I appreciate that many people struggled to obtain petrol in September and October, and I know that this was a very frustrating and worrying situation for many who rely on their vehicles for their livelihoods.  The Government always stressed throughout this situation that there was plenty of fuel in refineries and in storage across the country, and that it was a significant spike in demand that led to temporary shortages at some petrol stations. This assertion has been borne out by recent fuel data which shows that deliveries to petrol stations barely fell during the recent “crisis”, but massive levels of panic buying were the leading cause of fuel shortages. 

The increase in demand was largely a result of selective briefing of the media which then led to unnecessary panic buying. To put it in context, there was a much greater fall in fuel deliveries to petrol stations in late 2020 and early 2021, but this did not have any impact at the pumps.   

That is why, although Ministers worked closely with the industry to manage the short-term demand, including by relaxing competition laws on a temporary basis to allow industry to prioritise the delivery of fuel to parts of the country most in need, they were also clear that the best way to resolve the situation was for people to only buy petrol when they needed it, as they normally would.  

It is evident, however, that there are longer-term challenges within the wider HGV sector which ministers are working hard to tackle. The pandemic meant that all HGV driver testing had to be shut down for months on end, which has created a bottleneck in the system. That is why the Government announced a package of measures to tackle the shortage of HGV drivers and ease pressure on industry through boosting skills, increasing testing availability and easing competition law. For example, £10 million will be invested to create new skills bootcamps and train up to 3,000 HGV drivers – with an additional 1,000 to be trained through local courses. The Government are also making available 5,000 visas for HGV drivers until the end of March, to provide short-term relief for the haulage industry.

These short-term visas reflect the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves and will give the industry a chance to recover, but ministers have been clear that the haulage companies must now invest in the British workforce – increasing pay and improving conditions – so that we have resilient, domestic labour market that does not require overseas workers in the long term.

It is also welcome that there is good news from DVLA that the additional online services and additions to staff have meant extra space in Swansea and Birmingham to house more staff to reduce waiting times. DVLA has been apologetic for the delays that have been created in returning people’s documentation, but with the 32 short, medium and long-term interventions that the Government have taken to help to tackle the global driver shortage, we now have over 90% more testing spaces available for HGV drivers on a weekly basis. So, the HGV problem is being tackled, things are beginning to change, and I understand that DVLA is beginning to get to grips with its backlog.

However, I understand that there was an increase in people stockpiling fuel which perpetuated supply issues. Whilst it is legal to store up to 30 litres of petrol in a maximum of two suitable containers in a vehicle (any more than that must be reported to the Petroleum Enforcement Authority), the National Fire Chiefs Council urges the public not to store fuel, as it can be incredibly dangerous.

Drivers should also be mindful that petrol can expire and has a fairly short shelf life. Those storing petrol in jerrycans must follow expert advice to ensure that it is stored correctly and safely.  

I appreciate the concerns of critical workers who struggled to get fuel whilst panic buying continued. Thankfully, pressure on petrol pumps has now eased.  

I am encouraged that the National Emergency Plan for Fuel, published by the Government in January 2020, sets out steps that could be taken in a crisis scenario, which include granting key workers priority access.