Cutting fuel duty would not stop the public facing high petrol prices, government officials said amid growing pressure on Rishi Sunak to help drivers.

       The Chancellor faced calls from Tory MPs to use his Spring Statement next week to help with the cost of filling up vehicles, which has soared in the past month.

       As the Western world tries to scale back Russian oil and gas imports following the Ukraine invasion, the price of petrol has now hit ￡2 a litre in some parts of Britain, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis.

       Government figures have argued that cutting fuel duty by 1p, as some Tory MPs have lobbied for, would not be enough to stop the major petrol price increases being felt by drivers.

       The Treasury is facing calls to spend some of the increased revenues from other taxes on easing the cost-of-living crisis and matching moves made by other European countries.

       Both France and Germany have offered financial support in the past month to help drivers with the soaring cost of petrol.

       Jake Berry, the Conservative MP for Rossendale and Darwen, said in the House of Commons: “With the cost of fuel now being an eye-watering ￡2 a litre in some areas, it’s led to a huge VAT windfall [from] the Treasury.

       “When the Chancellor thinks about his Spring Statement coming up, will he not only look at cutting fuel duty, but also look at mileage recovery rates? They have been at 45p per mile for over a decade. Now is the time to put them up to 60 at least.”

       Mr Sunak replied: “I’m grateful to [him] for his suggestions. Of course, I’ll bear them in mind. He’s right about the rising cost of fuel at the pumps, although I am pleased to see that over the last few days, the price of Brent has fallen by about 25 per cent, just illustrating the volatility of the situation [we’re] currently experiencing.”