Energy Prices: Support for Business

Diana Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 22nd September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady, who is such an assiduous campaigner for her constituents. She is absolutely right that we have to ensure that these wholesale price cuts feed through to the people they are meant to benefit, and that will be in our legislation.

[Dame Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

Because of the Government’s failure to act quickly on energy costs, Smithy’s fish and chip shop, which had been trading for 38 years on Beverley Road in Hull, had to close its doors. That was not just because of energy cost increases, but because the price of fish has gone up 120% and the price of beef dripping 150%. I would like to know what more the Secretary of State will do to reassure one of the institutions at the heart of our communities—fish and chip shops.

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

I am glad to reassure people about fish and chip shops—the right hon. Lady is right to say they are at the heart of our community—because they will benefit from this universal scheme.