To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help support energy-intensive industries with rising energy costs

This answer fails to spell out what targeted help is offered to our struggling energy intensive businesses like steel, ceramics, glass, petrochemicals.Ā  The UK is far from competitive in these areas and becoming ever more reliant on imports.

 

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (75743):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help support energy-intensive industries with rising energy costs. (75743)

Tabled on: 01 November 2022

Answer:
Graham Stuart:

The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for its energy intensive industries (EIIs), providing them with extensive support, including over Ā£2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme was announced on 21 September 2022 to provide a discount on energy bills for all eligible non-domestic customers, including businesses, whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. The scheme will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.

The answer was submitted on 09 Nov 2022 at 17:02.

131 Comments

  1. LIFELOGIC
    November 12, 2022

    The government policy seems to be their net zero agenda. This export high energy industries and jobs increasing world CO2 out put while pretending it saves CO2. Rather like burning US wood at Drax.

    High energy industries are Chemicals, Electric Car and Battery Production (, Farming, Fishing, Concrete Production, Producing and installing wind farms and connections to them, manufacturing nuclear power plants, construction materials, shipping, transport… in fact most industries that actually do things and make things as opposed to pushing pieces or papers or digital documents around or suing each other.

    Perhaps why why “Britishvolt gigafactory: ‘Game changer’ car battery plant” is in such difficulties already unless our daft Government tips more money at them.

    1. Lifelogic
      November 12, 2022

      Ask the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy why various government web sites and other propaganda sites pretend (are deluded or lie) that walking and cycling produce no direct or indirect C02, that HS2 and public transport saves CO2, that EVs (emissions elsewhere cars) save CO2 (they increase it), that CO2 is some king of magic World Thermostat, that we have to lead the world in saving CO2 and others will follow, that burning wood at Drax makes any sense even in CO2 terms, that green tech and expensive unreliable energy creates net jobs (it kills and exports net jobs)… In short are they idiots or just liars?

      1. rose
        November 12, 2022

        LL, back under the Blair/Brown regime I made the mistake of thinking the department for emissions at Transport was to do with pollution. At that time diesel exhaust fumes were spewing out all over us from engines which were not modern and clean as they are now. There were huge numbers of diesel engines because the EU had ordained it thus. I couldn’t get anywhere with the Transport Department by letter so I rang them up one day and was told “emissions” didn’t mean pollution of any kind – not particulates or toxic fumes – but carbon dioxide. That was all that they were interested in. I find it as odd now as I did then.

        1. Hope
          November 12, 2022

          Hunt doing the rounds of doom a tough road ahead. No need because Sunak and he keep wasting our taxes by the billion! Where is the Ā£11.6 billion to give to other co7 tries to help climate scam coming from?

          Perhaps Sunak and Hunt should consider: Ā£11.8 billion wasted by Sunak on Furlough fraud, Ā£8.6 billion wasted on benefit fraud! Ā£34 billion wasted on NHS IT system, Ā£36 billion wasted on track and test, Ā£40 billion wasted on PPE contracts some given to mates. Johnson just gave another Ā£560,000 yearly bill to put his mates in the House of Lords, donkey sanctuary! EU still paid billions yearly! Ā£33 million to check goods for EU from GB to NI, our own country! Gave up fishing to EU another couple of billion. The list is endless.

          Hunt ought to know he presided over the utterly wasteful NHS when it wasted this money and failed to get better procurement! Hunt was an utter failure as health secretary, was not wanted by his MPs, not wanted by the membership so why is the chief remainer chancellor?

          1. Lifelogic
            November 12, 2022

            Exactly!

        2. Lifelogic
          November 12, 2022

          Indeed London was filthy 20 years back with all the Buses and Taxies spewing out black particulates, And yet they were it seems mainly concerned about odourless, harmless, CO2 plant, tree, seaweed and crop food! CO2 that greens the planet rather well and gives us all the O2 with need to live!

      2. Hope
        November 12, 2022

        JR, state aid and environment are level playing field with EU. Energy comes under environment. It is clear your party and govt are betraying Brexit. Making UK military come under EU control is beyond disgusting when we voted leave! Your govt has no mandate. The answer demonstrates your govt still actively moving jobs and industry to China when it claimed not to be so reliant on gods from hostile nations! Loki at their human rights, look at Hong Kong and why your govt invited them All here! Your party and govt are truly nuts. Just get out.

        Hunt ought to be pm UK could then be a province of EU and China! Nutters running the country.

        1. The Prangwizard
          November 12, 2022

          It’s traitors, not nutters.

        2. glen cullen
          November 12, 2022

          I believe your last sentence is being quietly considered

      3. Fedupsoutherner
        November 12, 2022

        +1

        1. Hope
          November 12, 2022

          Shirley,

          It is not just our military under EU control but it also means the country now under EU foreign policy!! We voted leave!

      4. ignoramus
        November 12, 2022

        You are quite right.

