Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Tulip Siddiq Excerpts
Tuesday 7th December 2021

(2 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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We now come to the shadow Minister; welcome to the Front Bench, Tulip Siddiq.

Tulip Siddiq Portrait Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)
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There is a cost of living crisis, temperatures are falling and Ministers are ignoring average households, who are struggling to pay enormous bills. Household energy bills have increased by more than £230 since last winter and are set to increase even more early next year, and we have recently seen higher tax receipts from energy bills. Will the Minister back Labour’s policy of using this money to cut VAT on people’s energy bills to zero over the next six months?

John Glen Portrait John Glen
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I welcome the hon. Lady to the Front Bench. I draw her attention to the answer that I just gave concerning the number of interventions that the Government have made, including the warm home discount and additional support through local authorities. Households in the lowest income decile receive on average more than £4 in public spending for every £1 that they pay in tax. The Government are acutely sensitised to the challenges that we face this winter.