Department for Business and Trade written question – answered at on 20 April 2026.
John Hayes
Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many reports of suspected price gouging for the price of heating oil have been made to the Competition and Markets Authority since 28 February 2026.
Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not hold figures on individual reports made to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). However, the CMA has recently announced that it has stepped up monitoring of fuel markets across the UK in response to the economic impacts of the conflict in Iran. Where the CMA identifies concerning behaviour, it has committed to reporting on this publicly and taking further action as appropriate. The Chancellor and I met with regulators including the CMA on 26 March and confirmed that we will not hesitate to empower regulators if necessary to tackle exploitation of the Iran conflict.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
