UK Energy Costs

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Alan Brown

Thursday 8th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

As I was saying, for those using heating oil, those living in park homes or those on heat networks, we will set up a fund so that all UK consumers can benefit from equivalent support.

[Alan Brown]

rose—

[The Prime Minister]

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman.

[Alan Brown]

National Energy Action estimates that with the cap at the current level, 6.5 million households are in fuel poverty. If the level is raised to £2,500, how many more millions of people does the Prime Minister reckon will end up in fuel poverty?

[The Prime Minister]

We are taking action to help people on the lowest incomes through universal credit, and we are also supplying £400 through the energy bills support scheme.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Alan Brown

Tuesday 17th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

There are fundamental issues that have been exposed since the protocol came into being that have damaged the east-west relationship for Northern Ireland, which is a key tenet of the Good Friday agreement. Those issues will have to be fixed; otherwise, they will be a running sore.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

If the Foreign Secretary had some self-awareness, she would realise that saying that the protocol had unintended consequences, and that the EU needed to change because it had somehow acted in bad faith by upholding the deal that the UK Government negotiated, was a ridiculous argument. If she has such an obvious customs solution that will not cost companies any more in IT roll-out, that will actually save companies money in the UK and Europe and that will protect the European single market, why does she not publish her proposals now, if they are so obvious and easy to move forward on?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I have explained the outline of the proposals, and I will be publishing more details in due course.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Alan Brown

Wednesday 7th July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

First, I want to welcome the new hon. Member for Batley and Spen (Kim Leadbeater) and commend her for her dignity in standing up to intimidation during the campaign. I do agree with my right hon. Friend about the very divisive nature of the leaflet that she talks about. Politicians should not be stoking division: instead, we should be working together to unite and level up our country.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

Relative to the average working wage, the UK state pension is the worst in Europe. We have had the WASPI—Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign—women scandal, where the Government did not do anything, and now they are going to take £1.2 billion from the mineworkers’ pension scheme. This Government do not solve inequality; they add inequality, do they not?

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession)

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Alan Brown

Wednesday 17th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. She is right that we are able to pursue this policy because we are not a member of the EU, and we are able to sign up to things, such as an advanced digital and data chapter, that the EU does not want to be part of. We have recently launched our new network of digital trade emissaries around Asia precisely to push the case of British business.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

While part of the EU, quotas are imposed on imports of New Zealand lamb. With the free market deal that the UK Government are chasing, and their willingness for a no-deal crash out of Europe in December, do Scottish farmers not face a double whammy of greater imports of New Zealand lamb and tariffs being applied to lamb exported to the EU?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I point out to the hon. Gentleman that New Zealand is not actually using all its current quota of lamb, because there is massive demand for New Zealand lamb around the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which is closer to production. I can assure him that, when we are negotiating these deals, we will make absolutely sure that British farmers do not have their standards undermined.