Extract from Business Questions in the Commons yesterday
(Vauxhall)
(Lab/Co-op)
In his opening statement, the new Leader of the House mentioned
the £9.1 billion energy bill rebate that the Government have
announced to help constituents up and down the country. Yesterday
I visited small business owners in Kennington Road, in my
constituency, and they told me that their energy bills were going
through the roof. Some are having to take measures such as not
turning on their electricity during the day when there are no
customers. These are hard-working people who want their
businesses to succeed. At a time when we are seeing Shell and BP make
profits of £14 billion and £9 billion respectively, will the
Leader of the House please consider providing Government time for
us to discuss how we can help our constituents who are suffering
pain now, given that this rebate will make no difference to their
pockets?
(Leader of the House of
Commons)
I want those businesses to succeed as well. Everyone on the
Government side of the House wants to see them succeed. I want to
see them create jobs for the hon. Lady’s constituents and for
mine, and I want to see them make a good profit and pay their
contributions in tax. The energy companies that the hon. Lady
mentioned, on which she wants to see a windfall tax, are already
paying a huge rate of tax to the Exchequer, and many of our
constituents depend on the share values of those companies for
their pensions. We have to get the balance right. We need to
ensure that those companies are efficient enough to deliver the
lowest level of energy costs that they can manage, but the
Exchequer has provided mechanisms to support those businesses and
our constituents. I think the Government are striking the right
balance, and that the proposals of the hon. Lady’s party would
take us in the wrong direction.
