Soaring fuel prices causing ‘de facto lockdown’
Soaring fuel prices are putting Britain on the road to a "de facto lockdown", ministers have been warned.
Conservative former minister Robert Halfon warned that parents will soon no longer be able to afford to take their children to school while workers will struggle to get to work.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he would have further discussions with Chancellor Rishi Sunak on the issue.
Speaking at transport questions in the Commons, Mr Halfon said "I thank the Government for what it has done on freezing fuel duty, but the fact is motorists are now paying £1.60-plus for their petrol and diesel.
"We're heading to a de facto lockdown where parents can't afford to take their kids to school and workers can't afford to commute by car.”
He called on the Transport Secretary to "make appeals to the Treasury to cut fuel duty in the spending round next week".
Mr Shapps said that a 12-year fuel duty freeze had saved the average family around £2,000.
He added: "I will have further conversations, of course, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer,but it will be for him to decide on the next measures."
Elsewhere at transport questions, Labour said more train services were needed to avoid a "car-led" transport recovery from Covid.
Shadow transport minister Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said: "While passengers are packing onto overcrowded trains, there are 51,000 fewer services running than there were pre-pandemic.
Transport minister Robert Courts replied: "This Government is focusing on getting passengers into rail wherever possible."