Greg Hands, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Clean Development, tried to convince the Canterbury public that a 200 200 discount on the cost-of-living crisis was not just a loan. Families are struggling to make ends meet after raising their energy ceiling late last week, with many choosing between home heating or food. The Tory MP was questioned on the BBC about what the Boris Johnson government did to help people through the difficult period. He cited a 9 9bn package unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last February, where a one-time ransom of 200 200 and a tax deduction would help offset the 700 700 a year increase in the average household’s energy bills. He told Hands that the 200 200 discount was not just a loan. He said: “The Minister of Finance launched a very important package in February, just two months ago, to tackle the increase in bills, not to tackle it in full, but in fact 9 9 billion aside, a £ 200 discount on energy bills. 150 150 tax deduction, extra funds to make sure the most vulnerable are able … to help pay for their energy. Presenter Fiona Bruce jumped in and said: “200 200’s a loan of course?” The hands answered: “It is not a loan, it is a discount that you have to repay in the form of a contribution”. Bruce asked again, “But you have to repay it, does that sound like a loan?” He replied: “No, the person gets back to where he is required to be”. Laughing and shouting from the audience, Bruce said, “You all shout, what do you all shout?” They shouted at them: “It’s a loan.” Hands added: “It is taken back through a contribution, it is not a loan because it does not oblige the individual to repay, it is in fact a contribution to the price.” You can watch the awkward exchange here. “It is in the price, not in the individual. The individual has no obligation to repay.” Asked if people should not repay it if they did not want to, he replied with the audience laughing: “No, I’m not saying that.” Labor MP and Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry interrupted: “So if you do not heat, if you do not have heating afterwards, then you do not return it.” “It’s not an obligation,” Hunts said. “These are important things that have been announced to help people with the bills. But this is different from the long-term strategy we started today with renewables, nuclear power and ensuring that we do not increase oil and gas imports.” . Scotland has received an additional 0 290 million from the UK government to help people with energy bills. The cash was in addition to the £ 200 reduction in energy bills for customers in Scotland, England and Wales in October. To subscribe to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here. Stay up to date with all the latest stories from Peter Davidson. As Editor of Live Politics on the Daily Record, he covers politics in Holyrood, Westminster and local councils. Follow him if you want to be informed about what is happening in the political world. To follow Peter, click here.
