Richmond Park News: 24 September 2021

OPPOSING NEXT WEEK'S UNIVERSAL CREDIT CUT

The Government should be supporting lower-income families as furlough comes to an end and food and fuel prices rise. Instead it has decided to withdraw the Universal Credit uplift of £20 per week next week. This will do untold damage to thousands of families in Richmond Park. With almost half of those receiving Universal Credit already in work and many having young families, this cut will tip more working people and children into poverty.

Between the scrapping of the uplift, the increase in National Insurance, rising food prices due to HGV driver shortages and now the energy prices crisis, we are on the verge of national catastrophe. The Government must stop taking valuable protective measures away from those who most need them.

To see my short video on this, please click here.

I also wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging him to maintain the uplift. You can read that here.

PAC ON GREEN HOMES

I used this week’s Public Accounts Committee hearing to ask the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the failed Green Homes Grant, which would have cut energy bills and reduced fuel poverty for families in my constituency.

Just £94.1 million of the allocated £1.5 billion was spent before the Green Homes Grant was scrapped. This was a huge missed opportunity and one that I fear will wreak havoc on those at risk of fuel poverty. It’s also a missed opportunity to make important progress on our Net Zero targets.

You can see my question about this in the Public Accounts Committee hearing here.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON DECARBONISING AVIATION

On Tuesday I was pleased to take part in a debate hosted by Fleur Anderson (Member of Parliament for Putney) in Westminster Hall on decarbonising aviation.

Heathrow Airport is the single largest polluter in the UK. Its emissions account for over half of all UK aviation emissions. A third runway would increase this considerably, so I was keen to use the opportunity to argue against Heathrow expansion.