Truss says she remains committed to not planning public spending reductions
Starmer says freezing energy bills was a Labour idea in the first place.
During the leadership contest Truss said she was not contemplating public spending reductions. Will she stick to that?
“Absolutely,” says Truss.
She says she wants to spend public money well.
Key events
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Rebecca Pow (Con) asks if the government can promote growth whilst also supporting farmers to care for the environment.
Truss says Pow did a good job promoting the environment as a minister. She says the government wants to deliver growth in an environmentally-friendly way.
Truss says the government should not be putting up taxes for businesses. If it did, it would raise less revenue, she claims.
Rosie Cooper (Lab) asks Truss to explain how she will ensure that fracking only goes ahead where communities want it.
Truss says fracking will only go ahead “in areas where there is local community support”.
Gagan Mohindra (Con) asks if Truss agrees that only the Conservative party is on the side of enterprise.
Truss says the Tories understand who pays our wages. It is people who go to work. She will be unashamedly pro-growth, she says.
Natalie Elphicke (Con) asks Truss to confirm that she offered joint patrols with the French on French beaches. And will the government agree not to pay the French more until they agree to this?
Truss says she discussed this with President Macron last week. She hopes to get an agreement on this, she says.
Ian Lavery (Lab) says nurses have gone from being seen as heroes to being depicted as villains by this government. He says they deserve a better pay rise.
Truss says nurses do a fantastic job. The pay review body recommended a £1,400 pay rise on average, and that is what the government will deliver, she says.
Truss suggests government will run publicity campaign encouraging people to save energy
Guy Opperman (Con) says too few businesses know about the energy support package for them. He urges the government to publicise it, and also to have an energy saving campaign.
Truss says Opperman is right. The energy secretary is working on a plan to help firms use energy more efficiently, she claims.
Until now No 10 has resisted calls for a campaign of this sort – reportedly because Truss does not believe government should tell people how much energy they should use.
John McNally (SNP) asks how the government will cope with the increase in homelessness her policies will cause.
Truss says the government has acted decisively to deal with the energy crisis.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, asks Truss to confirm the negotiations with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol must reflect the aims of the NI protocol bill.
Truss says she wants a negotiated solution. But if they do not get one, they will proceed with the bill.
Angela Richardson (Con) asks Truss to confirm that Tories did not vote to discharge sewage into waterways. She says the opposition should not be repeating this lie.
Truss says the government is commmited to clean water. Maximum fines for water companies are being increased 100-fold.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says Truss should give up her plan to save the chancellor by scapegoating the governor of the Bank of England.
Truss says the SNP should contribute to energy security by building power stations in Scotland.
Blackford says many families are worried now not just about heating their homes, but keeping them. He says 100,000 families renew their mortgages every month. The only things growing are mortgages and bills.
Truss says the government has taken action to help people heat their homes.
Interest rates are rising globally, she says. She says they are a matter for the independent Bank of England.
She says economists say growth will be higher as a result of her intervention.
Starmer says people know that you cannot fund tax cuts on the never-never. The public will never forgive the Tories for this madness, he says.
Truss says she is committed to increasing growth.
Truss says she remains committed to not planning public spending reductions
Starmer says freezing energy bills was a Labour idea in the first place.
During the leadership contest Truss said she was not contemplating public spending reductions. Will she stick to that?
“Absolutely,” says Truss.
She says she wants to spend public money well.
Starmer says Labour voted against the national insurance increase in the first place. Truss voted for it. “So who’s doing the U-turn?”
He says she is going ahead with a tax cut for rich businesses that did not even ask for it. Why should working people pick up the bill?
Truss says Starmer is still not saying if he supports the energy price guarantee. It is the biggest part of the mini-budget. Labour’s plan is for six months. What does Starmer think should happen in March?
Starmer asks when Truss will do the right thing and “reverse the kamikaze budget that is causing so much pain”.
Truss says she is “genuinely unclear” as to what Labour’s stance is on the energy price guarantee. It was the biggest part of the mini-budget. Does Labour want to reverse it?
Starmer asks if the PM understands why people facing higher mortage payments are furious with her.
Truss says people were facing very high energy bills when she came in. The energy package was the biggest part of the mini-budget, she claimed. Labour has refused to back it, she says.
And interest rates are rising globally, she says. She is helping people with lower taxes and with their energy bills.
She claims, in backing the repeal of the health and social care levy last night, Labour had a Damascene conversion.
