Monday 17th January 2022

(2 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Beamish Portrait Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham) (Lab)
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The Secretary of State has come to the House today to say that the freeze in the licence fee is to help hard-working, struggling families. May I ask her to answer the question put to her by the Father of the House: when was this decided? Did it go through a Cabinet Sub-Committee? Did Cabinet sign this off, or is it that just over the last weekend the Government thought they would come up with something that would take the attention away from the Prime Minister?

Nadine Dorries Portrait Ms Dorries
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Cabinet has signed it off. These negotiations have been going on; they did with my predecessor as well as with me. Legally, I had to make my statement in as much time as possible before April, which is why I am making it today.