Taxation of road fuels
This Commons Library briefing discusses the approach of Labour, Coalition and Conservative Governments since 2010 to taxing road fuels.

This briefing paper answers various Frequently Asked Questions constituents often raise with MPs about road traffic offences and licensing. It provides general information relating to these FAQs and signposts to more detailed sources of information and advice.
Road traffic offences and licensing FAQs (273 KB , PDF)
The FAQ includes the following issues:
There are some statutory public bodies that can provide further information:
Please note that nothing in this paper should be considered as constituting legal advice. It is not intended to address the specific circumstances of a particular individual. A suitably qualified professional should be consulted if specific advice or information is required.
You may also be interested in the Roads and Traffic Regulations FAQs briefing, which provides answers to various questions about roads and traffic regulations.
Road traffic offences and licensing FAQs (273 KB , PDF)
This Commons Library briefing discusses the approach of Labour, Coalition and Conservative Governments since 2010 to taxing road fuels.
Prices of petrol and diesel increased rapidly after Russia invaded Ukraine and reached new records in mid-March 2022. They fell back after the cut in duty, but have since increased again. In early May 2022 the UK had the 8th highest petrol and 3rd highest diesel prices in the EU+UK.
Spot oil prices jumped after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and continued to rise through early March. They reached $127 per barrel on 8 March 2022. The price in Sterling set a new record on the same day of £97 per barrel. This was 21% above the earlier peak in 2012. Oil prices crashed after the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown led to a dramatic cut in demand. Prices fell from almost $70 a barrel in early January to below $20 per barrel in late April 2020. Oil prices peaked in July 2008 at almost $150 per barrel and were in the $100-125 range for much of 2011 to early 2014.