        CO2 is not a magic bullet.
        Methane is also a problem.
        Also simply stopping using coal will lead to less particulate matter in the arctic, which will lead to less heating. I’m not fully au fait with the science, but apparently coal is particularly bad on many levels, not just CO2.
        I could bang on about concrete and cows, plastic of course … but you are right about it being a complex issue.

        I think you can be a little negative sometimes, as substantial progress is being made on the environment.

        1. Lifelogic
          November 12, 2022

          “CO2 is not a magic bullet” – Well no, but quite magical/essential if you want trees, plants, food, seaweeds, people & animals. We actually live in a period of a relative dearth of CO2 currently.

        2. Mark
          November 12, 2022

          Methane is not a problem. Please see the paper Methane and Climate by Wijngaarden and Happer who prove this.

          Incidentally they have a new paper out the shows that N2O (by product of fertiliser use among other things) isn’t a problem either.

          1. ignoramus
            November 13, 2022

            Apologies, but I can’t find the paper.

            Everything I look up is telling me that methane is bad for the environment.

            I think you may be cherry-picking.

          2. ignoramus
            November 13, 2022

            According the the UN (first site I found and probably trustworthy), over a 20 year period it is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide.

          3. Mark
            November 13, 2022

            The paper can be found here

            https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Methane-and-Climate.pdf

            If you could not find it either you did not try, or your search engine is indulging in censorship. Wijngaarden’s name is sufficiently unusual to limit the number of search results effectively. On Duckduckgo, I get the paper as top link when searching on Wijngaarden Happer methane.

          4. ignoramus
            November 13, 2022

            The paper is by two people in Arlington Virginia.

            This looks like a U.S Republican climate-denial number.

            Can you find a more reputable source?

            Any internationally recognised body will do.

          5. ignoramus
            November 13, 2022

            Apologies, I will be specific. The body that supports the paper is based in Arlington Virginia.

          6. Mark
            November 13, 2022

            Instead of continuing to be ignoramus you could try reading the paper, bearing in mind Feynman’s famous description of the key to science:

            “In general, we look for a new law by the following process. First, we guess it, no, donā€™t laugh, thatā€™s really true. Then we compute the consequences of the guess, to see what, if this is right, if this law we guess is right, to see what it would imply and then we compare the computation results to nature, or we say compare to experiment or experience, compare it directly with observations to see if it works.

            If it disagrees with experiment, itā€™s wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesnā€™t make any difference how beautiful your guess is, it doesnā€™t matter how smart you are who made the guess, or what his name isā€¦ If it disagrees with experiment, itā€™s wrong. ”

            What the authors have done us to show that their calculations agree spectacularly well with real world observations in a variety of different circumstances. So it doesn’t matter who they are, or who provided a link to their work. If you find the paper tough to follow there is a video that explains it for the layman which may be permitted as a link. You are of course welcome to search the Internet for refutations of their work. I have yet to find any.

      5. Peter Wood
        November 12, 2022

        Quite, further, as an MP, has Sir John received or by chance seen, reliable evidence of anthropological caused climate change? Given the amount of money being spent to try to limit it, there must be convincing, highly respected work done that is circulated to MPs. I’m NOT talking about press office propaganda, but work signed by qualified, reputable, appropriate scientists.

      6. No Longer Anonymous
        November 12, 2022

        Can you not see the point, LL ?

        Gross mismanagement of our economy by both parties has now led us to Credit Crunch 2 and they are trying to make out that the reason we’re getting poorer is in order to save the planet, that it is a managed and intended policy and, therefore, for our own good.

        Elected politicians are part of the facade. They are a waste of money and are obsolete, nay, a danger to us.

        At least Labour are what they purport to be. The Tories lie about what their intentions are and deliver Leftism on steroids instead of their promises.

        The whole political system is to the 21st century what the mining industry was in the 20th and – for what it fails to deliver, ie democracy – needs cutting back to a fraction of its size.

        At least if we still had a mining industry there wouldn’t be spiritual, cultural and economic wastelands north of London and there would be a gigantic political hurdle in the way of trust funded, middle-class greenies.

        1. Hope
          November 12, 2022

          The Tory business policy is clearly to transfer jobs and industry abroad rigidly following and complying with EU regulations and laws. We voted leave! What part does Sunak not understand? The back stabber keeps true to form.

          1. No Longer Anonymous
            November 12, 2022

            Hope – in the guise of Greenism. For our own good.

            The Tories are now more dangerous to us than Scargill was in in the ’80s. They must go. And how dare any of them criticise any worker in the UK today.

      7. Lynn Atkinson
        November 12, 2022

        The government believe CO2 is very good for you. Their masking mandate ensured that people had plenty of CO2 to breath, not much oxygen, they said it was a lifesaver!

    2. Cuibono
      November 12, 2022

      +many
      Hasnā€™t Sunak just agreed to importing fracked US gas to U.K.?
      Made a deal at that COP thing he ā€œwasnā€™t going toā€!
      Actually greencr*papers use a lot of that bottled gas stuff ( Orf grid donā€™t cha know) and much (all?) of that has fracked origins!

      1. Hope
        November 12, 2022

        C,
        How come Sunak can announce an unfunded Ā£11.6 billion give away for climate scam last week is okay but a Ā£2 billion tax reduction for those who create wealth is Armageddon!

        Hunt banging on again about a rough road ahead! Why? Sunak and he keeps on showering the world with our taxes. Why keep some here forā€¦ tax cuts!

        Why has and do the Tory socialist think it is okay to shower our taxes on China! Etc ed

        1. Cuibono
          November 12, 2022

          +many
          John Kerry at the COP
          ā€œWe have an enormous challenge before us to bring to scale new technologies and to harness the deeply capable capacity of private sector entrepreneurs in order to bring them to the table because without it, no government has enough moneyā€¦ we need everybody behind thisā€œ
          They need moneyā€¦lots of it ā€¦for the Agenda. And will lie to get it.
          They want to destroy capitalism and the independent middle class.
          They want to create markets where no real demand ever existed.( eg for vaccines).
          And presumably they want and will demand our cooperation.
          Just as they did over the Plague! That went better than they dared dream in terms of compliance.

        2. Lifelogic
          November 12, 2022

          +1

    3. Peter
      November 12, 2022

      The big question is how can we get rid of this government and how quickly.

      All else is the minutiae. We know the government are set on a course and will not change unless they are forced off it.

      1. Timaction
        November 12, 2022

        Totally agree. The fake conservatives need to go. Their socialist green policies are bankrupting the Country whilst exporting our manufacturing to dirty producers elsewhere (China/India etc) to import it back. BMW are moving their electric vehicle manufacturing to China from the UK as a direct result of the Tory’s lack of cheap energy, ban on fracking, coal mining, north sea exploration, blowing up our coal power stations etc. Refusing to plan or build nuclear whilst relying on wind and solar that often don’t work. Interconnectors with EU Countries who won’t negotiate finance, fishing, or the Northern Ireland protocol. The EU has announced (Wednesday) that the UK is joining their military project without any announcement by the treacherous Tory’s. They not only have no mandate, they have the exact opposite. Just go, we cant afford you or your 5.6 million on benefits you refuse to tackle. 370,000 families with three generations who have NEVER worked. Ā£5 million a day for your illegals that you refuse to deal with or deport. 1 million immigration visas given out in a year, inviting 3 million from Hong Kong, 100’s of thousands from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, India etc. I wonder why there’s a 7 million backlog of NHS appointments in England or why we can’t find and NHS Dentists, school places and have a so called housing crisis. Answers on a postcard. The Tory’s have failed at everything. Reform must get in or we’re literally doomed.

        1. Original Richard
          November 12, 2022

          Timaction :

          I agree with you completely.

          But I think our Parliament, civil service, MSM, judiciary, educational establishment, all institutions, quangos, police and even the military are now so corrupted that a new party, such as Reform, would find it impossible to govern.

          Weā€™ve already seen this happen elsewhere and perhaps this is why the CP cannot govern in the interests of their voters or the country despite an 80 seat majority?

          Uncontrolled borders destroying social cohesion, overloading housing, healthcare, all institutions and infrastructure together with Net Zero destroying our access to affordable and reliable energy will crush the country and the current town flight will become country flight.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 12, 2022

            Yes. The solution is no longer political because politics has been surrendered by the political class.

        2. Fedupsoutherner
          November 12, 2022

          Timeaction. Your post for me is post of the week. I’m just watching the Service of Remembrance on BBC. I’ve just seen a clip of the dead men in 3 Para being laid out on Mount Longdon. One of them could have been my brother. Then I look at our snivelling members of parliament who are all working against us to deliver something none of us voted for and it makes me sick. They have no idea how insulting their presence is to many of us. They don’t deserve our armed forces. They don’t deserve the vast majority of hard working, proud Brits.

      2. Bill B.
        November 12, 2022

        Vote for the Reform UK candidate. It’s the only language the Tories understand.

        1. Fedupsoutherner
          November 12, 2022

          Bill. I certainly am going to.

    4. Nottingham Lad Himself
      November 13, 2022

      People with good jobs in manufacturing tend not to vote Tory. They vote for those parties that will protect their jobs, pay, and conditions.

      This is particularly so in high value jobs where specialist knowledge is required.

      Sir John’s party would – if they could – render such voters extinct, and they’ve had a damned good crack at it since 1979.

      1. Peter2
        November 13, 2022

        Yeah ignore the very people who vote for you NHL.
        Strange how Labour spends the majority of it’s time in opposition.

  2. Javelin
    November 12, 2022

    The reason we are seeing financial problems is that European wealth is disappearing to China. The uncompetitive nature of the EU is the sole cause of this. European wealth has shrunk from 30% to 22% of the worlds wealth.

