THE TREASURY has dodged questions over the reduction in VAT on energy bills when challenged by the SNP.
David Linden, SNP MP for Glasgow East, asked it it would be possible reduce the tax paid on energy bills to lower costs while people spend almost all day at home.
Last week the MP introduced a petition by his constituents on the issue, arguing that 25 per cent of Glaswegians live in fuel poverty and the pandemic has exacerbated the situation.
Today he again asked the Treasury if it would be possible to reduce the tax, however Steve Barclay, economic secretary to the Treasury dodged his questions.
Mr Linden said: " In asking the public to take stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives there must be an understanding that in doing so, consumers are running up higher electricity and gas bills.
"So would the minister understand that 2.1 million people are behind in their energy bills at the moment, and one way to help them would be to reduce VAT temporarily on home energy bills?"
Mr Barclay responded that Mr Linden had made a "fair point... that there are household costs" associated with staying at home.
He added: "That is why the Chancellor, through the package of measures, has supported incomes of the poorest. The distribution analysis from the Treasury shows that it is the poorest working households that have benefited the most from the measures introduced.
"The best way of supporting those families is through schemes that the UK, through its broad shoulders, is able to offer such as the furlough schemes, such as the self employed income support schemes, that have supported so many jobs across Scotland."
After the question session in the House fo Commons, the MP for Glasgow East told the Herald that "radical" action was needed to mitigate the growing debts owed for energy payments.
He said: " It’s right that we ask the public to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives but there’s got to be proper acknowledgement from UK Ministers that doing so comes at a financial cost for our constituents - even more so during these winter months when people will inevitably need to crank the heating up.
“We know that over 2.1 million people have already fallen behind with their energy bills and that figure is only going to increase as lockdown and cold temperatures continue.
“To their credit, the UK Government took some bold action at the beginning of the first lockdown which I welcomed but today’s response suggests they’ve gone off the boil a bit.
"If Ministers don’t start to take radical action to support consumers, they will soon be faced with a choice between heating or eating.
"That’s not something any of us can stand back and allow to happen.”
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