Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jim McMahon and Amber Rudd

Thursday 11th February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise this matter. May I reassure him that we are having regular meetings with DONG and with the MPs involved to ensure that the UK content is as high as possible, within the procurement rules?

[Jim McMahon (Oldham West and Royton) (Lab)]

15. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that changes in gas prices are passed on to consumers.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

16. What steps she is taking to ensure that reductions in the wholesale price of energy are passed on to consumers.

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Amber Rudd)]

As the hon. Gentlemen may be aware, average domestic gas prices fell by £37 during 2015. Six major suppliers have announced a further cut in their tariffs; two more have announced that this morning. It is a good start, but the Government expect all suppliers to pass on reductions in the costs of supplying energy to consumers. I have met all the major energy suppliers in recent months to make that point clear.

[Jim McMahon]

Will the Secretary of State join me in celebrating the work of our local councils in assisting people to save energy? Oldham Council’s collective buying scheme has attracted 8,700 households to sign up to it, each of which will save about £170. In Nottingham, the first local authority energy company, which employs 30 staff, is hoping to sign up 10,000 households.

[Amber Rudd]

I will join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating his council on doing that. Some individual councils are doing exceptionally good work on group switching and are trying to help their constituents. I visited Nottingham last year to see the good work that has been done there. I hope that more councils will follow that lead.