The UK government has submitted an application to the European Commission (EC) to extend the rural fuel rebate scheme to 10 new towns.

Following a call for evidence from fuel retailers in July, three towns in England and seven in Scotland were judged to have met criteria such as exhibiting pricing characteristics similar to the islands eligible for the existing discount, which the EC has indicated will be critical in its assessment.

In line with European Union law, the UK now needs to secure approval for the expanded scheme from the EC.

An application for the 10 towns and the supporting evidence has been submitted to the EC. The UK is seeking up to a 5p per litre (ppl) cut in fuel duty.