Energy Company Charges

Debate between Lord Barker of Battle and Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

Tuesday 4th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

This has been an excellent debate and there have been thoughtful speeches from Members across the House. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon) for bringing this matter before the House and for framing this very real question in his powerful introduction to the debate. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch) who will speak after me. She has joined my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow to bring into close focus an issue that rightly warrants the scrutiny of Members across the House.

Let me be clear: the coalition Government are doing more than any Government before them to help hard-pressed consumers with the cost of energy bills, and we are fairly, squarely and rightly on the side of British consumers. My hon. Friend has raised legitimate questions about the way that consumers pay for energy by different methods, and the Government want to address that. We share the concern that my hon. Friend has put into sharp relief, but it is not a new issue. I am glad to use this debate to tell the House that Ofgem will be looking into the issue as part of the new competition test announced by the Prime Minister, to ensure that energy companies are living up to their obligations and licence requirements, and that the interests of the British consumer are at the heart of the modern energy market.

[Dr McCrea]

During the Minister’s remarks, can we get away from having those on the Front Benches make a political broadcast, and deal with the cross-party motion before the House? Will the Minister tell the House—I certainly did not hear this from the Opposition Front Bench—what is happening to the concerns that we as elected representatives have on behalf of our constituents, and which are summarised in the motion?

[Gregory Barker]

I certainly intend to do that, but I think the hon. Gentleman is being a little unfair. I have already mentioned the most important point of the speech, which is that we have asked Ofgem to consider the matter raised by my hon. Friends the Members for Harlow and for Chatham and Aylesford, and Members across the House, as part of the new competition test that was brought forward by the Prime Minister towards the end of last year. That will have real teeth and will report within a matter of months, if not weeks. We expect that in the near future, and Ofgem will be tasked to do it.