Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Sam Carling

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady will know that we are seeking to change planning law, and if there is a debate on these matters, I am sure that she will want to raise that point. If that is not appropriate, she might want to secure an Adjournment debate or a Backbench Business debate to raise the concerns of her constituents.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

Last month, I raised the case of my constituents in ex-Ministry of Defence housing in Wittering, who face huge backdated gas bills because their supplier will not take them off a Ministry of Defence contract. Things have escalated; TotalEnergies will not engage, and sends only stock replies, telling residents to fill in a transfer form. When they do, they are sent further debt collection notices, demanding that they cough up a sum of up to £8,000 or be disconnected within a week. Will the Leader of the House advise on how the House can hold such private energy companies to account for making our constituents’ lives a misery?

Business of the House

Debate between Alan Campbell and Sam Carling

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that I am new to this role, but I give him a commitment that I will follow that up after this session. Hopefully, I will be able to arrange a meeting with the Minister and get a response, which sounds overdue.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

I have been supporting constituents living in ex-military housing on Embry Road in Wittering, in my constituency. The Ministry of Defence sold the homes years ago, but my constituents have been left in limbo because their properties remain wrongly classified under MOD commercial energy contracts. Despite repeated attempts, many have been unable to set up domestic accounts and are now suddenly facing backdated gas and electricity bills of up to £6,000. Does the Leader of the House agree that the issue of billing errors deserves a debate in Parliament? Will he ensure that Ministry of Defence officials contact me so that we can get those homes reclassified, which would allow my constituents to access fair tariffs and avoid further financial distress?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue, and recognise that his constituents who have been affected will have gone through a great deal of stress in trying to deal with it. I will ask colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to reach out to him, in the hope that these matters can be resolved as soon as possible.