Speeches by Robinson.

“Do you sanction suppliers? Do you have that within your power as a regulator? Have you done it in the past?”

“Do you mean that it is not available?”

“Yes, and receiving VAT on top of that again, so we have a duty differential that is higher in the United Kingdom, but there is also increased VAT on the increased cost that consumers and businesses are paying.”

“Thank you. That is quite stark.”

“You do not get the benefit of the agricultural relief if you are dual-use.”

“At the moment there is an issue around red diesel, which I raised with the Chancellor six weeks ago. Red diesel can be used agriculturally off road, and I think with the ability to travel on road for about 15 miles. I was told that the reality of that is that, for contractors moving from field to field to assist with s…”

“I spoke to a taxi driver last week who just indicated to me that personally, as a self-employed person, he was spending £500 more per month to keep his car on the road. One of my colleagues was speaking to a gentleman who was delivering animal feed as a haulier, and he said their small firm operating in Tyrone was payi…”

“It would be useful now just to try to tie some of the strands together around regulation. We have heard that it is regulated. There are consumer protection laws already in place, but not the same consumer protection laws that are available from Ofgem. It does not need to be regulated. What are you regulating? We heard …”

“You heard David say earlier that he asked his members not to give a price when they took the order because they would not be able to stand over it. Asking his members not to do that is not the same thing as his members not doing it. They take the order, and then people were complaining that the price they had been offe…”

“You said there September, October and November. When we met five weeks ago, when we were talking about resolution within a week or two, you were saying this would stretch well into the autumn. We are now five weeks on and there is still no sign of a resolution. You said autumn five weeks ago; are you now saying autumn …”

“Thank you. That is quite stark.”

“Are you saying that the announcement that was made last Tuesday was already there and it is, in real terms, less than what was there the previous year?”

“You said there September, October and November. When we met five weeks ago, when we were talking about resolution within a week or two, you were saying this would stretch well into the autumn. We are now five weeks on and there is still no sign of a resolution. You said autumn five weeks ago; are you now saying autumn …”

“David, you might not feel it, but from your perspective, unlike the other gentlemen, there has been some Government intervention on home heating oil across the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland disproportionately benefited, but it is not a huge amount. I think you can acknowledge that, as can I. What are you calling…”

“That brings me to a point I think you were trying to open up earlier, which is what Government can do and the outlier impact. You say “outlier”; a number of European countries have brought forward support packages, for example. Hauliers have been the beneficiary. Agriculture has been a beneficiary of that. Consumers ha…”

“At the moment there is an issue around red diesel, which I raised with the Chancellor six weeks ago. Red diesel can be used agriculturally off road, and I think with the ability to travel on road for about 15 miles. I was told that the reality of that is that, for contractors moving from field to field to assist with s…”

“William, there was a hiatus last Tuesday, really, but what support do you envisage coming forward, either at Northern Ireland Executive level or in Whitehall?”

“Yes, and receiving VAT on top of that again, so we have a duty differential that is higher in the United Kingdom, but there is also increased VAT on the increased cost that consumers and businesses are paying.”

“You do not get the benefit of the agricultural relief if you are dual-use.”

“I spoke to a taxi driver last week who just indicated to me that personally, as a self-employed person, he was spending £500 more per month to keep his car on the road. One of my colleagues was speaking to a gentleman who was delivering animal feed as a haulier, and he said their small firm operating in Tyrone was payi…”