Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cost of Living

Wednesday 22 February 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK faces high inflation and the Prime Minister is prioritising tackling inflation.
  • The Government are committed to supporting vulnerable households in Scotland with 12 billion-worth of direct support in 2023-24.
  • The Government are putting in place tax arrangements for excessive profits made by energy companies at 75%.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ronnie Cowan SNP
Economy Scotland
Context

The UK faces high inflation, affecting many countries. The question addresses the specific impact on people in Scotland due to rising costs.

Question

What assessment he has made of the impact of increases in the cost of living on people in Scotland?

Answer from John Lamont

The UK faces high inflation. The Prime Minister is prioritising tackling inflation. The Government are committed to supporting vulnerable households with £12 billion-worth of direct support in 2023-24. The energy price guarantee saves a typical household in Scotland about £900 this winter.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific assessment of the impact on people in Scotland

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Q2 David Linden SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question addresses issues with UK welfare, referencing an incident where baby formula was put behind the tills in Co-ops due to fears of theft.

Question

Will the Minister outline what has gone wrong with the UK welfare state when we have got to a stage where baby formula has to be put away because of fears of theft?

Answer from John Lamont

The Chancellor outlined steps to help vulnerable households in Scotland and across the UK. Payments are being made to support households this winter. The Government continue to explore new ways of tackling poverty and protecting the most vulnerable.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not outline issues with the welfare state or address baby formula incident specifically

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Q3 Ronnie Cowan SNP
Taxation Energy
Context

Scotland is a net energy exporter but faces higher electricity costs than other European countries. Energy companies are making significant profits.

Question

Does the Secretary of State think it right that Scots face the highest bills in Europe while the UK Government allow energy companies to make billions in profit?

Answer from John Lamont

The Government are putting in place tax arrangements for excessive profits made by BP, Shell, and others at 75%. I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's analysis about Scotland; this Government have put in place measures to support households during winter and will continue assessing further measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address whether it is right that Scots face high bills while energy companies profit

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