National Oils Forum

The National Oils Forum is HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) consultative forum for businesses involved in the production and supply of oil products in the UK.

HMRC acts as secretariat for the group which meets every six months. Agenda and notes of meetings are published at the links available below.

HMRC also undertakes bi-lateral discussions with individual representative bodies, for example its six monthly meetings with UKOITC and UKPIA. Minutes of these meetings will also be published on the internet at the links provided below.

HMRC is also secretariat for the Northern Ireland (NI) Joint HMRC/Industry Oils Intelligence and Security Forum (JOISF). This forum exists to discuss NI specific operational issues and NI activities. Activity Reports for discussion by the group are published at the following link: JOISF NI Activity Reports National policy issues will be referred to the National Oils Forum. Issues raised by JOISF will also be referred to the NI Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) oils sub group, also chaired by HMRC. Information about the OCTF subgroup can be found at the following link: Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force (Opens in a new window)

Terms of Reference

The National Oils Forum will facilitate mutual understanding of proposed and current policy and operational issues to ensure that HMRC policies are proportionate and risk based and minimise burdens on trade. This includes:

  • responding to industry concerns about existing policies
  • sharing information about HMRC strategies, plans and priorities
  • developing HMRC understanding of commercial issues
  • establishing the impact of policies in terms of business and HMRC costs
  • developing mutual understanding of policy constraints, for example UK and EU legislative requirements, industry technical issues, other government policies, revenue risks etc
  • providing a forum to communicate new policies and improve existing communication products, for example public notices, forms, articles in trade publications etc.

The group will also share, subject to data protection and confidentiality requirements, intelligence and security information, that is:

  • ensuring that where the industry has information on illegal activity the pathways exist to pass that information to HMRC
  • providing a forum in which HMRC can provide feedback on its activity so that the industry is reassured that information is acted upon

Membership

Industry representatives:

Downstream Fuels Association (DFA)
Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS)
Freight Transport Association (FTA)
Northern Ireland Oil Federation (NIOF)
Petrol Retailers Association (PRA)
Road Haulage Association (RHA)
Tank Storage Association (TSA)
UK Oil Industry Taxation Committee (UKOITC)
UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA)

HMRC:

Excise Stamps and Money Businesses Directorate, which is responsible for oil excise duties will chair the group. Meetings will include participants from operational and policy areas as appropriate.

Other:

Other representatives of industry and other government departments will be invited to meetings as necessary.

Sub-groups

Sub-groups to progress specific issues will be set up and disbanded as considered necessary by the group. Terms of Reference, membership and the timing of meetings of sub-groups will be agreed by HMRC and forum representatives.

Current subgroups are:

  • The Biofuels Working Group - established principally to support introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, this group includes representatives of the oils majors and independent producers. Biofuels Working Group.
  • The Joint HMRC/Industry Oils and Gas Warehousing and Movements Working Party - This group is reviewing, with a view to improving, published HMRC documentation relating to the warehousing and movement of oils to confirm that it reflects HMRC policy and current working practices and is clear, consistent, comprehensive, realistic and practical. Oil & Gas Warehousing and Movements Working Party.

Unless otherwise agreed, HMRC will act as secretariat for sub-groups. Terms of Reference for the sub-groups, membership, agendas for and minutes of meetings and other relevant documents are published at the links shown above.

Best practice

Wet line contamination best practice

Retail forecourts best practice

Meetings

The next meeting is to be held on 27 October 2010 at Trinity Bridge House, Salford.

Comments

If you have any comments or questions regarding the National Oils Forum please email them to National Oils Forum.