Fuel companies can fill up rivals' petrol station tanks after ministers agree law change to stop forecourts running dry

Fuel suppliers will be allowed to fill up rival companies’ petrol station tanks in a bid to stop forecourts running dry, ministers have agreed.

The Government suspended competition laws to allow businesses to work together so they can see where there are shortages and address them.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng agreed the plan with other ministers on Sunday evening as the Government tried to stop the economy grinding to a halt.

A joint statement from energy and logistics companies including Shell, ExxonMobil and Wincanton last night said: ‘We are in regular contact with ministers and policy officials and it was reassuring to meet with the Business Secretary again on Sunday evening and discuss further action.’ It also reassured drivers there is ‘not a national shortage of fuel’.

Fuel suppliers will be allowed to fill up rival companies’ petrol station tanks in a bid to stop forecourts running dry. Pictured: An Esso garage in Lewisham had no petrol available on Sunday

It comes as Labour yesterday urged ministers to allow in 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to tackle the shortfall brought on by Brexit, workers retiring and delays to HGV driving tests caused by Covid.

Ministers this weekend caved into pressure and relaxed visa rules to allow 5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers into the UK on three-month contracts.

But Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday that the Government had not gone far enough. The Labour leader told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘I’m astonished the Government is not acting today. The Prime Minister needs to say today what he is going to do.’

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng agreed to a plan to allow fuel suppliers to fill up rival companies’ petrol station tanks in a bid to stop forecourts running dry, on Sunday evening as the Government tried to stop the economy grinding to a halt

When asked if he would allow in more than 100,000 drivers to tackle the shortfall, Sir Keir said: ‘We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.’

Across mainland Europe, the total number of drivers is down by 400,000. It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged furloughed workers to retrain as truckers as the scheme comes to an end.

He told the BBC show: ‘There are 1.6million people coming off furlough this month. The British people should be able to skill up and take these jobs and we shouldn’t keep undercutting people.’

Comments

Girl, 6, who fell 120ft to her death on mine drop ride at Colorado amusement park was NOT buckled in and operators missed alarms

A six-year-old girl died after being ejected from her seat on a ride at a Colorado amusement part when the operators missed alarms. Wongel Estifanos, of Colorado Springs, was riding the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado with her family when both operators missed her seatbelt that it was improperly buckled on September 5. The ride, which drops passengers 120 feet, is equipped with a two belt seatbelt system - a neuro bar and a standard seatbelt - to keep riders safe. It is not equipped with a shoulder harness. The Garfield County Coroner's Office said the little girl died from multiple blunt force injuries after being ejected from the ride because operators failed to notice that she was sitting on her seatbelts. Wongel Estifanos, six, of Colorado Springs , was riding the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado when both operators missed her seatbelt being improperly buckled on September 5 The Haunted Mine Drop drops riders ...

NYC public school teachers make emergency Supreme Court application to block Mayor Bill de Blasio's COVID-19 vaccine mandate from going into effect at 5pm Friday

New York City public school teachers have asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block Mayor Bill de Blasio's COVID-19 vaccine mandate from going into effect Friday. The group of four teachers sent a petition to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor arguing that the mandate not only places an 'unconstitutional burden' on the city's 148,000 school workers, but also 'threatens the education of thousands of children.' The petition argues that their rights are being violated because they do not have the option to undergo regular COVID-19 testing instead of getting the shot. Other essential workers - including NYPD cops - have been given that testing option instead. Teachers across all public schools in the Big Apple have up until 5pm Friday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs. When the school day starts the following Monday - October 4 - all teachers and staff arriving for work across the city's public schools must have rec...

Policeman who shot dead a knife-wielding Indigenous mother in the street was not a 'trigger-happy' officer, murder trial hears

The murder trial of a policeman who shot dead an Indigenous woman on a suburban West Australian street is set to hear further witness evidence. As many as 60 people could be called to testify in the WA Supreme Court trial of the first-class constable, whose cannot be named for legal reasons. He has pleaded not guilty to murdering the 29-year-old woman, known as JC for cultural reasons, in the Mid West town of Geraldton on September 17, 2019. JC, a mother-of-one, had experienced mental health and drug problems and recently been released from prison before her death. The accused was one of eight police officers who arrived at the scene after JC was spotted with a large knife and a pair of scissors. Family and supporters of a woman, referred to as 'JC' at family's request, leave the District Court of West Australia in Perth As the trial got underway on Tuesday, the jury was shown confronting CCTV footage of JC being shot while surrounded by four police vehicles. Director of Pu...

Tsarina USA News

Search This Blog