48 meters ago Truss to face Starmer at PMQs for the first time 1 hour ago Rebates, rather than a price cap, would be a better and cheaper way to tackle the energy bill crisis, says Tony Blair’s thinktank 2 hours ago Fracking is not a solution to the energy crisis, says the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change 2 hours ago BoE governor says open to Truss plan to review mandate but rejects suggestions current system isn’t working 2 hours ago BoE governor sidesteps questions at Treasury committee on whether energy bill package could be inflationary 2 hours ago New cabinet ‘represents depth and breadth of talent’ in Tory party, No 10 says 3 hours ago Freezing energy bills helps wealthier people more, says IFS director Paul Johnson 3 hours ago 1m more people face poverty this winter, even with frozen energy bills, Tory thinktank says 3 hours ago Health and social care spending will remain ‘exactly the same’ despite scrapping health and social care levy, Coffey says 4 hours ago Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey denies claims Truss put loyalty over authority when appointing new cabinet
BETA filters Key Facts (10) Liz Truss (40) Keir Starmer (8) Andrew Bailey (5) Thérèse Coffey (4) Truss says he is committed to following the early years agenda championed by Dame Andrea Leadsom. Updated at 12.40pm BST Helen Hayes (Lab) asks if the Government will publish an action plan for vulnerable children before the end of the year – yes or no? Yes, says Truss. Sir Jeremy Wright (Con) is calling for an assurance that the internet safety bill will return to the Commons. Truss says she will be back, but there are some issues she wants to address. Some “tweaking” may be required, he says, to ensure it protects free speech. Rachel Hopkins (Lab) asks why people should trust Truss to deliver the NHS when he was in government while the problems have been created. Truss accuses Hopkins of “misunderstood” the NHS. The NHS is recovering from the problems caused by Covid, he says. Shailesh Vara (Con), who was sacked as Northern Ireland Secretary last night, is calling on Truss to commit to going ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill if the EU does not compromise. Truss says she wants a negotiated solution. But he won’t let that get to him. Its priority is to protect the primacy of the Good Friday Agreement. Tony Lloyd (Lab) says child poverty has increased. Can Truss promise that no child will have to sleep in a cold, damp house? Truss says this is why the government wants to make sure people can pay their energy bills and why it wants to tackle long-term supply issues. Updated at 12.38 BST Dame Caroline Dinenage (Con) asks if the Government will pursue a childhood cancer strategy. Truss says the government will move forward with a strategy for this. Helen Morgan (Lib Dem) says waiting times for an ambulance have become normal. But we had three health secretaries in three months. Will the Prime Minister ask the CQC to investigate what is causing the problem? Truss says people shouldn’t wait that long. The new health secretary is working on it, he says. Nicholas Fletcher (Con) asks Truss if she will keep Doncaster-Sheffield Airport open. Truss says regional airports are vital. The transport secretary will look into this, he says. Alex Davies-Jones (Lab) says Truss does not have public support. Will he do the decent thing and call an election? Truss says we are in serious trouble because of Putin’s war. The British people want a government that will solve this. This will do. Updated at 12.39 BST Keiran Mullan (Con) says Truss must show its commitment to leveling up by hosting Great British Railways in Crewe, his constituency. Truss says she will focus on raising the bar. But he cannot commit to Great British Railways. Martyn Day (SNP) asks what Truss will do to protect energy-intensive industries. Truss agrees that the government should help these industries. The energy minister is looking into that, he says. Victoria Atkins (Con) asks about the 1.5 million households that depend on heating oil. They are not included in the price cap. They will be included in the energy package. Truss says many of her constituents also rely on heating oil. He wants to make sure the energy plan helps everyone. Hannah Bardell (SNP) asks why her constituents should believe she can suffer the “ongoing humanitarian crisis” caused by the energy crisis. And will Truss be as “corrupt” as her predecessor? Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, asks Bardell to withdraw the word corrupt. Bardell says: “Sometimes the truth hurts, but I’m happy to retire.” Updated at 12.26 BST Sir Peter Bottomley (Con), the father of the house, questions why the planning inspection can overturn the council’s decisions to protect the green belt. Truss says there is not enough power in local hands. He says he wants the housing secretary to stop the planning inspectorate having too many powers to overrule councils. Rushanara Ali (Lab) cites a string of public service failures. Truss served in the governments that caused this mess. Why should people trust her to solve them? Truss says she will fix the problems. There is an energy issue, caused by the war in Ukraine, and he will deal with it. It will also deal with the economy and the NHS. Theresa May, the former Tory prime minister, asks Truss why he thinks all three female prime ministers were conservative. Truss says that’s a fantastic question. He can’t wait to call May for advice. He says it is unusual that Labor cannot find a female leader or even a leader who is not from north London. Updated at 12.27 BST
