Cost of Living Increases

Debate between Helen Whately and Ronnie Cowan

Wednesday 16th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde) (SNP)]

The Minister talks about helping people. How would she categorise the increase to national insurance contributions?

[Helen Whately]

I just mentioned the importance of rebuilding the public finances. We know that the NHS is the No. 1 priority for the general public; it is vital that we reduce the backlogs that sadly built up during the pandemic, and that needs to be paid for.

To come back to the motion, last month we announced an additional package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion—a package that, according to the motion, the Scottish National party wants to scrap. Our package to help people includes a £200 reduction in household energy bills this autumn that will be paid back automatically over the next five years, and a £150 non-repayable council tax rebate payment for all households in council tax bands A to D in England, plus £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities in England to support households who need support but are not eligible for that council tax rebate. As we cannot apply these council tax measures across the whole of the UK, the devolved Administrations are receiving almost £600 million through the Barnett formula. This overall approach is fiscally responsible while helping customers to manage the unprecedented increase in energy bills and helping to spread the increased cost of global prices over time.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Whately and Ronnie Cowan

Tuesday 8th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Helen Whately]

I would first like to thank the hon. Member for the part he played in campaigning for this life-saving change to organ donation and bringing about the increase that I mentioned earlier. The current services are now running at pre-covid levels and NHS Blood and Transplant is working with the wider healthcare system to enable as many transplants as possible. The new Organ Donation and Transplantation 2030: Meeting the Need strategy, which was launched last Tuesday, sets out the steps we are taking to increase organ availability further.

[Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde) (SNP)]

What recent progress his Department has made on helping to ensure that medical cannabis is accessible to people who require it under prescription.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Whately and Ronnie Cowan

Thursday 13th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Helen Whately]

My hon. Friend did a huge amount of work in this area when she was Minister with this responsibility. I have spoken to the Gambling Commission about loot boxes and the risks of online gambling, and we are working at the moment on the scope of the gambling review.

[Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde) (SNP)]

The gambling arena currently resembles the wild west. This is resulting in increased harm and even suicides. Rather than tinkering around the edges of the Gambling Act, will the UK Government rip it up and write a new one fit for the 21st century and in doing so engage with those people with lived experience?