Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 16th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Chris Huhne]

The passion of the right hon. Gentleman’s oratory reminds me that I ought to wish him luck in the forthcoming Labour leadership campaign. The reality is that we are struggling: we are struggling with the fiscal legacy that his Government left us and we are having to take some very tough decisions. It is fundamental to our national interest that we are not next in line among the countries affected by the sovereign debt crisis. I know that the right hon. Gentleman has in the past pooh-poohed that as the Greek defence, but the reality is that on the weekend after the general election in our country every single finance Minister in the European Union, including—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am grateful to the Secretary of State, but we do not need to have a Second Reading debate on the state of the economy and we are not going to do so.

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

2. What progress he has made on bringing forward proposals for reform of energy markets to improve security of supply.

--- Later in debate ---

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

On the Severn barrage, the Bristol channel has the second highest rise and fall of tide in the world. Are the Government also examining tidal pools?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We are talking about help for vulnerable people in meeting their energy bills, so we have to stick to that.

[Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury) (Lab)]

I am sure the Secretary of State agrees that if we are to move to a green economy, we have to do so in a way that is fair, so can he confirm that he is making representations to the Treasury to keep the Warm Front scheme which, as he knows, is a successful scheme that has helped 2 million of the most vulnerable fuel poor?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

That was very helpful to the House and I am grateful to the Secretary of State.

[James Wharton (Stockton South) (Con)]

The House has heard much this morning about the Government’s laudable plans to give energy users more information and more detail about the energy that they are using. What progress has been made to ensure that domestic energy bills provide further detail for electricity users on the cost breakdown of the electricity that they have used?