Oral Answers to Questions

Martyn Day Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd May 2023 Commons Chamber

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

18. What steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises on fixed-term energy contracts.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway)]

The energy bill discount scheme will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including those on fixed-term contracts. I met energy suppliers in March to reiterate my expectation that they must do all they can to support businesses on the highest-priced contracts.

[Amanda Solloway]

One of the things this Government are committed to do is helping small businesses. Both the Secretary of State and I have met the FSB to discuss this matter and to ensure that we are doing the best thing that we can for those on fixed-term contracts.

[Martyn Day]

That was rather a non-answer. Since the downgrading of the energy bill relief scheme to the mair austere energy bill discount scheme, firms, many of them in my constituency, are paying three to four times the amount they were for energy under the previous scheme. If the Minister does not believe the figures she has just heard from the FSB, how many firms does she think will go to the wall as a result of these higher energy costs?

[Amanda Solloway]

This Government remain committed to supporting all small and medium businesses, and the whole business sector. We did the relief scheme and we now have the discount scheme as well. We are also implementing a high energy-intensive scheme. Both the Secretary of State and I are urging suppliers to have a look at these fixed rates and making sure that we can find a reasonable way forward.