Petrol Prices - Are they to high - What can we do about it.

[madasahatstand]

Boldies point about PFIs is true, they do cost taxpayers money but its supposed to be short term spend for long term gains. PFI maintain properties so thats a cost reduction for the NHS and they also save captital tax on a year on year basis because they don't own the PFI buildings. Whether or not it does what it says on the tin is another story. We will find out in a hundred years when the the NHS leases with PFI ends....then the NHS will have the choice to build, pay maintainance and capital charges on their own or wheel in another version of PFI.

[boldie]

I couldn't agree more Boldie, also the amount of people claiming Working Family Tax Credit. There are people I know who are quite comfortably off, both parents working, two cars, nice house yet they get rewarded for having kids.
When the government eventually start taxing us on how big our carbon footprint is I'm looking forward to getting a carbon neutral rating due to the fact I haven't spawned any oxygen depleting, carbon dioxide and methane emitting nappy wearing little darlings. If people wish to own these environmentally unfriendly products they should be taxed to the hilt not rewarded IMHO.
 

Indeed, I live in a neighbourhood where everybody is fairly well off and has 2 kids. Why should they recieve child benefits? I just don't see it..

[Colchester Kev]

PFI seems to be mentioned a few times .... Pardon my ignorance, but what does it stand for ?

[Claw75]

the biggest problem with tax credits from a personal (and selfish) point of view, is that they are based solely on income and no allowance is made for geographic considerations.  I can't get tax credits - I earn too much (although my earnings are not that high above the average for London).  The cost of childcare in London is considerably higher than elsewhere (when my daughter was in full-time nursery it cost in the region of £1100 a month before she turned 3 - at a competitively priced nursery). That added to the high cost of renting down here meant that, even when I was with my husband (who has a similar income to mine), we couldn't afford to live anywhere bigger than a small flat with no garden, and couldn't entertain the idea of having two cars.  If help is going to be given to people with children, I'd like to see some element of standard of living/disposable income measure introduced.

[Claw75]

PFI seems to be mentioned a few times .... Pardon my ignorance, but what does it stand for ?

Private Finance Initiative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Finance_Initiative

[madasahatstand]

PFI seems to be mentioned a few times .... Pardon my ignorance, but what does it stand for ?

Its like having a lease car where you pay a monthly/yearly sum and get the car maintained with new tyres, MOT and services etc. The NHS however pays a great deal up-front but this is supposed to prevent long term costs arounds its maintainace and tax. The big problem in my eyes is with a lease car you dont own it at the end of the contract and its the same with PFI's. The NHS will never own those buildings.

[boldie]

PFI seems to be mentioned a few times .... Pardon my ignorance, but what does it stand for ?

Its like having a lease car where you pay a monthly/yearly sum and get the car maintained with new tyres, MOT and services etc. The NHS however pays a great deal up-front but this is supposed to prevent long term costs arounds its maintainace and tax. The big problem in my eyes is with a lease car you dont own it at the end of the contract and its the same with PFI's. The NHS will never own those buildings.

and they are paying well over the odds...never clever.

[KingPoker]

lol this will make everyone happy

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=18135

"Britain’s diesel prices are the lowest in Europe before tax – but the highest once tax has been added on, official Government figures have revealed.

The figures show that UK drivers are struggling with the biggest tax burden in Europe, and it is only likely to get bigger.

In Britain the average pre-tax price for diesel was 48.8p per litre during April, but that spiralled to 116.6p per litre at the pump. This means taxes account for a mighty 58% of the total price.

It’s a similar story with unleaded petrol. The average pre-tax price was 41.2p per litre in April – the third lowest in the EU – but this rose to 107.6p once taxes were added.

After tax, 18 other countries had cheaper unleaded, according to the figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

The shocking statistics come in the same week that truckers staged a protest in London, calling for the Gordon Brown to tackle rising fuel costs.

