There are "early signs that the crisis at pumps is ending," according to the Petrol Retailers Association
It says 37% of forecourts it represents around the UK are reporting being out of fuel today - and it hopes the rate will fall over the next 24 hours
On Monday it had said as many as two-thirds of the 5,500 independent outlets it represents were out of fuel
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also says there are tentative signs the situation is stabilising
Prime Minister Boris Johnson urges people to go about their business in the normal way and fill up when they need to
The PM rules out giving key workers priority access to fuel - but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says that should happen
Petrol prices have hit an eight-year high, the RAC says, due to a rise in the cost of wholesale fuel
While the shadow health secretary was talking to Radio 4, Labour party sources told the BBC that his leader Sir Keir Starmer held a call with industry bodies to discuss the fuel supply issue.
The Labour leader was joined by shadow business secretary Ed Miliband during the discussion this morning.
Image source, PA MediaShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth says vulnerable patients risk being "stranded"
Health and care workers should be given priority for fuel to prevent vulnerable patients from being left without the support they need, Labour's shadow heatlh secretary Jonathan Ashworth says.
Speaking in the past hour, he told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "We are facing a crisis, because if doctors and nurses, midwives, if care assistants cannot get to the bedsides of their patients, then people will be left stranded, people will be left in the most desperate of circumstances.
"Some people could end up losing their lives, that’s how serious this is.”
Ashworth then called on Health Secretary Sajid Javid to meet with health and care unions to resolve the issue, saying "we need urgency and we need grip".
Charlotte Callen
BBC West home affairs correspondent
Avon and Somerset Police told me they were currently experiencing no problems with fuel shortages in the area.
They have bunker fuel (a couple of pumps) at Portishead if needed and all cars were filling up as normal at petrol stations.
They have fielded a handful of calls from the public about people queuing at petrol stations, but nothing serious has been reported so far.
There is no update yet from the resilience forum as they don't feel it is necessary, so it's a case of no problems as yet.
Image source, PA MediaAG Barr said it is facing "increased challenges" in delivering to customers
Of course, the HGV driver shortage hasn't just been affecting the supply of petrol. In a stock market update, drinks company AG Barr warns it is facing difficulties with making deliveries of perhaps Scotland's most essential fuel - Irn-Bru.
“In recent weeks we have seen increased challenges across the UK road haulage fleet, associated in part with the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting customer deliveries and inbound materials," bosses say.
The company says it continues to monitor the situation closely.
Roger White, chief executive, has told the PA news agency the firm faces disruption to its supply of materials, particularly aluminium cans, as well as the driver shortage.
Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe fuel shortages have an impact on the NHS like the rest of society.
Ambulance services have their own fuel pumps at their depots so there is no immediate risk that a crew in need of fuel should not be able to fill up their tanks today.
Those in-house pumps will need restocking at some point and clearly ambulance services will be prioritised for supplies.
There is – as one service put it – no realistic scenario where ambulances run out of fuel.
But the bigger concerns is for staff who are travelling around in their own vehicles either to get to work or to see patients in the community.
Nearly all are reliant on using public petrol stations. Already the UK Homecare Association has raised concern the service provided by carers in people’s homes has been disrupted with staff running out of petrol and caught in queues, ending up late for calls.
The association, along with others like the British Medical Association, is calling for health and care staff to be prioritised for fuel.
During previous fuel shortages councils have arranged systems to ensure essential workers are able to fill up their cars.
The message coming from a number of health and care bodies is that this must be brought in and quickly.
Image source, Getty ImagesBuses have enough fuel, says the industry - but drivers are still in short supply
Most bus and coach services have not been affected by the fuel supply issues, the Confederation of Passenger Transport says.
“Fuel shortages are not currently having an impact on bus and coach services although we have had reports of some smaller operators being unable to find fuel," it says.
Instead, it says the main impact so far on services has been "buses and coaches getting stuck in congestion as a result of queues at petrol stations".
Operators are keeping passengers informed when delays arise for that reason, the CPT says.
But while bus companies are able to secure fuel, some services have been affected by the industry's own driver shortfall, which has doubled in size since the period before the pandemic.
Minister Greg Hands said the fuel supply situation is getting better
Greg Hands, minster for business, energy and clean growth, has been visiting an offshore windfarm near Hartlepool - but inevitably faced questions about the fuel supply problems.
Hands says the government is hoping the issue will "right itself" and adds "the situation is getting better at the moment".
Putting the Army on standby was a "reasonable precaution" and nothing has been ruled out, but he says "fortunately we are seeing the situation in the last 24 hours improving".
Asked where the prime minister is during this crisis, he says Boris Johnson is "hard at work all day, every day" and is "communicating all the time with the country, with his ministers and he is doing the job he is elected to do, which is managing the government of this country".
The RAC says there has been a "sharp increase" in members breaking down because they have run out of fuel since Friday.
