Petitions

Richard Burgon Excerpts

Wednesday 7th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burgon (Leeds East) (Lab)]

I rise to present a petition alongside a corresponding online petition signed by over 65,000 people. They are appalled that, at this time of crisis, the Government are choosing to protect oil and gas firms’ super-profits, all made off the backs of higher bills for millions of ordinary people. They believe that these oil and gas giants should not be able to make a single penny in excess profits and are calling for these profits to be taken and used to provide crucial funding to help people through this cost of living emergency.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of the United Kingdom—

therefore requests—

that the House of Commons urge the Government to review proposals to at least double the Windfall Tax so that oil and gas firms do not make a single penny in excess profits out of this crisis, and use the billions in additional funding to help people through the cost-of-living emergency.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,

Declares that soaring energy bills are driving the biggest fall in living standards in living memory; further that, to ensure that the needs of people are put ahead of the profits of energy giants, we need bold action including freezes to the energy price cap, energy firms brought into public ownership and the rolling-out of a mass programme of home insulation; further that we must also urgently tackle the eye-watering level of profits that North Sea oil and gas companies are making on the backs of higher bills for ordinary people; notes that the Conservative Government’s Windfall Tax is set far too low and lets oil and gas giants off the hook as they are continuing to make vast undeserved profits at levels way beyond what they had ever expected.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to review proposals to at least double the Windfall Tax so that oil and gas firms do not make a single penny in excess profits out of this crisis, and use the billions in additional funding to help people through the cost-of-living emergency.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P002765]

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

I rise to present this petition organised by Jane Mills on behalf of 878 South Shields residents who oppose the development of 156 residential properties on land west of Sunniside farm, a site within the green belt with a food-producing arable field and a heavily used historical footpath linking two ancient monasteries.

The petition states:

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to change the National Planning Policy Framework to include a clause of a right of refusal of development on green belt land, thus giving local people the right to say what is to happen in their community.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of South Shields,

Declares that the development of 156 residential properties on GA2 land is inappropriate and unwanted by the community; further that the development lies west of Sunniside Farm in South Shields, a site within the green belt which has had a food producing arable field for over thirty five consecutive years; further that, if allowed, the development would disrupt the heavily used 7th century Bede’s Way footpath which links the two ancient monasteries of St Paul’s and St Peter’s which are dedicated to The Venerable Bede; and further that all communities should have a clause or exception of a right of refusal of development on green belt land which is used to produce arable food or where local communities do not want development that would destroy the openness and permanence of the land.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to change the National Planning Policy Framework to include a clause of a right of refusal of development on green belt land, thus giving local people the right to say what is to happen in their community.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P002766]