    ā€œFrom a regional standpoint, wealth is equally split three ways, between North America, Asia, and everywhere else. In just one decade, Europeā€™s share of household wealth dropped by eight percentage points, which is due, in part, to the economic momentum of China. A decade ago, Chinaā€™s citizens were estimated to hold just 9% of the worldā€™s wealth. That figure has now more than doubled, while median wealth in the country has skyrocketed from $3,111 to $26,752 between 2000 and 2021.ā€ – Nick Routely.

    1. Javelin
      November 12, 2022

      This figure is very shocking. In 8 more years European wealth will have shrunk by half as a percentage of world wealth.

      The EU is now in a position where they either rapidly return to capitalist / right wing Governments in the next political cycle or they become impoverished.

      1. R.Grange
        November 12, 2022

        I see Sweden has cheerfully announced that its energy requirements mean it cannot comply with green ideology and it will increase its CO2 ’emissions’ by 10%. As with the Covid business, Sweden shows the way, thinking for itself what best to do, and of course it’s not the way our government is following. But then we have to remember Sweden has a right-wing government in charge, whereas we in this country don’t.

        1. Wanderer
          November 12, 2022

          RG. That sounds marvellous, a government that is trying to look after its own population rather than blindly following a globalist agenda.

          1. Hope
            November 12, 2022

            This is about UK keeping in lockstep with EU carbon emissions, nothing about what is good for our country. This is an EU Brexit reversal by the dishonest Tory party and govt right before our eyes!

          2. Lifelogic
            November 12, 2022

            But Sweden are in the EU & so cannot do much about immigration and the appalling crime wave they have. The UK could take action but our fake Tory government chooses not to and spends Ā£150 a night on hotels for each of them. Doubtless their extended families will follow on shortly.

            In the UK we have vastly high taxes that are still going up combined with generally dire and still declining public services plus the mad ware on plant and tree food too.

          3. R.Grange
            November 12, 2022

            Doesn’t it just, Wanderer. And the outcome is that, of all the countries analysed by the OECD, Sweden has experienced the lowest cumulative excess mortality percentage 2020-June 2022. Our figure was nearly four times theirs. No lockdown, lowest excess mortality during a pandemic. There must be a lesson to be learnt there somewhere.

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          November 12, 2022

          The Swedish government is afraid of its huge immigrant population who are armed.

      2. Ian Wragg
        November 12, 2022

        With this net zero nonesense European wealth will continue to reduce, this is the plan.
        The Business Extinction and Import Substitution department is actively offshoring industry to achieve net zero.
        When we have no industry to manufacture armaments then the third world will walk all over us.

      3. Sharon
        November 12, 2022

        The wealthy are getting richer, the poor are getting poorerā€¦ this relates to individuals; but bizarrely the opposite is true of countries/blocs.

        The first world countries look set to switch places with the third world countries. Sad thing is; with the first world countries itā€™s self inflicted. Why?

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 12, 2022

          The poorer customers will always look for cheap, not reliable and quality – plays into the stranglehold China has been developing for years, free capitalism running riot plus stealing intellectual copyright.
          The green agenda while cutting Europe’s legs off at the knees almost ignore’s China’s mining, gas, coal burning industrial revolution.

      4. Mark
        November 12, 2022

        it will be even more evident when the tide goes out on bubble property values.

      5. NBill Brown
        November 14, 2022

        Javelin

        So right wing government in Europe means return to capitalism?
        If this is your answer what a load of nonsense.
        There is no right wing government in Switzerland for example

        1. Peter2
          November 14, 2022

          You seem a bit annoyed eubill.
          Was it because Javelin pointed out how in the EU wealth has fallen back against other nations.

    2. Donna
      November 12, 2022

      Yes, the lunatics in Government have (and are) exporting wealth-producing industries and are importing wealth-destroying 3rd world migrants.

      All part of the UN’s levelling-down Agenda 2030 programme.

      1. Original Richard
        November 12, 2022

        Donna :

        Correct.

        The Industrial Revolution has now been available to all countries in the world for the last 100 to 200 years.

        So there should be no such entity as an underdeveloped or developing nation, only failed states, whose failure is wholly down to the innate characteristics and cultures of its inhabitants.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 12, 2022

          Yep, sophisticated, peaceful, prosperous Rhodesia as opposed to Zimbabwe whose base rate is currently 200%. All the gifts thrown back in our face with demands for ā€˜reperationsā€™.

  3. Cuibono
    November 12, 2022

    This is all somewhat like those Corn Laws that caused so much trouble!
    Rigging the market in favour of greencr*pā€¦.
    Except that at least we DID grow corn albeit uber expensive.
    We donā€™t actually make any viable alternatives to coal, gas and oil.
    Shows how much universal suffrage has helpedā€¦not.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 12, 2022

      Donā€™t worry! Iā€™m sure Russia will supply us with Uranium for nuclear plants – or maybe not ā€¦.

