Extending fuel duty relief in Wednesday's Budget could cost more than £2bn, according to Amanda Tickel, tax and trade policy leader at Deloitte. She was speaking to CNBC on 27 October.
"The biggest expectation I've got in terms of tax cuts will be the extension of the fuel duty relief"
She said the Chancellor, John Healey, would have to explain how such an extension is funded. The £2bn figure is her estimate, not a Treasury costing, and has not been independently checked.
Bloomberg reported on 11 October that extending the freeze on fuel duty was under consideration, alongside a temporary cut to VAT on petrol. The Treasury has not confirmed either measure.
The Resolution Foundation has urged Mr Healey not to extend the freeze. It says ending it in favour of small, predictable rises would raise about £6bn in 2029-30, the year in which the main fiscal rule bites.
CNBC also reports that Mr Healey has imposed "need to know" security on Budget documents. It says pre-Budget speculation has been much lower than under Rachel Reeves.