Thursday 23rd September 2021

(2 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

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Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait Kwasi Kwarteng
- Parliament Live - Hansard - - - Excerpts

Clearly there was a lot in that question and statement. I will deal with a couple of issues, if I may.

With respect to universal credit and wider budgetary considerations, I have repeatedly said that they are matters for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor. We will have ample opportunity to discuss these things in the House. With respect to the move away from fossil fuels, the hon. Gentleman and I are in agreement: I think that we need a diverse supply of decarbonised sources of energy.

Finally, I dispute the idea that we are ill-prepared. We have the SOLR and SAR processes in place and we stress-tested them throughout the whole covid period, when I was in constant contact with the industry. I feel that so far we have managed to accommodate such supplier failure as we have seen with existing structures.

Joy Morrissey Portrait Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)
- Parliament Live - Hansard - -

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the cold weather payment scheme will remain in place?

Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait Kwasi Kwarteng
- Parliament Live - Hansard - - - Excerpts

Again, there are further budgetary issues, but I have always said that we are absolutely focused on customers, particularly the most vulnerable customers. The warm home discount is staying and we are looking to protect the most vulnerable customers, particularly prepaid customers, from the worst effects of the energy price spike.