Meeting of the Parliament 12 March 2026 [Draft]
I note that Rachel Reeves has referred the hike to the Competition and Markets Authority, but my constituents and, I suspect, constituents of many members throughout the chamber need something done in the here and now. They are simply overwhelmed by the soaring costs of their heating oil, which have more than doubled in days and are still on the rise. For example, in my constituency, the cost was 60p a litre in January, and yesterday it was £1.27 a litre. The increased costs affect about 130,000 homes in Scotland and 1.7 million homes UK-wide. Those homes already get very limited benefit from the energy price cap. That applies to combined electricity and gas supplies, so it applies only to their electricity bills.
Previously, with the spike in the price of heating oil due to the invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government introduced an alternative fuel payment of £200, which was better than nothing. Does the First Minister agree that an alternative fuel payment should be made now, but in tandem with the exposure of the cowboys who are profiteering and, at long last, proper regulation of the industry?