OFT fuel report is a ‘token effort’ says Carmichael

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has criticised an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report on local fuel prices, which concluded that fuel suppliers were not abusing their position in the Northern Isles.

Mr Carmichael claimed that the report was a “less than substantial piece of work which had not been properly researched”.

The OFT had been studying rural areas in Scotland to determine if fuel suppliers were inflating prices, and have concluded that they have found no evidence to suggest that this is the case. In their report, the OFT explain that high prices are due to limited choice resulting from low sales volumes and weak competition. They further explain that the problems identified do not fall within their remit.

Mr Carmichael said: “Sooner or later the OFT are going to have to wake up to the fact that local concerns about this issue are not to go away, so they might as well get on with doing the job they are well paid for doing. Local people have come forward with evidence. Reading the report they must wonder why they bothered.

“I am going to pursue an early meeting with the OFT  to go over with them in some detail the methodology they have used and the conclusions that they have reached because frankly it looks like a bit of a token effort to me.”