MSP to query red diesel
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• Farmers who carry out haulage using rebated red diesel could find themselves under more pressure from the authonties following moves in the Scottish Parliament and by Customs &Excise officials.
A Scottish transport lawyer has persuaded his MSP to table a question on the issue, and plans to pursue it on behalf of hauliers, The lawyer, who wishes to remain anonymous, wants to change the law which allows farmers with conventional tractors to haul on red diesel, and to improve the policing of farmers who haul using Fastracs—which are not entitled to use red diesel.
Alasdair Morgan MSP will
ask the Scottish Executive "whether it is satisfied with the current arrangements for enforcing the regulations pertaining to the use of red diesel".
The lawyer has also contacted the Customs policy unit. He was told that officials are trying to persuade ministers to change the legislation in the March Budget. One claimed: We are endeavouring to do something about it. If ministers don't listen it's not ourfault."
If this fails, the lawyer will examine whether the practice might come under the Competition and Fair Trading Acts: "They are missing out on a bonanza of money in unpaid taxes, whereas we are missing out on work in the summer months, when farmers haul the produce we used to do."
The problem of farmers taking haulage work was brought to fight again when a High Court judge ruled that tractors not designed to exceed 25mph are allowed to run on red diesel— whatever work they are doing (CM10-16 Feb).