  4. Cuibono
    November 12, 2022

    And ā€œstepsā€ were there none!
    Is even JRā€™s patience running out yet?

  5. Mark B
    November 12, 2022

    Good morning – yet again šŸ™‚

    The reason why energy prices are so high is because we failed to plan a head. Using nuclear as a base load and gas and coal as both back up and top up during peak demands would make more sense. But construction of nuclear takes at least a decade and requires cross party support for such projects. Governments of the past have failed to realise this and therefore only plan for the short term and for immediate political gain / virtue signalling, hence why we have gone down the so called renewables dead end.

    We need grown up politicians who can think both out of the box and long term, and not rely on others bith at home and abroad (inter-connectors) to solve their immediate problems.

    1. Shirley M
      November 12, 2022

      Absolutely, Mark B. A complete lack of foresight by successive governments and inability to plan ahead to secure the UK’s future energy needs. Net zero, and lack of any energy at all, appears to be acceptable and possibly even the target for this government. No cheap reliable energy = no businesses = no jobs = no taxes! What could possible go wrong?

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        November 12, 2022

        Shirley. No meat, no dairy, no slurry but factories breeding insects. What could possibly go wrong?

    2. turboterrier
      November 12, 2022

      Mark B
      As has been said many times on this site. All bought about by incompetence, driven by ignorance and reinforced by arrogance by our so called politicians most who are totally lost in the zone of trying to operate outside and above the level of their competence. Too arrogant to admit they have got it totally wrong.
      This is what we have to live and suffer with.

      1. Timaction
        November 12, 2022

        Brilliant comment.

    3. Donna
      November 12, 2022

      Oh, they did plan ahead. But their plan isn’t the one you want.

      They planned to make us energy interdependent. They planned to export high-energy intensive industries. And they planned to destroy our coal/gas/oil energy security.

      Their plan is going just the way they intended.

      Energy supply is being used to deliver the UN’s Agenda 2030.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        November 12, 2022

        Just as food and water can be too.

      2. turboterrier
        November 12, 2022

        Donna
        Great Post. It is what it is and always was, about control. These faceless people are accountable to no one.

      3. Christine Green
        November 12, 2022

        It is!
        A ridiculous agenda since so few countries have signed up to it. Set to fail & cause untold damage to the most civilised countries around the world. Wake up people – weā€™re walking towards a cliff edge!

    4. Ian Wragg
      November 12, 2022

      And it’s going to get worse. Existing nuclear plants are die to be shutdown. Hinckley may not work and building another of the same at Sizewell will probably bankrupt EDF.

    5. Original Richard
      November 12, 2022

      Mark B :

      The lack of nuclear energy, the only low carbon energy which is affordable and reliable, is in itself proof that CAGW caused by CO2 is a scam.

      The real reason for Net Zero is to destroy the West and bring poverty and this compliance.

      1. Lifelogic
        November 12, 2022

        +1

  6. Cuibono
    November 12, 2022

    Industry was about material improvement.
    War was about liberty.
    Two centuries of elite-driven toil and slaughter in appalling conditionsā€¦
    Screwed up and chucked away by a few mad men.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      November 12, 2022

      Cuibono. A very poignant post.

    2. Sharon
      November 12, 2022

      Cuibono
      Hear, hear!

    3. Lynn Atkinson
      November 12, 2022

      +1

  7. Lifelogic
    November 12, 2022

    Charles Moore today:- The migrant crisis is an invasion ā€“ and neither party has shown the will to end it
    It would be difficult for anyone who believes in laws and borders not to resent these illegal Channel crossings

    He is surely right. Is there anything that this twelve years of Tory government have got right apart from Boris keeping Corbyn out? the energy policy, immigration, the damaging lockdown, the currency printing and ster,ing debasement, the economy, HS2, Test and Trace, Education (and all the worthless degrees and student debt), the appalling NHS that fail millions of patients and NHS workers too, the size of the state, tax levels and complexity, over regulation, law and orderā€¦ alas the only realistic alternative of Labour/SNP is even worse.

    Still good to know that ā€œMet terror chief wears ‘hot flush vest’ to understand the menopause: Yard boss who tried to feel ‘authentic symptoms’ at work is accused of woke stuntā€ that really should deter the crime and terrorism!

    1. Nigl
      November 12, 2022

      Nothing to do with the subject yet again. Your usual list plus no solutions. I guess easier to churn this out daily than actually doing something that will make a difference.

