Quentin Willson - a spokesperson for the FairFuel UK lobby group - believes the government's plans to expand a fuel duty rebate scheme across more remote parts of the UK are a "small but significant step" towards seeing lower rates at the pumps.

In his blog, the motoring journalist suggested the government has clearly recognised the need for a price reduction, although the initiative needs to go much further.

Last week, the Treasury asked fuel stations in remote areas to inform the government about how much they are charging for petrol and diesel. Once this data has been collected, the authorities could extend a rebate that is currently in place across isolated Scottish islands to the mainland.

Mr Willson thinks the initiative might pose problems in its current guise. He wrote that some rural communities may wonder why they are not on the list while neighbouring areas are.

Instead, he believes a "duty cut across the UK is essential to stimulate economic growth".