Speeches by McAllister.

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) on securing today’s debate. In my constituency of West Dunbartonshire, local history and strong ties to our past have shaped our communities and towns. In post-industrial areas such as mine, stor…”

“Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of my constituent Jagtar Singh Johal’s acquittal of all charges in the only court case against him in India that has actually proceeded to trial. Despite that, he remains arbitrarily detained in an Indian prison, as he has been for more than eight years now. Will the Leader of …”

“The hospice sector in Scotland is under severe and growing financial pressure, with two thirds of hospices making cuts or planning to do so in the near future. That is due to underfunding that has left hospices stretched to breaking point; many are forced to cut services at a time when they are needed more than ever. N…”

“It really sounds as if it is about the price of energy and making energy more affordable, rather than a debt relief write-off scheme. It sounds as if that really should be the aim.”

“Why can you not establish the extent of the debt in Scotland? It is a figure, for instance, that Citizens Advice in Scotland was interested in obtaining. It gave evidence to this Committee earlier. You started this hearing by saying that you have an 800-strong workforce in Glasgow and across Scotland. You are the head …”

“Do you think that that is going to reduce the £4.4 billion?”

“Levels of consumer debt are at their highest since records began. It is now sitting, as I understand it, at £4.4 billion-worth of energy debt in the UK. Can you tell me what the figure is for Scotland?”

“£300 million towards £4.4 billion sounds like the tip of the iceberg or a drop in the ocean, and that £4.4 billion is rising. Is it going to have any effect?”

“Could you work out how much that would add to a bill?”

“How much of that write-off is added on to consumer bills in the UK?”

“But you know that it might recover £300 million this year.”

“How much do you think your new scheme is likely to add to our bills, if it is almost ready this year?”

“That is from all of us.”

“The new debt relief scheme sounds as if it is going to add more to energy bills.”

“You do not recognise that figure.”

“You do not have that figure. There is some suggestion that it is maybe £60 a year.”

“At the moment, what is that cost per year to customers who do not have debts?”

“What about customers who do not have that debt?”

“Do average customers across the UK currently pay a sum on their bills that goes towards debt recovery costs?”

“Thank you very much. I understand that you are designing a new debt relief scheme to take effect this year across the UK. Can you explain to the Committee what the structure of that will be and how it will be administered?”