      1. Lifelogic
        November 12, 2022

        There are plenty of solutions, but this fake the face Consocialst Party MPs do not want to take them and the only realistic Lab/SNP alternative is even worse still. Cancel HS2, scrap Net ZERO, kill he worthless degrees, get real competition to the NHS and health care, deter crime and illegal migration, stop blocking the roads, stop subsidising EVs…

        I missed off the Vaccination Programme which the Tories champion endlessly as one of the Boris/NHS great successes. Figures alas suggest this too did far more harm than good especially for younger people under about 65. When it all comes out it is I suspect highly likely that far more quality years or life were lost than had we never had any Covid vaccines. Vaccines even coerced on the nation (and even children) by government “experts” and many pliant dopes on MSM who are often deleting their tweets. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown even wanted to force the un-vaxed to wear badges.

      2. Lifelogic
        November 12, 2022

        In short, the solution is far less government – lower taxes, deregulation, cheap reliable energy, scrap net zero, release business to do business &get out of the way.

    2. beresford
      November 12, 2022

      Reported that the EU have passed a motion condemning use of the terminology ‘Great Replacement’ in the media. It seems that demographic change due to immigration is an invention of ‘far-right racists’.

      1. Diane
        November 12, 2022

        Just seen ( MyLondon) that thousands of Albanians were / are out on the street today in central London, flags flying (attended by many police) & protesting about Suella’s stance and more terminology. Nice day today so let’s see by tomorrow how many more were assisted across the Channel. Needles ready. Thousands passing through Manston are now to be vaccinated against diptheria, as cases rise. (Sky)

        1. Mark
          November 12, 2022

          Clearly the opportunity was missed to identify who among them is here illegally and thus could be shortlisted for deportation. I did read that there had been a few successful deportations of Albanians, mainly with criminal records, recently. Congratulations to Suella on not being completely thwarted, but there is a long way to go.

    3. Original Richard
      November 12, 2022

      LL : “Still good to know that ā€œMet terror chief wears ā€˜hot flush vestā€™ to understand the menopause: Yard boss who tried to feel ā€˜authentic symptomsā€™ at work is accused of woke stuntā€ that really should deter the crime and terrorism!”

      This is communism.

    4. Lynn Atkinson
      November 12, 2022

      Corbyn is a genuine Brexiteer. Boris ā€¦ā€¦

  8. Christine
    November 12, 2022

    Yesterday in Brussels, the EU Commission was jubilant.

    ā€œI am happy to announce that the United Kingdom will join us on a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project on military mobility.ā€

    Is this true Sir John? If yes, then it is another betrayal of Brexit. How far your party has sunk in going against the wishes of the British people.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      November 12, 2022

      The announcement comes just a few days after the MoD announced its disposal plan for its youngish fleet of C-130Js.

    2. Sharon
      November 12, 2022

      Well, JR did suggest on 31 October that the remainers in parliament were going to have a push at reversing policy with regards to Brexit. Seems to be happening!

    3. Donna
      November 12, 2022

      If you consider the Government’s abject “failures” to maintain independent energy security; food security; border security over the past 25 years as part of a long-term plan to deliver Globalist Government, it all becomes clear.

      The next target for Global Government is the WHO which is using the Covid Pandemic to seize control of global public health policy. And that, too, has been planned for a very long time.

      They haven’t failed. They are doing what they intended to do. National democracies are being hollowed out and made irrelevant. You can vote, but whichever Government is elected will only be allowed to pursue policies which are in accordance with the Globalist Agenda being pushed by the UN and WEF.

      1. Original Richard
        November 12, 2022

        Donna :

        Absolutely correct.

        As they say, if voting made any difference they wouldn’t allow it.

    4. BOF
      November 12, 2022

      +1 Christine. This is the ultimate betrayal, hannding over control of our armed forces to a foreign power.

    5. Donna
      November 12, 2022

      In Europe, only the French have a reasonable military; the rest are useless (although the Poles are historically reliable allies of the UK). Basically, the UK has been signed up to take a subordinate role as well as being the only other major provider of military security in Europe.

      Utterly disgraceful move by the Remainer Establishment.

    6. Diane
      November 12, 2022

      Christine: Jubilant …. How much is that going to cost us then. Facts4eu 11/Nov article ( which you have maybe seen already since I gather there was little mentioned elsewhere ) summarises the “conditions” for third party participation – taken from the EU Council Legislative Decision dated 20/10/20

    7. NBill Brown
      November 14, 2022

      We are in NATO already

      1. Peter2
        November 14, 2022

        Indeed billy well spotted.
        So what is the point of this additional body.

  9. Brian Tomkinson
    November 12, 2022

    It won’t have escaped your notice that yet again you have not been given a detailed answer to your pertinent question but the normal litany of platitudes. This government and Parliament is worthless. Time for a new right of centre party. What few principled MPs remain should abandon this moribund Consevative party which will be annihilated at the next election (if we are allowed to have one).

    1. Dave Andrews
      November 12, 2022

      What needs to happen is for the local Conservative Associations to select their chosen parliamentary candidate, rather than Conservative Campaign Headquarters who must be the cause of the inept Conservative MPs.
      I can’t believe the local party is stuffed full of PPE graduates.

