Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Stewart Hosie Excerpts
Tuesday 27th January 2015

(9 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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My hon. Friend has been a champion for his constituents and for all the 1.5 million people who are off the grid and rely on heating oil to warm their homes. That price has fallen by 20%, so people are seeing the benefit of the falling oil price, but we continue to put pressure on the heating oil companies, and we have met them in the Treasury to continue to reinforce the argument that those prices must be passed on and must continue to be passed on.

Stewart Hosie Portrait Stewart Hosie (Dundee East) (SNP)
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The oil industry has told us that the softening in the oil price has highlighted the underlying problem in the North sea, which is the high cost of doing business there, driven by an up to 81% tax on production. Instead of waiting till the Budget, will the Chancellor take urgent action on investment allowances and on a cut to the supplementary charge?