Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has called on the British government to cut fuel duty and VAT on road fuels, citing rising costs for families and businesses in Northern Ireland.

In a letter to Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds, Archibald said petrol prices are now around 166p per litre and diesel around 190p per litre, according to recent Consumer Council figures. She noted that diesel prices in some areas are approaching 200p per litre.

Archibald said that families and businesses are under sustained financial pressure from fuel and energy prices. Hauliers, farmers, and other businesses report that higher transport costs are contributing to an increasingly unsustainable cost of doing business.

She said the British government can and should do more to help local people, hence her call for an immediate reduction in fuel duty and VAT.

The minister also pointed to recent support schemes introduced by her department: the Household Electricity Discount Scheme, announced last week, will provide a £63 payment to 860,000 households this year, and the £100 Oil Discount Scheme is currently open for applications.

Archibald said these measures provide some welcome support but businesses and communities need much more, and the British government should use the fiscal levers available to it to help people who are struggling now.