      1. Magelec
        November 12, 2022

        Iā€™ve written this many times. Keep CCHQ out of the selection process.

      2. BOF
        November 12, 2022

        Exactly DA.

      3. Lynn Atkinson
        November 12, 2022

        Wonderful to hear you own words come back to you. I have been banging on about this for a decade. Until the people choose who sits in Parliament, itā€™s not a democracy. Heath again. He introduced the party list.

    2. forthurst
      November 12, 2022

      Yes, launch yet another party to replace the Tory Party and the other parties which were created for that purpose which dim-witted Tories refused to support because they believed that would let Labour in. The Tory party is owned by its backers who naturally support the globalist agenda which it espouses. Move against their agenda and the money dries up. Only a change in the electoral system from FPTP would change the choice of bad or worse.

  10. Berkshire Alan
    November 12, 2022

    Thanks for trying JR, but I am afraid we are being governed by people that are fools, and who think all of these non answers will be believed.
    Do they actually believe themselves the answers they are being given by their so called advisors.
    No wonder we are in a perilous state economically and financially, no wonder Politicians are now being regarded as bullies, probably borne out of frustration at getting non answers to almost everything.
    What is the point of employing so many snowflakes who appear useless at their jobs.
    Time for a huge clear out methinks !

    1. IanT
      November 12, 2022

      No, we are being governed by people who think we are fools – and they may have a point

      1. MWB
        November 12, 2022

        Correct. The ENGLISH electorate are fools, the most stupid in the world to keep on voting for Lib/Lab/Con. Those in Scotalnd might have a chance if they vote for independence.

        1. Berkshire Alan
          November 12, 2022

          MWB

          I Agree, but what is the alternative at the moment, it certainly is not the Greens, and there is no other Party even trying given the electoral system we have.
          I vote for my constituency representative, and at the moment that is JR, and I am more than happy with that, the problem is the baggage he is surrounded by in the form of other members of his party.

        2. IanT
          November 12, 2022

          And the SNP have been effective in actually governing Scotland have they MWB?

          They can’t even get a ferry built, let alone run a standalone economy. I can understand the Scots not likeing what they see in Westminster but can’t for the life of me see why they think Nicola and Co might be any better.

        3. Mark
          November 12, 2022

          I don’t see any sign of competence in the SNP. In fact, quite the reverse, with everything they touch turning to disaster.

        4. Mickey Taking
          November 13, 2022

          not if they keep electing the bitter and twisted people who front SNP.

    2. turboterrier
      November 12, 2022

      Berkshire Alan
      Time for a huge clear out methinks !

      That time has been coming for decades and we are still waiting.

  11. , George Brooks.
    November 12, 2022

    Three disgusting answers and the man clearly does not have the interests of this country at heart. Another MP going through the male menopause and exercising very poor judgement.

    1. Mark
      November 12, 2022

      I gather he is to represent us at the football. Perhaps best left in Qatar to ponder on why LNG has made them rich.

  12. rose
    November 12, 2022

    Have things changed discernibly in that Department since the departureof Mr Rees Mogg? If so, is it because it is being run by the civil servants?

    The malicious gossip about Mr Raab reminds one of those anonymous attacks on him at the Foreign Office, on Boris at the FO, on Mrs Patel from the FO, and on Mrs Braverman and Mrs Patel at the Home Office. It didn’t happen to Mrs May in six long years at the HO, presumably because she did as she was told.

    1. rose
      November 12, 2022

      I remember a Home Affairs Select Committee hearing in which a female Home Office official told the Committee that open borders were “easier to manage”. Easier for them, not the rest of us.

      1. Mickey Taking
        November 13, 2022

        open borders means no management surely?

  13. Bloke
    November 12, 2022

    Helping energy-intensive industries with rising energy costs would involve REDUCING energy costs.
    Borrowing to loan the increased cost does not reduce those costs but accepts the increase and forces us end-using customers to pay it plus interest in a following tax bill.
    A more efficient new source would reduce costs. Idleness on that increases.

  14. William Long
    November 12, 2022

    These three answers make it very clear that this Government is not bothering to do its job and it is very difficult to see how anyone, particularly someone with Conservative views and priinciples, can have any confidence in it.

  15. Bert Young
    November 12, 2022

    Glib answers to precise questions simply indicate a lack of control ; “passing the buck” is another whim . The Government must show it is capable of managing all aspects of industry and the economy in a positive-decisive way . If any sort of management falls short of this they must be sacked and replaced by someone else who can do the job effectively . Words do not replace deeds .

