Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to provide further support towards energy costs for the hospice sector in addition to the Energy Bill Discount Scheme.

On January 9, the Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme to provide eligible business, charities and the public sector, including eligible hospices with a discount on high energy bills for a further 12 months from April 23 until March 24. This will help those locked into contracts signed before recent substantial falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.

The Government has been clear that the current levels of support through Energy Bills Relief Scheme, unprecedented in its nature and huge scale, were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow organisations to adapt. The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses for a further 12 months, from April 2023 to March 2024, and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets.