Energy Tariffs

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 18th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab)]

(Urgent Question): Yesterday, the Prime Minister threw energy policy into confusion, causing chaos—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. At this stage, all that the right hon. Lady needs to do is to ask the Secretary of State to make a statement on the matter.

[Caroline Flint]

I ask the Secretary of State to make a statement on the matter.

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. A sizeable number of hon. and right hon. Members are seeking to catch my eye, and I am keen to accommodate that interest. I remind the House, however, that business questions are to follow and that thereafter there are to be two relatively well subscribed debates to take place under the auspices of the Backbench Business Committee. Brevity is therefore of the essence from Back-Bench and Front-Bench Members alike. I trust that the Minister of State, who has just addressed the House with the eloquence of Demosthenes, will tailor the length of his responses accordingly.

[Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con)]

Does this not turn on a very short compass? Will my hon. Friend confirm that the difference is that he intends within 13 weeks to bring forward legislation to ensure that consumers have the lowest possible electricity prices, whereas the Opposition had 13 years in government in which they did absolutely nothing to help consumers with electricity prices?

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am hoping to move on to the next business at 11 o’clock.

[Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab)]

These proposals did not feature anywhere in the draft Energy Bill, the White Paper, the technical updates or the impact assessments, so I assume that DECC staff have been working hard on the new idea this morning. Can the Minister guarantee that when he has worked out how to do this, it will not impede the progress of the Energy Bill and its delivery to the House?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hayes]

A yes or no answer would be insufficient to deal with the hon. Gentleman’s question—indeed, it would be almost an insult to him to reduce my answer to that level. Let me be plain, though: the Energy Bill will be used, as the Prime Minister said, as a vehicle to get people the lowest tariffs. We will look closely at the best means of doing that over the coming days and weeks, and the hon. Gentleman will be as excited as the rest of the House when those proposals are published.

[Mr Speaker]

I am most grateful to the Minister of State.

[Hon. Members]

More!

[Mr Speaker]

I think it is a fair summary to say that the House has enjoyed the scrutiny process over the past half hour.