Energy Bill

Debate between David Anderson and Nigel Evans

Wednesday 19th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Anderson (Blaydon) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

We face the party that inherited the policies of the past 30 years, the party that believed that to tell Sid was the way to go ahead, but what did it tell Sid? “Buy something you already own”, it said. The party told him that he would be part of the great share-owning democracy. The party told Sid not to worry. Those wonderful private companies were dedicated to serving the public, they would ensure that they invested in the infrastructure, and they would give the country great value for money and transfer all the risk away from the public sector.

What the party did not tell Sid was that 9 million people would be living in fuel poverty by 2016; that it would set up a cartel of six big energy suppliers that would have complete control over every facet of energy policy; that the industry would be regulated by the weakest regulator in history; that it would fail badly to invest in the industry’s infrastructure; that we would face the real possibility of power cuts as a result of that failure; that we would have a national grid that has been described as not fit for purpose; that the failure to invest in skills and training would leave a work force incapable of dealing with the challenges we face; and that, 30 years down the line, the industry would want another £250 billion from the men and women of this country—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

Order. We must move on to the wind-ups.

Regional Pay (NHS)

Debate between David Anderson and Nigel Evans

Wednesday 7th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Anderson]

Clearly, there are issues about foundation trusts, but the Government can do what they want—or they can as long as the Liberal Democrats help them. Tonight, however, the Liberal Democrats have a chance of stopping the Government doing what they want, by doing what their party wants, and what the people they represent want—by throwing out the proposal, and voting on the clear principle that national pay bargaining should happen in the national health service, and nothing should be done to undermine it, including supporting the amendment.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

I call Sir Nick Harvey, who should resume his seat no later than 3.40.