I write to give my opinion on our current fuel situation and my ideas as to how some of the problems could be alleviated.

As a nation we pay the highest price for fuel in the world, and we are fuel producers from the North Sea — what a state to get into!

Our businesses are being held back financially because of the tax they pay on fuel especially petrol and diesel.

I agree to some extent that the domestic user of fuel should pay more than those who are obliged to use it for business reasons, especially those who use their cars to travel where they could easily walk or where public transport is available.

Currently many businesses fill in a VAT return every month or quarter, and another form would not cause them too much problem. So why not use a similar system to claim back an agreed amount of fuel tax.

Each business would have to agree with the revenue a percentage of their fuel bills that are directly associated with their business, and this percentage could be claimed back against their fuel usage each period, at an agreed amount of the tax levied.

This system could be raised or lowered according to the price of fuel and tax in the same way as VAT and would substantially reduce transport costs and thus hopefully the price of the goods we buy in our shops etc.

Robert Mulliner

Martlets Cottage,

St Ann's Chapel,