Remote areas

[gorb]

There is a lot of talk about the pain some boaters will feel if we lose the right to burn red diesel in leisure boats, and even as a rag and stick man, I sympathise.

But there has been very little said about how leisure boaters will manage when they go off the beaten track. My pal and I cruise the west coast of Scotland, as do many others. Apart from two or three marinas north of the Clyde, I can't think of anywhere else where a boat can refuel apart from from tankers supplying the local fishing and commercial fleets. There will not be enough demand to keep fully taxed diesel available at places like Mallaig, Portree or Kinlochbervie, so what will happen? Are these superb cruising areas to become no go areas for leisure boaters? This will be a huge problem, irrespective of the price we have to pay for our diesel, as well as a safetly issue as boaters run tanks nearer and nearer to the limit.

Gorb

 

[Gludy]

I could not agree more.
It is the the practical issues like these ... amd there are ,any of them, that make it ludicrous to have different types of marine diesel.

You may also find marinas who have to only cater for the leisure diesel because the red is not a significant enough sale to sell but that would deprive a number of commercial boats of their supply of red.

The Lib Dems MP for some Scottish islands has already objected to the EU plans ... its all going to hapen this coming Spring.

There is no chance of public support on this matter ... any argument has to be based on the problems in even increasing tax yield an the host of practical poblems that would result from the creation of a leisure fuel.

 

[TrueBlue]

The simplest solution (ignoring the rights and wrongs of the whole issue) would be for commercial users to reclaim the duty paid. (There are already other instances where registered users of other items can reclaim duties) - and which are not known to the general public). The whole thing is managed via the VAT regime.

This ensures that MGO would still exist as a product and would distinguish between non road fuel and road fuel use. That way would mean that a different rate of duty could be applied to "leisure users" - hopefully at the EU minimum rate (.30 Euro per litre) which might be adjudged as acceptable to most boaters?

Don't forget that there are many other users - some small - of MGO who are not leisure users (e.g builders, domestic heating, "tractors" and so on) and for which MGO would have to be available in one form or another.

This whole suggestion is so simple, that (always cynical) I doubt that it would be taken up....

 

[steverow]

In principle I would agree with your supposition that VAT is the way to go. I suggested it last year, but as I now understand it, Fuel tax is "Duty" and comes under different international tax rules, so therefore VAT, which is essentially a purchase tax, would probably not satisfy the EU's appetite for Fuel duty harmonisation and would also distort the EU VAT picture if levied heavily.
There could also be problems with international distribution and reclamation of VAT if the VAT on fuel in the UK is highly biased, which is supposed to even out over all member states.

Steve.

 

[TrueBlue]

Steve,

I was (I thought) talking about Excise Duty being relaimable by registered users.

I suppose, with hindsite, that I should have said that Customs & Excise administer this through the VAT system.

Traders an reclaim the VAT element separately in their periodic VAT return. So the effect is neutral to commercial users but out of reach tp the ordinary Punter.

FWIW

 

[mikewilkes]

From what i remember the Shell garage just along from the Ferry Boat Inn at Ullapool used to sell red to yachties. Ok it meant carrying containers but at least it was the right price. You may find other remote areas work the same way.
If you look at Loch Broom Sailing Club's website you may be able to get some info from there.