Speeches by Bell.

“I thank my hon. Friend for making that point. I regularly discuss exactly the kind of industries he raises today, because he is such a powerful champion on their behalf. Most firms, obviously, will be significantly more hedged than households against changes in prices, but he is absolutely right to say that the effect …”

“A lot. State pension age increases have been going on, for different reasons, since the early 1990s. If you take the long view, there is to some degree a consensus that as you see increases in longevity, there will be consequential changes in the state pension age. Sometimes that has flipped too easily into being relax…”

“It is an independent commission and I do not want to prejudge what it should do. We have discussed it with them, and they are looking at how to think about adequacy in the round, not just in respect of the state pension. That is obviously right. The commission will publish an interim report, and I have not seen it, but…”

“Wait for it; I am going to come to come to those 14 years. The hon. Gentleman is going to regret saying that. Through the Conservatives’ entire 14 years in office, fuel duty was never lower than it is today. In fact, it was higher than it is today for 80% of the time they were in office.”

“As I have said, oil and gas will be with us for some time. [Interruption.] Let me finish. That is why the Chancellor met the sector. [Interruption.] I hear all the chuntering from Opposition Members, but I did not hear as much chuntering when we saw a 70% fall in jobs in the North sea on their watch. [Interruption.] Th…”

“I absolutely understand why the shadow Minister is looking so worked up; fuel prices matter for everyone, especially those travelling long distances. After all, it is around 270 miles from North West Durham to Billericay—once he found his new constituency, that is. I know it is called a chicken run, but I am assuming h…”

“I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “House” to the end of the Question and add: “recognises that, at the Autumn Budget 2025, the Government extended the five pence per litre fuel duty cut for five months and cancelled the inflation linked increase for 2026-27; welcomes that Fuel Finder helps consumers compare…”

“We will continue to be responsive to a changing world, be responsible in the national interest and with the public finances, and take the necessary decisions to help families with the cost of living. That is this Government’s promise.”

“I thank the hon. Member for his question and his invitation to discuss some hypotheticals. I would just point out that it is only next week that the policy of extending the 5p freeze comes into effect. Fuel duty will be frozen until the end of August this year. That is the position as it is. I will turn later to how we…”

“I do not think we are going to use the power. I think the industry itself is saying that it is in savers’ interests for the UK pensions industry to look more similar to those in the rest of the world. They currently do not have a significant exposure to private assets. They think that for the same diversification reaso…”

“It is for the Lords. What I have always said to you is that there is only one purpose for this power. I know the Conservative party is enjoying deciding late in the day it does not support in its entirety a Bill it supported all the way through, but that is to do with the consistency of your own decision making. I have…”

“The decision to increase it was obviously taken by the last Government, and the acceleration of it was also put in place by the last Government, so you will have to ask them who they spoke to at the time. They did publish an impact assessment along with the 2014 Act, but it is not for me to talk about. There are other …”

“That was not the best; there is much more to come. I am enjoying the enthusiasm. Sector-specific support continues for the likes of agriculture and horticulture, which retain access to red diesel, after it was withdrawn from most sectors in 2022. Our extension of the temporary 5p fuel duty cut includes a proportionate …”

“I will make a bit of progress, and then I am sure I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman, who is always very enthusiastic. He did actually stand up on this occasion. That is what a learning curve looks like—it is a shame Conservative Front Benchers have not found one in 14 long years.”

“Our position is to deliver a stable transition. That was the position of the Conservative party. It is the party that introduced the energy profits levy. [Interruption.] I will answer the question. Gas and energy from the North sea will be part of the energy transition in the UK for some decades to come, as several Mem…”

“I completely agree with the hon. Member that families up and down the country are worried about what they are seeing on their TV screens about the conflict in the middle east—maybe because they know people directly, but also much more universally about the effect on all of us and on their budgets—and they expect a Gove…”

“I thank the right hon. Member for his kind remarks, even if they were driven by geography rather than personality. I will take what I can get in today’s debate! Since we are being kind to each other, I recognise the point he makes about the significant uncertainty we face in this world today. That uncertainty always ex…”

“I am going to make a bit of progress, but I will give way soon, because Members have been very patient. I was coming on to the fact that we are not in the business of delivering regime change from the air, but we do need to de-escalate the conflict and we will play our part in doing that. Oil and gas prices remain belo…”

“The first thing I should say is that everything in this space matters a lot. It matters a lot to all of us because we are all aiming to have a retirement, it matters a lot that we have the certainty of planning for that, and we would all like to have as much life in retirement as possible. I am going to start on that, …”

“I do. I think that most measures that are trying to do what you are saying in the first will, over the long time period, track earnings quite closely. In my previous life I spent time looking at living wage rates and other metrics that are calculated on what people would see as acceptable baskets, trying to track relat…”