GMB Calls For Parliamentary Enquiry Into Energy Prices

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Date: 27 July 2006

Gary Smith, GMB National Officer for the Gas Industry responds to today’s reports of further rises in energy prices.

Gary Smith, GMB National Officer for the Gas Industry said: “There will be lot of focus on a British Gas’ hike in energy prices, but all the energy companies are putting prices up. Many of these are foreign owned multinationals. The British public and industry will want to see political action on energy prices. Ordinary consumers are paying more for their gas then those in mainland . The irony is that today Britainwill be exporting gas, so why are prices going up? There is an argument that the whole liberalisation agenda has been a miserable failure, the irony or there needs to be questioned marks about the behaviour of some of the energy companies. There needs to be public scrutiny of what is going on in the energy markets and we need a wide ranging enquiry into what is going on. These price increases are hitting the British economy and the politicians need to stop wringing their hands and start taking action.”