The Scottish Parliament has given its consent to the UK Government’s energy price support Bill.
MSPs voted unanimously to back the Energy Prices Bill, which is currently in its final stages at Westminster, after an expedited process.
The Bill will enshrine in law the government’s energy price guarantee, which last week was cut from being in effect for two years to just six months, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt saying it will be replaced with a more targeted approach.
Moving a legislative consent motion on behalf of the Scottish Government, minister Patrick Harvie said the Bill was “far less than it might be”, but added: “It remains better than nothing.
“Consenting to this motion will allow the people of Scotland who are currently struggling to pay their energy bills and heat their homes to receive desperately needed financial assistance as quickly as possible.”
Scottish Tory MSP Liam Kerr said his party welcomed the Bill, adding: “It will provide much needed support for households and businesses right across the UK.
“No one has been unaffected by the eye-watering rise in wholesale prices of gas and oil in the past couple of years.”
Kerr also said of the six-month term: “I feel that is the right length of time to get us through the winter then have a review which will ensure the mechanism can be stress tested against what was projected, what was intended and what we have actually seen by that point in practice during the winter months and then to decide what is the best and most productive mechanism going forward.”
Scottish Labour MSP Colin Smyth said his party supported the legislative consent motion “even if the Bill was described as a landmark, two-year, price guarantee but has now been shredded to a six month freeze”.
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