Speeches by Thomas.

“It would include where levies are applied, but also perhaps broader reform of the electricity market.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, I draw everyone’s attention to my register of interests. I was formerly employed by a company that makes home heating equipment. This question is about the target for heat pumps and the step change required to hit the Government’s target. In that industry, if you or I have a boiler break dow…”

“I have a bit of time, Chair, and the Secretary of State has referred to prices and what drives business confidence. We see a lot of levies applied to one side of energy rather than the other. The Government are pushing heat pumps. Businesses regularly cite to me that electricity prices are one of their biggest inhibito…”

“Assuming that that carbon price is accurate, and that it bears out in reality, what is your assessment—given that businesses are hurting, and given that in your opening words at the start of this session you said businesses pay the price if we get energy policy wrong—of the extent to which that carbon price would hit b…”

“Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove has warned against the risks of relying on China for Britain’s energy infrastructure. What assessment has the Minister made of the involvement of Chinese supply chains in the Government’s solar plans?”

“High-security prisons ensure that our national security is not compromised, because they house some of the most dangerous threats to our society. In government, the Conservatives introduced legislation to make it an automatic offence to fly drones within 400 metres of any closed prison. What assurances can the Minister…”

“I want to understand a little about the thinking and the approach towards plutonium. I understand that a decision is to be taken fairly soon. Given that it could be used in small advanced nuclear reactors, why dispose of it rather than put it to an alternate use?”

“Can the Minister update the House on the measures being taken to safeguard against the emergence of Chinese military and surveillance capabilities in the British Indian Ocean Territory?”

“Given the risks that you have described and outlined, do you think the relative imminence of the decision is the right one, rather than to delay?”

“Can the Minister assure the House that Chinese investments in the UK are properly scrutinised, particularly those that may be used to acquire leverage over UK policy?”

“You have spoken about carbon capture being important but underdeveloped. What decisions do you need to see from Government to develop that at pace?”

“Do you think that the NESO report is conclusive proof that Clean Power 2030 will bring down bills? If it is not, do you think that there is a possibility that bills will rise? Do you think that system costs will increase or decrease relative to where they are today?”

“How will you ensure that the sprint to 2030 does not distract us from developing key infrastructure and technology needed for 2050? Kayte O’Neill: That is a great point and one that we have consistently made ourselves. This is not just about delivering for 2030. We are very focused on what will be needed on the system …”

“You touched on SSEP. What is the timescale for that and what kind of consultation will you be engaging in? Kayte O’Neill: Consultation is at the heart of our approach to all of our strategic planning. Last week, or at the beginning of this week, we launched our first consultation on the SSEP. That is a consultation on …”

“To boost public confidence in the criminal justice system, can the Minister confirm that the Government will not resort to increased dependency on community sentences, many of which are unserved?”

“The Deputy Prime Minister said that this country has plenty of houses. If that is true, can the Minister explain why the Government are imposing an 82% increase in the housing target for Bromsgrove district?”

“Absolutely not. I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman. Under the previous Government, the NHS received record levels of funding. The Government have committed additional funds to the NHS, but they have not put forward a productivity improvement plan. The Government are unable to deliver structural reforms because they…”

“I think the hon. Lady misses the point that I am making. If we are to have a thriving, sustainable set of public services, it is not just a case of funding them; we need structural reform, so that we can deliver the best-quality services at the point of need. Take the NHS as an example. It is fundamentally different fr…”

“Can the Minister tell the House which decision was harder, giving an inflation-busting pay rise to union paymasters or cutting the winter fuel payment?”

“There appears to be a glaring omission on the part of the Government: without a thriving private sector, there is no public sector to fund at all. I wish that Labour would acknowledge that much more vehemently and clearly than it appears to. The Government talk a lot about public services and how the proposals they hav…”