Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Tice Excerpts

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: charities and third-sector organisations play a vital role in getting support to households, which we know are struggling with bills. Part of the reason we thought it was so important to agree £500 million of industry support was to make sure that we got additional support to households. We are also consulting on extending our warm home discount to 2.7 million more households, so that more than 6 million people get help. We will work with the energy sector to make sure that we use the vital network of charities to get that support to the households that need it.

[Richard Tice (Boston and Skegness) (Reform)]

The price of gas is some 20% lower than it was at the beginning of this year, and the Secretary of State promised that bills would come down. Can the Government say when bills will come down for consumers, given that they are going up by 6% on 1 April?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

I encourage the hon. Gentleman to check his facts. The price cap went up, which was disappointing for families, because of the spike in wholesale prices. That is because of our reliance on global fossil fuel markets. [Interruption.] I will say it incredibly slowly for him, so he can understand: it is because of our reliance on global fossil fuel markets. We must break that reliance. We have to wean ourselves off this rollercoaster of price spikes and price falls, which is harming consumers across the country. The sprint to clean power will achieve that. It is a shame that he cannot see that.