Extracts from second
reading (Commons) of the Health and Social Care Levy (Repeal)
Bill
(Richmond Park) (LD):...It has
always been our argument that tax could have been more
productively raised by an expanded windfall tax, which we have
been calling for since last autumn. We are very pleased that the
Government took on board some of our suggestions, but
both Shell and BP have said
that the Government could have gone further. Potentially up to an
extra £60 billion of taxes could have been levied on oil and gas
firms, which would have negated the need not just for the
national insurance increase but for many of the other unfunded
borrowing commitments that the Government made on 23 September...
(Wirral South)
(Lab):...Inflation was already at its highest rate in 40 years,
devouring household wages and savings; Shell
ExxonMobil and Chevron recorded their highest ever profits and
household energy bills doubled within a year. Thanks to this
Government, the pound has slumped to its lowest value against the
dollar since Britain went decimal in 1971, and the Bank of
England has been forced to launch an emergency £65 billion
bond-buying scheme that, as we saw yesterday, has barely stopped
the chaos...
Extract from
Westminster Hall debate on Energy Costs in Wales
(Newport West) (Lab):...If the
average family in Newport West are seeing a doubling of utility
bills, our country and our economy are in for some very difficult
months ahead. That sits at the door of this Government. Rather
than taking real action to pay for proper support, they have
simply shifted the bill on to working people. When families and
public services need every penny they can get, our Prime
Minister, with the same old agenda, seems to think that now is
the right time to protect Shell’s excess profits
and give Amazon a tax cut. I say to the Minister: it is not. It
is time for the Government to lead, to act and to properly
support those most in need...
