Oral Answers to Questions

Iain Wright Excerpts
Tuesday 14th March 2017

(7 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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As my hon. Friend knows, in the growth deals that are part of the midlands engine there is support, through local enterprise partnerships, for small businesses—both start-ups and growing businesses.

Iain Wright Portrait Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool) (Lab)
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Following npower’s 15% price hike last month, the Government pledged that

“where markets are not working we are prepared to act.”

E.ON raised its prices by 14% last week and SSE by 8% yesterday. How many more companies need to raise their prices before the Government actually act to stop energy customers getting fleeced?

Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that that behaviour is unacceptable. It has been reported by Ofgem that there is no reason to increase prices. We have committed to a Green Paper on consumer markets, which will be published very shortly. The time is up for these companies.