Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 28 June 2022.
Thank you very much, First Minister. It is good to hear that this issue is on the agenda, because, as you know, fuel costs have increased in all parts of Wales, but particularly in rural areas. When travelling from Carmarthenshire to Cardiff this morning, it was clear that the price of petrol and diesel was 5p or 6p per litre more in the west as compared to here in the capital city.
People in Wales, some 80 per cent of them, use a car to travel to work. In rural areas such as those that I represent, people travel some 25 per cent further for work, and that, of course, has a huge impact on them—people like carers, farmers and small businesses who are suffering greatly at the moment. So, you will know that parts of England and Scotland already benefit from the rural fuel duty relief scheme, which doesn't currently exist in Wales. So, what pressure are you as a Government placing on Westminster in order for this scheme to be introduced here in Wales to support rural communities?