Andrew Lewin

I will not give way now, but I may do so later. [Interruption.] I am keen to make some progress. Closer to home, in Welwyn Hatfield, 35,000 households will benefit from the £100 direct payment to help with energy bills this winter. The ending of standing charges on gas bills will particularly help those in smaller homes and flats, and it is unquestionably the right thing to do. I was also pleased, earlier in the week, to see the announcement about the warm homes plan, with low and zero interest rate loans for people who are able to make energy improvements to their properties, and cheaper public charging for electric vehicles. That is an all-round energy package that I believe we can support. Let me now say a little about the national health service, which has not featured in the debate as much as it might have. Waiting lists have fallen sharply since the election of this Government, and ambulance response times in my region in the east of England have improved markedly in the last year. There is a great deal more work to do—there is no question about that—but this improvement has only been possible because of the investment made in this and previous Budgets. It is striking that £37 billion more is being spent on the NHS under this Government than was spent by the Conservatives.