On Monday, the RAC attended twice the number of drivers that it would normally see across a whole week, spokesman Simon Williams says.
He adds that the number of people accidentally putting the wrong type of fuel in their tanks is at a "more normal level, suggesting the vast majority of drivers are keeping a cool head when filling up despite the lengthy queues".
"We again call on drivers to think of others by only buying the fuel they really need for trips they will be making over the next few days," Williams adds.
"A return to normal buying habits will help retailers manage and improve the supply of fuel to forecourts and improve the current situation for everybody."
Teachers' unions have been giving their views on the issue - saying they hope the situation is resolved quickly so that schools are not affected.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT says: “Schools are still grappling with the ongoing challenges caused by Covid-19, and so we hope any further disruption caused by petrol supply problems can be avoided.
"So far, we are not hearing of this causing major problems and we know that, once again, schools will do everything in their power to minimise any disruption this could cause as the week goes on.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says: “Schools and colleges are operating under a great deal of pressure at the moment because of the situation with Covid infections. The last thing they need is the added pressure of fuel shortages with the potential for this to mean that staff, pupils and suppliers are unable to get to school."
He says the union hopes the situation "is resolved rapidly" - and notes there is the "last resort" option of remote learning.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT - The Teachers’ Union, says the government has to take steps to make sure schools and colleges can stay open, adding: “For many teachers, the use of public transport is simply not an option, with many schools in areas that are not easily accessible other than by using private vehicles.
“The government must urgently consider making teachers a priority group for access to locally available petrol and diesel fuel supplies."
Image source, Getty ImagesQueues may be dying down, but many petrol stations still need to restock
The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents 5,500 out of the UK's 8,000 filling stations, tells the BBC it is seeing some evidence the number of cars visiting petrol stations is beginning to stabilise.
It says the information is anecdotal at this stage and more comprehensive details should be available this afternoon, but says some forecourts that saw visits increase by 500% on Saturday are now only about 40% busier than usual.
But the association says there is still little improvement in the numbers of petrol stations which are out of one grade or all grades of fuel.
Daniel Sandford
Home Affairs Correspondent
The government’s response to the queues at petrol stations still seems to be quite moderate when you look at the tools available to ministers. They have only taken one concrete step (the suspension of competition rules), and have laid the groundwork for a second (the use of military drivers.)
Fuel crises are the responsibility of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department, led by the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
The government’s approach is set out in the National Emergency Plan for Fuel , external(NEP-F). Its principal aim “is to maintain fuel supplies as close to normal levels as possible".
One of the NEP-F measures has already been activated. This is the Downstream Oil Industry Protocol, which temporarily exempts industry from the Competition Act 1998, allowing fuel companies to share information and co-ordinate supply.
Other re-stocking measures in the government’s toolbox include using the Armed Forces to supply reserve tanker drivers, and relaxing the rules around drivers’ hours.
Ministers are also extending licences that permit you to transport dangerous goods by road, so drivers do not have to do compulsory three-day refresher training at this point.
Then there are measures to restrict who gets access to fuel, none of which are being used at present.
Some government documentation talks about different levels of fuel disruption - rising to a top level when ministers would take the decision to use measures to control demand or supply.
That still seems to be a long way off.
The transport secretary said ministers had been addressing fuel supply issues since the spring
There's a bit more from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who has been speaking to broadcasters earlier and rejects criticism that ministers have been too slow to mobilise the Army to tackle the problems with fuel supplies.
He says the government has "put 18 different steps in place which stretch right the way back to spring" to address issues with fuel.
“The system was just about coping until last weekend and it would have been capable of continuing to do so," he says.
“Unfortunately, as we have seen with toilet rolls and other things, once people start to pursue a particular item, it can quickly escalate.
“But there is only so much petrol you can transfer into tanks. That is starting to work its way through.”
BBC London
Fuel supply: Key workers and essential trips affected by panic buying
A woman who needs to get her husband to a hospital appointment says she blames the media for the panic buying of fuel. She spoke to BBC London, alongside an ambulance driver who was running on empty.
Motoring group the RAC says the price of a litre of unleaded petrol has risen by a penny since Friday to an eight-year high.
RAC figures show the average price across the UK increased from 135.87p on Friday to 136.59p on Sunday.
Spokesman Simon Williams says: "With the cost of oil rising and now near a three-year high, wholesale prices are being forced up, which means retailers are paying more than they were just a few days ago for the same amount of fuel."
He adds: "We might yet see higher forecourt prices in the coming days, irrespective of the current supply problems."
The RAC also says it is aware a small number of retailers are hiking prices amid the soaring demand, and reminded drivers to compare what they are charged with the average price across the UK.
This chart below, using data from Experian, shows how prices have been affected in different areas of the UK over the past week.
Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Army has previously been called in to help after flooding, as seen here in February 2020 after Storm Dennis
“Call in the Army” is often a reaction to a crisis.
But in reality there’s not a lot the military can do to resolve the shortages of petrol at the pumps.
The Ministry of Defence has put about 150 qualified drivers on short notice – in addition to another 150 personnel who would act as “buddies” in the cab.
This is part of Operation Escalin, which is an existing plan to deal with industrial action affecting fuel supplies.
It might be a small help in the short term. But it’s not a solution. It’s estimated there’s a UK shortage of around 1,000 fuel truck drivers.
Military drivers will also still need to be trained to drive the fuel trucks of the companies involved – they’re not expected to drive military vehicles.
Officials estimate that could take between two and five days. So the earliest they could be deployed is by the end of the week. Nor is it clear where they’d be sent. Government officials are trying to identify the worst pinch points.
Separately the Armed Forces will also help the Department of Transport with the bigger issue of HGV driver shortages. The MoD is making 20 military personnel available to help with HGV testing. Again, it’s limited short term help.
The Armed Forces will do what’s asked of them. As they have in countless other requests of Military Assistance to Civil Authorities.
They’ve helped in flooding, in the 2012 Olympics and most recently the Covid response.
This latest request for assistance is expected to be signed today by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
But in this instance there really is a limit to what the forces can do. And the political pressure to be seen doing something may be as much a reason as to why they’re being called on to help.
Nick Eardley
Political correspondent
The transport secretary says there are "tentative signs" that the situation is stabilising.
Grant Shapps concedes this will not be seen immediately in reduced queues - but will start to be reflected in the coming days.
"We are starting to see the first signs of stabilisation," he says.
"Once we all return to our normal buying habits... the quicker we get back to normality."
Shapps adds that taking water bottles to petrol stations is dangerous and unhelpful.
Asked about the prospect of priority fuel for key workers, Shapps says he will keep a "close eye" on the situation.
On the cause of the HGV driver shortage, Shapps says Brexit "will no doubt have been a factor" but also blames a lack of testing during Covid.
One of the supermarkets with petrol stations we've heard from this morning is Sainsbury's.
It says the situation is constantly changing, with some sites having to close while they await supplies of fuel and others reopening once they receive it.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson says: “We’re experiencing high demand for fuel. We’re working closely with our supplier to maintain supply and all our sites continue to receive fuel.”
Image source, Getty ImagesLeading fuel companies, including BP and Shell, sought to reassure the public yesterday that supplies remain unaffected at source.
In a joint statement, they said that given "many cars are now holding more fuel than usual" they expected demand would "return to its normal levels in the coming days".
“There is plenty of fuel at UK refineries and terminals, and as an industry we are working closely with the government to help ensure fuel is available to be delivered to stations across the country," they said.
"We would encourage everyone to buy fuel as they usually would."
Doctors, nurses, and unions for teachers, prison and care staff are calling for essential workers to be given priority for fuel.
The UK Homecare Association says people have been left waiting for carers at home because staff have been caught in petrol queues - and Unison is urging ministers to "designate fuel stations for the sole use of key workers".
The NASUWT teachers' union is calling on the government to "urgently consider" prioritising teachers for fuel access to prevent further disruption to children's education.
Dr Julia Grace Patterson, of the campaign group EveryDoctor, tells BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast that some doctors have been unable to get to work because they did not have enough fuel, and were worried about the impact this could have on patient safety.
Some ambulance trusts have their own fuel pumps in their depots and their supplies are expected to be prioritised - but essential workers can still be caught out.
One ambulance driver in north London has told the BBC he visited several filling stations in his search for fuel.
"I had zero tank, I was on my reserve, the light was on, it was getting chaotic, my heart rate was going through the sky," he says, after finally buying fuel in Brent Cross.
Image source, AFPScenes like this will have been familiar for many over recent days
Queues have stretched for miles outside some petrol stations as people wait for hours to fill up their tanks. Some drivers have slept in their cars as they waited, while others have tried to jump the queue by following fuel tankers into station forecourts.
Many petrol stations have not been able to keep up with demand and have had to close. But why?
Oil companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil and Greenergy, have stressed that there is no petrol shortage, saying the pressures on supply are being caused by "temporary spikes in customer demand - not a national shortage of fuel".
Government ministers have been saying the same thing. But there is now a shortage at the point of sale.
The Petrol Retailers Association said on Monday as many as two-thirds of its membership of nearly 5,500 independent outlets were now out of fuel, with the rest of them "partly dry and running out soon".
The worst affected were in Britain's urban areas, while Northern Ireland was currently unaffected.
PRA chairman Brian Madderson laid the blame on "panic buying, pure and simple".
The fuel panic was sparked after oil firm BP last week said it would have to "temporarily" close a handful of its petrol stations because of a shortage of lorry drivers. Few other oil companies had similar problems at that point.
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