Oral Answers to Questions

Julie Hilling Excerpts

Thursday 20th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Stephen Gilbert. He is not here, so I call Julie Hilling.

[Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)]

20. What plans he has to provide support for households in meeting the cost of energy bills.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)]

I refer the hon. Lady to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bury North (Mr Nuttall) a few moments ago.

[Julie Hilling]

I thank the Minister for that answer, but I still do not understand what he is going to do to prevent people from dying this winter. Will he also urge the Government to reconsider the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance?

[Charles Hendry]

As the hon. Lady well knows, the winter fuel allowance was introduced by the last Government. Had it not been for the fact that—as one of her colleagues who was then a Minister pointed out—there was no money left, we might have been able to consider some of these matters further. However, we have implemented the policy of the last Labour Administration, and in the meantime we are trying to ensure that people check their bills for accuracy, insulate their homes, and look for better arrangements to which they might switch. That makes evident sense, because it can bring significant benefits, and it should not be dismissed, because it will help many of the hon. Lady’s constituents.