MPs debate carbon taxes and energy-intensive industries
11 September 2014
On Thursday 11 September MPs took part in a debate in the House of Commons Chamber on carbon taxes and energy-intensive industries. This debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee.
The Members in charge for this debate were Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North, and Ian Swales Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar.
Watch the debate and read the transcript
The debate was opened by Alex Cunningham. Shadow Treasury Minister, Catherine McKinnell, responded on behalf of the Opposition. The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Priti Patel, responded to the debate for the Government.
- Watch Parliament TV: MPs debate carbon taxes and energy-intensive industries Thursday 11 September 2014
- Read Commons Hansard: MPs debate carbon taxes and energy-intensive industries Thursday 11 September 2014
Motion for debate
MPs will debate the following motion:
"That this House welcomes the measures announced in the 2014 Budget Statement which reduce cost pressures created by the imposition of carbon taxes and levies; notes that without such measures, there is a serious risk of carbon leakage; further notes, however, that UK manufacturing still pays four times as much for carbon compared with main EU competitors because of taxes such as the carbon floor price; and calls on the Government to build on the measures announced in the Budget by producing a strategy for energy-intensive industries, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee in its Sixth Report of Session 2012–13, HC 669, in order to produce a fairer and more efficient system which delivers genuine potential for investment in a low-carbon economy."
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3pm to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.
An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.
The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.