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Trade Associations
by 55 North
ACS
BEIS Committee calls for fuel resilience bill be fit for purpose
The BEIS Committee report has been welcomed by the ACS. The BEIS Committee, which scrutinises the policy, spending and administration of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its public bodies, is calling on the government to ensure its new fuel resilience bill is fit for purpose.
The Downstream Oil Resilience Bill was introduced earlier this year and aims to address the following issues:
● identifying risks of disruption to the UK fuel supply market.
● protecting fuel supply resilience when required and prevent supply disruptions from occurring.
● enabling the collection of informa- tion from the sector to understand the impact of potential/active disruptions in fuel supply.
● enabling the government to pro- vide financial assistance to build resilience and security within fuel supplies.
However, the BEIS Committee’s report calls on the government to be clearer about the new Bill’s intention to address vulnerabilities in the supply chain and urges the government to create a ‘purpose clause’ to ensure that the new powers it grants are used effectively and appropriately.
The report echoes calls from ACS in its July submission to clarify the thresholds within the bill that place requirements on downstream oil operators to report incidents and information.
In its submission, ACS also called on the government to review its national emergency plan for fuel to avoid future fuel disruption and increase security in the supply chain.
James Lowman, ACS Chief Executive, said: “This Bill is an important marker in ensuring that the resilience of the fuel supply chain is considered a priority by government. “
He added: “We welcome the Committee’s recommendations which will create a stronger framework for fuel resilience in future, which we hope will mean that petrol retailers, who are incredibly important to their communities, will be able to get on with serving their customers and not dealing with supply chain issues.”
ACS will continue to work closely with government while the legislation is considered.
