prices.
Stuart has been calling for retailers to offer fairer fuel prices for over a decade now, as his constituency has consistently been one of the worst-affected by higher-than-average pump prices.
His coverage of the issue led to the CMA investigating the road fuels market, with a particular focus on improving competition and transparency amongst retailers.
Commenting, Stuart said:
“I welcome the response from the UK Government as it confirms that the statutory open data scheme recommended by the CMA to increase price transparency will be launched by the end of 2025.
“The scheme, called Fuel Finder, will help drivers to easily compare pump prices and make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. This will increase pressure on petrol filling stations to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering their prices or improving their services at the forecourt.
“I am told that this is subject to the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which was recently introduced in the UK Parliament and will provide the legislative basis to set up the scheme.
“In addition, I have been advised that on 1 January 2025, the CMA received statutory information gathering powers through the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Act 2024, so that it can monitor and scrutinise fuel prices.
“The CMA will therefore be able to assess and report on competition in the road fuels retail sector, and facilitate a well-functioning and competitive market, acting as a deterrent to retailers taking actions that would further weaken competition.
“This is welcome news for local drivers and businesses who’ve had to endure higher costs at Inverclyde’s forecourts for too long. I truly hope this additional scrutiny will incentivise retailers into offering a fair price for filling up rather than raiding people’s pockets for higher profits.”
