This week, Scotland Office Minister Brian Wilson urged the oil companies to cut supply prices to remote petrol stations. However, critics were quick to respond by reminding the Minister that the Treasury claims up to 85 pence out of every 1 taken at the pumps, depending on the location. Consequently, some would argue that it is the Government that is best placed to offer relief to the hard-pressed Highlands and Islands economy. The oil companies and distributors currently take 28 pence in the pound from Island pumps compared to 15 pence in the central belt. Research carried out by Highland Council has revealed that the average family in the region spend 50 on travel costs each week compared to 39 for the rest of Scotland.
Islanders are also unhappy about the high costs of travel to and from the mainland.
At 122 for a return air ticket between Stornoway and Glasgow the current fare is possibly lower now than it has been for some time. Yet, this is still more than double the cost of a British Midland return flight between Glasgow and Edinburgh and London Heathrow, which start at 49. With BM return tickets to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam available at 89 it is also cheaper to fly between mainland Britain and the Continent than it is to the Western Isles.