§ 22. Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact of fuel duty on the Welsh economy. [136884]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyMy right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a 2p reduction in duty on Ultra-Low Sulphur Fuel, petrol and diesel, on top of the 1p cut in the 2000 Budget. The Government are sympathetic to the needs of the whole UK economy. However, we also have a duty to environmental protection, and fuel duty and the Climate Change Levy have their part to play.
§ 29. Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact of vehicle fuel duties on the rural economy in Wales. [136891]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyIn this year's Budget, the Government gave a commitment to ending the fuel duty escalator and that there would be no increase in fuel duty, beyond the automatic increase in line with inflation. Fuel duty revenues go straight into a ring-fenced fund for improving public transport and modernising the road network. Wales is allocated a percentage of such moneys on the basis of the funding rules, but it is for the National Assembly to determine how the money is spent.