Oral Answers to Questions

Ruth Jones Excerpts

Tuesday 16th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) (Lab)]

15. What estimate she has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in winter 2023-24.

[Ruth Jones (Newport West) (Lab)]

18. What estimate she has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in winter 2023-24.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway)]

Fuel poverty is devolved. Statistics for England are published annually by the Department. The next English statistics will be published on 15 February and will include estimates of the number of households in fuel poverty in 2023 and 2024.

--- Later in debate ---

[Amanda Solloway]

We are committed not only to helping vulnerable people, but to making sure we are providing the best energy security we can. That is why we are committed to all the policies we have introduced.

[Ruth Jones]

I listened very carefully to the answer the Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist), but I am still none the wiser, so I will ask again: can the Minister set out what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government about the social tariff, which the previous Secretary of State described as “very helpful”?

[Amanda Solloway]

Just to reiterate, I have been having conversations with all stakeholders, and when I say stakeholders, that does not just mean Citizens Advice or Disability Rights UK, but across Government and with different devolved Departments.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ruth Jones Excerpts

Tuesday 28th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)]

3. How many households had forced installations of prepayment meters in 2022.

[Ruth Jones (Newport West) (Lab)]

15. How many households in Newport West constituency had forced installations of prepayment meters in 2022.

[Paula Barker (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab)]

18. How many households had forced installations of prepayment meters in 2022.

--- Later in debate ---

[Grant Shapps]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s moves in this sphere. To be clear to the House, I wrote to the suppliers and received reassurances that they would end the practice. I asked Ofgem—I have to say that I thought the wool had been pulled over its eyes—to not just take energy companies’ word for it but go to the customers, which it is doing. I queried the fact that the courts were issuing mass warrants, which they have agreed to end. He talks about what happens next; he is right that Ofgem is looking at what further protections will be in place. Its work will conclude shortly with further announcements.

[Ruth Jones]

I thank the Secretary of State for his initial response, but constituents in Newport West will be disappointed by it. This Government are ducking their responsibilities on the control of energy bills, and are relying on the regulator to do the right thing. How can it be right that the installation of prepayment meters will recommence at the end of March? Why should those with the least have to pay the most to heat their homes and keep the lights on?

[Grant Shapps]

I take issue with the idea that the Government are somehow ducking our responsibility. As I mentioned, we are paying around half of household energy bills this winter. We took action—I will not repeat what it was—that brought the prepayment meter scandal to a conclusion. That work, and what happens next, is being looked at very carefully. Ofgem will look at what happens if there is no fall-back solution when energy bills are not being paid. That is a complex issue, but more will be said about it soon.