Speeches by Chope.

“Will my hon. Friend give way?”

“How much longer will it be before we get an answer from the Government on the review of the vaccine damage payment scheme? It was initiated when my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Esther McVey) was in the Cabinet Office about a year ago. When will we get an answer?”

“For more than 15 years, the European Union has been in breach of its international treaty obligations to join the European convention on human rights. What are the Government doing to address the arrogance of the European Union on that issue?”

“I am sorry that I had to absent myself, but I am on the Procedure Committee as well, and we had the Speaker coming to give evidence. I am delighted to be able to get on to this issue, which is about non-domestic users, and domestic users of non-domestic contracts. I am very grateful to Tim Jarvis for having responded t…”

“Is that not a bit of a red herring? Gas prices are international. If they are international, why is it that our energy prices are higher than anybody else’s?”

“It is also about the extent of the gas prices. You have not really mentioned the word “growth” in your answer. If the Chancellor really wants to go for economic growth, what are you saying that you are going to be able to do to help deliver that by reducing our overall costs of energy, particularly to industry? At the …”

“On a point of order, Mr Western. Before my hon. Friend develops the debate, may I inquire about the fact that, according to the Order Paper, the fourth of the written statements to be made today, by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is titled “Future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme”? If …”

“Christchurch priory is on the list of churches at risk. Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport could be saved any costs if my private Member’s Bill—the Exemption from Value Added Tax (Listed Places of Worship) Bill—which is due for a hearing in the House on Friday 28 March, were pa…”

“Will the Minister ask the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate why we have the highest energy prices in the world, particularly for electricity?”

“Going back to the more general issue of non-domestic users, we touched on the costs at the very beginning of this evidence session. What more can you do to reduce energy costs for non-domestic business users, so that they are more internationally competitive? Our costs are so high.”

“The Department has the information I have asked for.”

“You do not know how many people could have heat pumps.”

“Is this talk about everybody having heat pumps or going on to hydrogen not a bit pie in the sky? I went on one of these ready reckoner things, which asked questions as to whether my property would be suitable for a heat pump. First of all, I found out it would not be suitable if it was a flat on the first floor or abov…”

“Is there anything else that you could do to bring to the attention of these residents their right to be informed about how much their landlord, for want of a better expression, is paying, so that they can then calculate whether they are being ripped off? At the moment, most people seem to be rather ignorant about those…”

“You and other regulators recently had a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Can you tell us what transpired and how you were able to say to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that electricity and energy prices are fundamental to our ability to grow as a nation and that, at the moment, we have the highest electri…”

“Last year, my understanding is that the previous Government issued a consultation around this whole area. Where has that got to? What are you expecting to happen as a result of that, or is it dead in the water?”

“Does the Minister not share my concern that this is a Bill of very limited ambition? Considering what she has said, surely there is a strong case for deregulating this whole area and for getting Parliament and the Government out of hospitality businesses’ hair.”

“Does my right hon. Friend agree that an unintended consequences of this Bill could be that it is no longer possible to build a new thatched house? In Dorset and Hampshire, we welcome people who are developing new thatched houses. How will that work with this Bill?”

“Will the hon. Member explain why his Bill excludes the use of solar thermal panels?”

“Will the hon. Lady therefore support my private Member’s Bill, which is coming up in March and is designed specifically to exclude repairs to listed places of worship from the VAT regime?”