The high costs of supplying and distributing fuel to our island communities have a major impact on families and businesses in those areas. It is a triple whammy: long distances, high costs, little or no alternative transport.
Danny Alexander - Chief Secretary to the TreasuryIn areas which also have some of the lowest incomes in our country this has been a huge and persistent unfairness.
Every year in the last Parliament, Danny Alexander and his Highland colleagues attempted to amend the Finance Bill to introduce a scheme to reduce fuel duty to recognise and partially compensate for these extra costs.
Every year, Labour said no. On one occasion, the Labour minister told the people of the Highlands and Islands that their fuel costs were no more important than the inflated costs of a pint of beer in London.
A simple illustration of the arrogant dismissal and denial of economic problems that got our country into this mess.
We wrote our rural fuel discount policy into our election manifesto. Danny Alexander then won support for it in the coalition agreement and has announced that the UK Government is taking it forwards.
They have to persuade the European Commission that the proposals are justified on the basis of evidence, and then secure the approval of every single one of the 27 member states to approve the plans.
The Lib Dem plan will deliver up to a 5 pence duty discount on a litre of fuel. The pilot will start in the inner and outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly.
It will take time to deliver, but this plan will make a real difference to people in remote island communities. It will not fully remove the price difference that exists, but it will relieve some of the extra costs.
Most importantly of all, it will send a clear message that we are governing for the entire United Kingdom.
The first government in generations to properly understand the problems of our most remote communities.
The first government with the will to do something about them.
The first government in decades to act to help these hard-pressed communities. Liberal Democrats, delivering in government.
