MPs to debate Energy Prices, Wednesday 14 January c.12.45pm

UKParliament

Our goal is to post up information on work undertaken in the House of Commons that has a consumer focus but which may not be highlighted elsewhere.

We have posted this on the Energy board because we thought some of you might be interested in the topic of debate. We encourage discussion and comments concerning the topic or content of this thread.

Energy Prices – Opposition Day debate
Expected to commence at around 12.45pm* on Wednesday 14 January in the House of Commons Chamber

The motion for debate by MPs is

“That this House notes the policy of the Opposition to freeze energy prices until 2017, ensuring that prices can fall but not rise; and calls on the Government to bring forward fast-track legislation immediately to put a statutory duty on the energy regulator for Great Britain to ensure that energy suppliers pass on price cuts to consumers when wholesale costs fall, if suppliers fail to act.”

The motion has been tabled in the names of

• Edward Miliband, MP for Doncaster North and Leader of the Labour Party
• Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley
• Mr Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham
• Maria Eagle, MP for Garston and Halewood
• Tom Greatrex, Labour (Co-op) MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
• Ms Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central

How to watch

The debate can be viewed on Parliament TV (Silverlight or Windows Media Player required to stream TV).

Transcripts of proceedings in the House of Commons Chamber are available three hours after they happen in Today’s Commons Debates.

About Opposition Day Debates

Opposition days are days when the main subjects for debate are have been chosen by opposition parties.

There are 20 days allocated for this purpose per session and the Opposition generally uses them to raise questions of policy and administration.


* It may begin later if any Urgent Questions or Statements are granted on the day, as Parliamentary business is subject to change.

Thanks
DOT

zeupater

... And the opening statement by Caroline Flint completely misses the point.

Instead of debating with a load of parliamentary wordsmiths I'd like to invite her or any other MP to participate in a debate on this forum where there are plenty of people with the ability to completely rip the proposals apart using nothing more than basic logic and common sense without even breaking into a sweat ...

For one, I would really like an apology from whoever thought of the Labour energy price freeze policy for keeping my own, and everybody else's, bills artificially high over the last few months ...

Wholesale prices may be falling, but can you really blame the industry for not passing this on to the consumer when they've been promised (/threatened with) a multi-year price freeze if Labour form the next government. Reducing prices significantly this side of the general election just isn't going to happen as long as Labour are holding the sword of Damocles over the very existence of energy providers ....

15 minutes into the debate and she's still rambling on with 'The reason is this' and 'the truth is that' and has still missed the elephant in the room .... the policy to freeze prices itself ... If such a motion was tabled in my name and I didn't understand the full implications of such a ridiculous policy I'd be ashamed - and if I did understand but continued purely for political gain, I'd be ashamed even more ....

HTH
Z

zeupater

@DOT

Perhaps someone could ensure that everyone involved in the debate is aware of this invitation ... perhaps they could also take a little time to consider the above post.

If nobody involved in the current debate has the intellectual capacity to have recognised the point raised above and raises it in the house, everyone involved should hand their letter of resignation in as the leave the chamber ... we need politicians who can think as well as talk ...

HTH
Z

zeupater

... and 45minutes into the debate Ed Davey mentions the point raised, but glosses over it quickly without realising the relevance to the debate ... MartinL & MSE got a quick mention as having recognised this though ...


HTH
Z

zeupater

... and in a debate on energy, Peter Hain makes more sense in the few minutes he was allowed to speak than either of the front benches made in the first hour, simply by raising/supporting the Severn barrier potential ....

.... before being slapped down for doing so by Tim Yeo, which I find very strange ... he seems to be concentrating on consumption reduction through the use of smart technologies, which, from what was said, is something which he seems to have little (current technology) capability understanding whilst investing much in faith ....

HTH
Z

zeupater

Hi

Two & a half hours into the debate & Tom Greatrex (Shadow Energy Minister) sums up the position in such a way that it's totally obvious that there's still a total lack of understanding ...

The entire debate turned into an argument centred on the difference between a 'freeze' and a 'cap' ... well, whichever it is, it's the threat/promise of not being able to increase prices for a fixed period whatever the change in the wholesale market which is currently keeping prices high ... suppliers would see it as being totally irresponsible to significantly reduce prices to where they should currently be just to have them fixed at that level for years to come whatever happens to global commodity prices ....

HTH
Z

Andy_WSM

Beggars belief that these MPs are so clueless.

I too would like an apology and compensation for their interference in a private industry causing prices to be held artificially high.

They're all bloody idiots and this country is going to ruin because of them.

I wouldn't trust any of them to run my bath, let alone a country.

zeupater

Okay - it's all over ... Sense prevails 228/305, but that's more to do with voting on party lines than any degree of understanding ...

So, was anything learned ? ... yes, certainly and it's this ... politicians are good with words but have very little common-sense and have a much lower level of understanding of energy than many who post on these boards ... but I knew that already, so I think I'll change the answer to a definite no ....

Two-and-a-half hours well spent or wasted ? ... Definitely wasted, come on parliament - you simply looked ridiculous and must really do better .... the only MP who made any real logical contribution in the entire debate was Peter Hain and I never thought that I'd be writing that a couple of hours ago! ...

You wonder why there's a reluctance for the population as a whole to become more involved in the parliamentary process ... well here's a prime example why ...

HTH
Z

lstar337

zeupater, thank you for you summaries.

UKParliament

The debate on Energy Prices that took place on Wednesday 14 January 2015 is now available to watch and read online for those who are interested.

The debate was opened by the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Caroline Flint. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey, responded on behalf of the Government.

As Zeupater pointed out, the motion was negatived on division (voted against): Ayes 228 votes and Noes 305 votes.

To read the full debate please go to House of Commons Hansard: Energy Prices.

To see how MPs voted please go to House of Commons Hansard: Division No. 132.

The debate is available to watch on Parliament TV: Siliverlight or Windows Media Player required to stream TV.

We hope this is useful.

Thanks
DOT