Welcome for OFT fuel probe 22/1/13
Hebrides parliamentarians Angus MacNeil MP and Alasdair Allan MSP have welcomed the move by the Office of Fair Trading to formally investigate the distribution of road fuels in the Western Isles by Scottish Fuels.
Angus MacNeil MP said: “I have been asking the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to intervene on the fuel issue in our islands for a long time and this development is another milestone in the fuel saga. But we are getting there step by step.
“Whilst this investigation is at an early stage, the OFT is asking that no assumptions should be made that there has been an infringement of competition law.
“I hope this will lead to further clarity as we need to understand every step of the fuel chain, from the refinery to the car tank as it is so crucial to so many aspects of island life.”
MSP Alasdair Allan said the development “follows long concern about the issue of competition among the suppliers of fuel to island petrol stations.
“It would not be appropriate for me to speculate about what the OFT will now do. However, the OFT have made clear that they are now investigating whether there has potentially been an abuse of a dominant position in the market. It is in the interests of everyone in the islands that we get an answer to that."