Cost of Living Increases Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: HM Treasury

Cost of Living Increases

Nigel Evans Excerpts
Wednesday 16th March 2022

(2 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Ian Murray Portrait Ian Murray
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I make this substantive point. Your motion, which you brought to the House to debate today, says that you are happy to tax Irn-Bru and Pets at Home, but you are not willing to tell me whether you will tax the oil and gas companies. Am I correct? I am correct. Excellent.

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

Order. Please do not use the word “your”, because that is referring to me, and I am not doing anything.

Ian Murray Portrait Ian Murray
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Apart from chairing the debate wonderfully, of course.

Let us make the serious point. We are debating the motion in front of us and we cannot get clarity from its mover about whether it includes a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies that would give every single household in Scotland £200 off their bills and the poorest 815,000 households £600 off their bills. That is what we are talking about. That is the substantive point that I am making.

Children will be going to bed cold or hungry—or both—and the best that the Chancellor can do is put up their parents’ taxes and lend them their own money to take a tiny amount off their energy bills. It is simply not good enough. The Trussell Trust says that two out of five people on universal credit are forced into a spiral of uncontrolled debt. Labour’s plan to tackle the cost of living crisis would put money in the pockets of Scottish families, helping them to make ends meet, and take worry out of receiving that unaffordable direct debit increase from their energy supplier. Across the UK—I repeat this again, because the right hon. Member for Dundee East (Stewart Hosie) wants a substantive point—we would introduce a fully costed, worked out plan for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies through which every single household in Scotland would get £200 off their bills and the 815,000 hardest hit households would get £600.

In Scotland, the Scottish National party has the power in its hands to do more than just bring Opposition day motions; it can change lives, too. That is what Labour would do. We would use the Barnett consequentials that the SNP has spent on replicating the Chancellor’s unfair policies to give a Scottish fuel payment of £400 to nearly 600,000 households facing the brunt of the crisis. We would top up the Scottish welfare fund so that local authorities could use their discretionary offer further to support households.

--- Later in debate ---
None Portrait Several hon. Members rose—
- Hansard -

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

Order. I think Rosie Winterton, when she was last in the Chair, suggested between six and seven minutes, and then everybody can get in. We will try to do that without putting a time limit on.

--- Later in debate ---
Angela Crawley Portrait Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (SNP)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Many of my constituents have written to me expressing the same concerns. Furthermore, the majority are members of single-parent families, particularly women, who have already borne the brunt of austerity and the worst effects of the changes in universal credit. They will not now benefit from the £20 uplift that the Government have removed from so many families who needed it. Does my right hon. Friend agree that more needs to be done to support those families?

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

Order. I remind hon. Members who intervene to face forward so that you are addressing the House and are properly picked up by the microphones.

--- Later in debate ---
None Portrait Several hon. Members rose—
- Hansard -

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

Order. The wind-ups will start at 6.40 pm.

--- Later in debate ---
Chris Stephens Portrait Chris Stephens
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

That is exactly where the Government’s priorities lie. Let us not forget that in-work poverty disproportionately affects carers as well, and that has to change.

I am conscious of time, but I hope the Government will respond positively to the points I have made. This is their crisis—the things I am pointing out are not to do with Ukraine or anything else. These things have been going on for 12 years, and the Government can immediately solve them.

Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

There are 15 minutes left and three of you want to speak. Doing the maths, it is five minutes each and then you can all have equal time.

--- Later in debate ---
Nigel Evans Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)
- Hansard - -

To resume his seat no later than 6.40 pm, I call Ben Lake.