  16. Donna
    November 12, 2022

    “A solar energy company has gone into administration after racking up more than half a billion pounds in debt to a local authority in Essex. Toucan Energy Holdings 1 Ltd., which owns 53 solar farms across the country and was run by the financier Liam Kavanagh, had borrowed Ā£655 million ($773 million) over four years from Thurrock Council to fuel its expansion.”

    https://dailysceptic.org/2022/11/12/solar-energy-firm-collapses-owing-655-million-to-british-taxpayers/

    Perhaps Sir John could ask Graham Stuart (Minister) about this example of “cheap, reliable, renewable energy.” Don’t forget, this Company will have already been heavily subsidised by British consumers through the “green energy levies”; the borrowed money would be in addition.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      November 12, 2022

      Makes one wonder if Whitehall should be placing councils under tighter supervision.

    2. Mark
      November 12, 2022

      It would be relevant to ask why a generating company should go bankrupt at a time of sky high prices for its output. I suspect that it will have been persuaded to sell forward hedges at relatively low prices that come with a requirement to post mark to market collateral. It would be the vast sums in collateral that it was not able to finance that would sink it. The other side of the coin would be that the purchaser of the hedges would be laughing all the way to the bank. It is however an illustration of the difficulties of trying to assess a basis for windfall taxes on renewables: the real profits are likely to be made elsewhere in the financial chain.

  17. BOF
    November 12, 2022

    ‘The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for its energy intensive industries (EIIs), providing them with extensive support’……….

    Codswallup! Not this government, nor the last, nor the one before that (I lose track!) ever showed the slightest interest in supporting those industries. Instead they have bowed before the great god of green ideology. Now they have no idea why it does not work.

    When every available spare patch of land is covered with wind turbines and solar panels (made in China), it will still not work because it is intermittent. By then, expect to see young Brits heading for rich countries to earn money to send home to their impoverished families while the abundant resources under the sea and in the ground lie untouched.

  18. paul
    November 12, 2022

    I think you are writing to the wrong person on this matter, you should try the king, founder of the WEF and meets with PM most of the time every month or some times more and has direct contact with departments on these matters.

  19. agricola
    November 12, 2022

    Reply from Graham Stuart that can’t be published.
    Bugger all mate, why dig a hole in Whitehaven when you can ship the dirty stuff from almost anywhere else in the World. The only reason we subject our businesses to Global gas prices is so we can pay out subsidies and look good and claim to be pro business. Not using our own gas and oil gives the eco mob less to protest about.
    We do the same to pensioners. Keep the pension below subsistence level but give out a myriad of benefits to make government look good. It is just make work for civil servants. Pay OAPs at German levels and let the ones with decent levels of private pension run into the lower tax brackets sooner. Close all those DHSS offices and cut the size of the civil service. Do everything possible to end the dependency culture here in the UK.

    1. Berkshire Alan
      November 12, 2022

      Agricola

      Agreed, cut all the complicated crap, subsidies, and a plethora of means tested benefits, raise the State Pensions to a sensible level, and reduce the overheads of a money go round system of taking with one hand to give away with the other, often to the same people,

  20. forthurst
    November 12, 2022

    What is point of arguing about the effects of high energy prices when they are a product of the Climate Change Act and the US government’s war against Russia? Repeal the Climate Change Act and remove us from NATO so that we can formulate economic policies in our own interests not those of the UN and US global agendas.

  21. Ed
    November 12, 2022

    I am heartened to read the comments here. Anyone who has more than two brain cells to rub together knows that there is a catastrophe coming down the tracks.
    What is Sunak doing…wasting OUR money on pointless green virtue signalling and allegedly sending winter clothes to the Ukraine!!
    To say these people are taking the Mickey (insert own word to replace ‘mickey’) is the understatement of the decade.

    1. Hope
      November 12, 2022

      ++++1

    2. Mark
      November 12, 2022

      I see we are finally taking the M.Mickie Harper LNG into Milford Haven after it has spent about 6 weeks in the Bristol Channel, having left the US on 19th September. Floating LNG storage levels are now depleting quite fast.

  22. XY
    November 12, 2022

    So you’ll be asking the question again then?

    You need to start standing up in the House and giving these ministers absolute hell. NO more Mr Nice Guy – lay into them, show the country that some people in your party actually call out skulduggery, even if it’s in their own party.

    Although, your party is really a separate group of people on the right who are only tolerated in the Conservative Party to avoid splitting their vote. Please see them for what they are – Liberal/socialist infiltrators, “your party” is no longer yours, it’s theirs.

    Reform UK with Farage seems the only hope.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      November 12, 2022

      Reform and Farage would be a dream come true. Someone who is a true patriate.

  23. Your comment is awaiting moderation
    November 12, 2022

    @JR
    “The UK is far from competitive in these areas and becoming ever more reliant on imports.”
    Welcome to Agenda 2030 The Great Reset.

  24. Original Richard
    November 12, 2022

    Off Topic :

    Sir John, Would you please ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital patients do not have an NHS number.

  25. Barbara
    November 12, 2022

    Government seems now *not* to see its role any more as the traditional one, that of defending the country and making it more prosperous.

    It has abandoned that in favour of enthusiastically punishing its people for imaginary wrongdoing.

Comments are closed.