Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Kinnock Excerpts
Tuesday 13th December 2016

(7 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Margot James Portrait Margot James
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Earlier this year, the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to carry out an independent review of modern employment practices, such as in my hon. Friend’s example, as part of ensuring that our economy works for everyone. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will also consider my hon. Friend’s suggestion.

Stephen Kinnock Portrait Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) (Lab)
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The energy-intensive industries compensation scheme is due to end in April 2017. The Government have promised to bring forward legislation to exempt energy-intensive industries from renewable obligations and feed-in tariffs, but we are still waiting for that to happen. As things stand, the steel industry is therefore looking down the barrel of having to go back to the crippling energy costs it faced until the compensation package was introduced. Will the Secretary of State assure us that measures will be put in place before April 2017 to ensure that we do not go back to that situation?

Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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The discussions we have had with the steel sector emphasise the importance of energy costs, and our commitment is to work with the sector to bring them down.