Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Davies-Jones Excerpts

Thursday 17th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton]

I appreciate my hon. Friend raising the matter and can see what a hard-working campaigner he is for his constituents. I assure him that we are working with the operator to consider what further changes might be possible, subject to passenger demand and the cascading of trains into East Midlands Railway. I am happy to meet him to discuss this in more detail.

[Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) (Lab)]

8. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs on motorists.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps)]

I am working with my Cabinet colleagues to consider support for motorists during these challenging times.

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I place on record my celebrations for everybody celebrating St Patrick’s day, and a happy Purim.

With fuel costs skyrocketing and the average family facing an annual increase of £386 in petrol costs, my constituents are being forced to choose between getting to work and heating their homes. Does the Secretary of State agree that now would be the worst possible time to introduce a tax hike of £255 on working people who are already seeing their pay swallowed up by the costs of simply living?

[Grant Shapps]

The hon. Lady asks specifically about the additional costs of motoring during these difficult times with what we have seen happen to the crude oil price. I gently remind her that she voted against a measure in the Budget to freeze fuel duty for a 12th consecutive year.