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| Brown meeting oil industry chiefs | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are meeting oil industry leaders amid controversy over soaring fuel prices. | |
| It comes after lorry drivers staged protests against rising costs and Labour MPs urged ministers to rethink increases in both petrol and road tax. | It comes after lorry drivers staged protests against rising costs and Labour MPs urged ministers to rethink increases in both petrol and road tax. |
| Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable called on the PM to wait before making a decision over plans to raise duty on fuel by 2p in the autumn. | Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable called on the PM to wait before making a decision over plans to raise duty on fuel by 2p in the autumn. |
| Mr Brown says there is "no easy answer" to the global oil problem. | Mr Brown says there is "no easy answer" to the global oil problem. |
| The government is under mounting pressure to ditch controversial plans to increase road tax on gas guzzling cars. | The government is under mounting pressure to ditch controversial plans to increase road tax on gas guzzling cars. |
| Scottish gathering | Scottish gathering |
| Business Secretary John Hutton and Justice Secretary Jack Straw insisted the prime minister was "listening" to concerns over the planned increase in vehicle excise duty - giving rise to speculation that the government could stage a U-turn. | Business Secretary John Hutton and Justice Secretary Jack Straw insisted the prime minister was "listening" to concerns over the planned increase in vehicle excise duty - giving rise to speculation that the government could stage a U-turn. |
| The cause of rising prices is clear: growing demand and too little supply to meet it both now and - perhaps of even greater significance - in the future Gordon Brown Analysis: Driving towards a U-turn?Speculation over road tax rethink Analysis: Why oil prices are high | The cause of rising prices is clear: growing demand and too little supply to meet it both now and - perhaps of even greater significance - in the future Gordon Brown Analysis: Driving towards a U-turn?Speculation over road tax rethink Analysis: Why oil prices are high |
| But writing in the Guardian, Mr Brown seemed keen to keep the focus on the rising cost of oil, rather than on the hike in road tax. | But writing in the Guardian, Mr Brown seemed keen to keep the focus on the rising cost of oil, rather than on the hike in road tax. |
| He says an increase in the supply of oil would lower the price of fuel and ease pressure on the government over the planned tax increases. | He says an increase in the supply of oil would lower the price of fuel and ease pressure on the government over the planned tax increases. |
| Mr Brown and Mr Darling are meeting representatives of oil companies in north-east Scotland where they were expected to ask industry leaders what help they would need from the government in order to increase production - such as investment in new infrastructure or oil exploration. | |
| See how UK petrol and diesel prices have risen | See how UK petrol and diesel prices have risen |
| In his Guardian article, Mr Brown called on nations to unite to stabilise the price of oil, which has increased from US $10 a barrel a decade ago to $135 today. | In his Guardian article, Mr Brown called on nations to unite to stabilise the price of oil, which has increased from US $10 a barrel a decade ago to $135 today. |
| He says the UK will argue that a global strategy to tackle the impact of higher oil prices be put at the top of the agenda of the next meeting of the G8 group of industrialised countries. | He says the UK will argue that a global strategy to tackle the impact of higher oil prices be put at the top of the agenda of the next meeting of the G8 group of industrialised countries. |
| 'Don't rush' | 'Don't rush' |
| The development of renewable energy sources must be accelerated and the efficiency of the oil market improved to ease the impact of growing demand, he says. | The development of renewable energy sources must be accelerated and the efficiency of the oil market improved to ease the impact of growing demand, he says. |
| "The cause of rising prices is clear: growing demand and too little supply to meet it both now and - perhaps of even greater significance - in the future," he writes. | "The cause of rising prices is clear: growing demand and too little supply to meet it both now and - perhaps of even greater significance - in the future," he writes. |
| "Our goal that Britain becomes a low-carbon economy is now an economic priority as well as an environmental imperative." | "Our goal that Britain becomes a low-carbon economy is now an economic priority as well as an environmental imperative." |
| Hauliers brought much of London's traffic to a standstill | Hauliers brought much of London's traffic to a standstill |
| Mr Cable, a former economist at Shell, said if he were chancellor he would wait before making a decision on the 2p fuel duty rise - but added he could not see an easy way to pay for scrapping it. | Mr Cable, a former economist at Shell, said if he were chancellor he would wait before making a decision on the 2p fuel duty rise - but added he could not see an easy way to pay for scrapping it. |
| "We have to wait until the autumn and we have to see what conditions are like," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "We have to wait until the autumn and we have to see what conditions are like," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| "There's no point rushing ahead with a decision on that. It may be that the world oil price will fall very substantially in the intervening months and the problem will seem to have dissipated somewhat. | "There's no point rushing ahead with a decision on that. It may be that the world oil price will fall very substantially in the intervening months and the problem will seem to have dissipated somewhat. |
| "But I would have the problem, if I was chancellor, of getting the money somewhere else and it isn't altogether obvious where the money would come from." | "But I would have the problem, if I was chancellor, of getting the money somewhere else and it isn't altogether obvious where the money would come from." |
| On Tuesday the Treasury defended its plans to increase duty on more polluting cars registered since 2001 by as much as £200, saying this would increase the incentive to develop and purchase fuel-efficient cars. | On Tuesday the Treasury defended its plans to increase duty on more polluting cars registered since 2001 by as much as £200, saying this would increase the incentive to develop and purchase fuel-efficient cars. |
| 'Essential user' rebate | 'Essential user' rebate |
| So far, 42 MPs have signed a Commons motion asking the chancellor to reconsider the policy on the grounds that it is retrospective and "unfair" to people who have already bought their cars. | So far, 42 MPs have signed a Commons motion asking the chancellor to reconsider the policy on the grounds that it is retrospective and "unfair" to people who have already bought their cars. |
| Mr Darling is due to meet backbenchers next week to discuss their concerns. | Mr Darling is due to meet backbenchers next week to discuss their concerns. |
| Downing Street says it is keeping an open mind on future tax increases. | Downing Street says it is keeping an open mind on future tax increases. |
| Police said 100 lorries took part in a protest in London on Tuesday. Organisers said the figure was closer to 300. | Police said 100 lorries took part in a protest in London on Tuesday. Organisers said the figure was closer to 300. |
| And in Wales, police said 100 lorries took part in a convoy protest along the M4 motorway. Other estimates put the figure at 170. | And in Wales, police said 100 lorries took part in a convoy protest along the M4 motorway. Other estimates put the figure at 170. |
| The hauliers were demanding an "essential user" rebate of between 20 and 25p per litre on fuel for HGV drivers, without which, they say many will go out of business. | The hauliers were demanding an "essential user" rebate of between 20 and 25p per litre on fuel for HGV drivers, without which, they say many will go out of business. |
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