The Tories said the latest statistics showed that the Government could not blame international fuel costs for sky-high prices at the pumps.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond said: 'Gordon Brown's claim that world oil prices are to blame for the soaring cost of motoring has been exposed as a sham. The blame lies squarely with him.'

A Treasury spokesman denied that fuel taxes were too high, saying they were justified because they were green and designed to reduce carbon consumption."

[Colchester Kev]

Jane was in Isle of Wight yesterday, and brought back the local paper ... They are paying up to £1.44.9p for diesel & £1.25.9p for unleaded ... I spose they should be glad they have nowhere really to rack up the miles on the Island!!

[Rooky9]

the biggest problem with tax credits from a personal (and selfish) point of view, is that they are based solely on income and no allowance is made for geographic considerations.  I can't get tax credits - I earn too much (although my earnings are not that high above the average for London).  The cost of childcare in London is considerably higher than elsewhere (when my daughter was in full-time nursery it cost in the region of £1100 a month before she turned 3 - at a competitively priced nursery). That added to the high cost of renting down here meant that, even when I was with my husband (who has a similar income to mine), we couldn't afford to live anywhere bigger than a small flat with no garden, and couldn't entertain the idea of having two cars.  If help is going to be given to people with children, I'd like to see some element of standard of living/disposable income measure introduced.

I'm completely against this.  People can move freely around this country, even the EU. If it was on disposable income I could just chose to live in a nicer house leaving me with less disposable income.  Salary is by far the most effective thing for it to go on.

[Ginger]

Jane was in Isle of Wight yesterday, and brought back the local paper ... They are paying up to £1.44.9p for diesel & £1.25.9p for unleaded ... I spose they should be glad they have nowhere really to rack up the miles on the Island!!

Yes, and apparently that was/is the highest in the UK.

Whilst they are limited in area size on the Island, they also have to travel around it more to get the services they need (most 'towns' being villages really), so in effect they will always have to use more.

[TightEnd]

the problem being it costs the providers more to get them the petrol on the IOW I assume.

[boldie]

the problem being it costs the providers more to get them the petrol on the IOW I assume.

Yes, it's the same on islands in Scotland

[Claw75]

the biggest problem with tax credits from a personal (and selfish) point of view, is that they are based solely on income and no allowance is made for geographic considerations.  I can't get tax credits - I earn too much (although my earnings are not that high above the average for London).  The cost of childcare in London is considerably higher than elsewhere (when my daughter was in full-time nursery it cost in the region of £1100 a month before she turned 3 - at a competitively priced nursery). That added to the high cost of renting down here meant that, even when I was with my husband (who has a similar income to mine), we couldn't afford to live anywhere bigger than a small flat with no garden, and couldn't entertain the idea of having two cars.  If help is going to be given to people with children, I'd like to see some element of standard of living/disposable income measure introduced.

I'm completely against this.  People can move freely around this country, even the EU. If it was on disposable income I could just chose to live in a nicer house leaving me with less disposable income.  Salary is by far the most effective thing for it to go on.

In theory, yes.  In reality, it's not always that easy.  I am tied to the area in which I live as my ex-husband and I share custody of our daughter, who goes to a local school.  I don't think it'd go down too well if I told him I was moving the arse end of nowhere and he'd have to come with me

That said, I was on a bit of a downer when I posted this the other day - it doesn't actually bother me too much, and I agree income is the most effective thing to go on - just fed up with being skint and not being able to get the help that other people who seem to have a better quality of life are entitled to.

[rajkan]

Not wanting to make the situation even worse, but consider this: Oil is priced in US Dollars which are performing poorly at the moment at around 2 to 1. Imaging how much worse things will get if / when the dollar stregthens against the pound! Another 30% on the base price, then taxes on top of that are calculted as a percentage, then VAT is another percentage, so it has an even worse effect.

Predictions are fuel prices will be at £1.75 per litre by Christmas and £2 per litre this time next year.

Any one for cycling!