Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003

Debate between Tessa Munt and Albert Owen

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Westminster Hall

[Tessa Munt]

I could not agree more. I do not agree with the idea that the new proposals will encourage exports; we will end up exporting, and importing, more gloop, as opposed to having something that we all know well—British jam, jelly, marmalade, curds and mincemeat are completely classic British products. If we want to export them, we need to help people to do so, but we need to keep the quality and the standard of what we see on the British breakfast table.

As I was about to say, the Minister seems to have found himself in a sticky situation, or in a bit of a jam. Jam today, please, but I would like to see jam tomorrow as well.

[Albert Owen (in the Chair)]

I call the Minister to entertain us by spreading the DEFRA word.

Energy Bill [Lords]

Debate between Tessa Munt and Albert Owen

Wednesday 14th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Albert Owen]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, which is why those people need greater protection. The Office of Fair Trading is undertaking a review, and I hope that, rather than just refer something to the Competition Commission, it will come up with proposals and take action. I hope—and I know that the Minister is listening, because this is a serious issue—that people who are off-grid receive better protection in future. I shall certainly work with the Government—and I know that the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change will do so, too—and help them to try to reach those people.

The hon. Gentleman made an important point about the contracts and the sums that individuals have to pay. The hon. Member for Hexham touched on that. I have received anecdotal evidence from my constituents that, during the big freeze in December last year, an individual in an isolated hamlet applied to have their tank filled up. They were told that they could have only half the amount that they usually received, and they were charged 50p a litre. Six weeks later, the company came to replenish the tank, and charged them 70p a litre. Members up and down the country will be familiar with such examples. Those people are suffering real hardship and are in fuel poverty, which is why we should all work together to ensure that people who are off-grid receive the proper protection afforded to those on the gas and electricity mains.

The new clause is a good measure, and we are moving towards clearer bills that include such information: informed people can make informed choices, as I have said. We need that information, and the choice of suppliers should extend beyond the big six. That has been mentioned, and the Government and Ofgem are looking at it. The proposal has cross-party support, because the monopoly enjoyed by the six companies that generate 80% of electricity and gas yet supply 99% of consumers does not produce a fair market. That is why we need intervention and tighter regulations, to achieve the outcome that we all want to achieve: price stability and clarity, so that people know from their bills what percentage of what they pay is going to fund energy efficiency measures, and what percentage is used for external measures such as transmission and so on. Transmission has not been discussed at great length, and it is ironic that people who live at the periphery of the United Kingdom, in areas that generate much of the electricity that goes to the grid, pay more for their electricity and gas than people in other areas.

[Tessa Munt]

I cannot resist the opportunity to discuss transmission. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, in fact, the costs of modernising electricity transmission are minimal compared with the increased prices charged by electricity and gas companies?

[Albert Owen]

Absolutely. To be fair to the national grid, as part of our inquiry into the market, we went to see the National Grid Company which, for the first time, is offering choices and options in transmission, such as underground, overground and subsea. I agree that these hikes are ripping people off. They want choices and if they choose underground and it costs more in certain areas, we might have to consider paying more for it, but at the moment we are getting a poor deal when we have the minimum upgrade to the transmission lines and the infrastructure, and are paying the maximum amount through our bills. That balance needs to be addressed.

I realise that time is of the essence, but in closing I want to highlight the point about off-grid so that all households in the UK are treated equally. We need to ensure that we have a level playing field for people in peripheral areas as well as in large towns and cities when it comes to the green deal and paying for electricity and gas. I am sure that there is consensus on this and we need to move forward.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on raising this important point about simplicity, the changing of the tariffs and how we can get a better deal for all those whom we represent, because at the moment they are being ripped off.