Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 3rd April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Philip Hollobone.

[Mr Skinner]

Following on from that—

[Mr Speaker]

I always bear the hon. Gentleman in mind, but we will hear from Mr Hollobone first.

[Mr Hollobone]

For competition to work best, domestic consumers have to be able to switch their suppliers easily. Residents in Kettering want to pay the lowest prices for their electricity and gas, but many constituents, especially those who are elderly or not online, find the complexity of bills overwhelming and far too confusing. What can the Secretary of State do to take the hassle out of switching supplier?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Davey]

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State is right. The reduced amount of solid wall insulation in the proposed changes to the ECO means that the money can go further and help more households.

[Mr Speaker]

Mike Freer—not here. Richard Graham—not here.

[Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton) (Lab)]

12. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofgem.

--- Later in debate ---

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

The latest quarterly figures reveal that the share of the UK’s electricity generated from renewable sources rose year on year from an eighth of our electricity supply to a sixth. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we need to go further in reducing carbon emissions from our energy supply and that, given that the largest share of that increase came from onshore wind, that should play a key part?

[Mr Speaker]

That is quite long enough.

[Mr Davey]

I strongly agree with my hon. Friend. We have seen a massive increase in renewable electricity under this Government and the pipeline for more renewable electricity has never been as healthy as it is today.