Amanda Martin

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor) for securing this very important debate. I have seen at first hand how urgent the cost of living pressures are for many of my residents. Just last week, I hosted a cost-of-living coffee morning in my community, bringing together energy providers, water companies, banks and local support groups. It was a practical example of how joined-up, accessible support can make a real difference to residents in Portsmouth, particularly when people are helped to understand what they are entitled to and how they can access alternatives. I want to say a huge thanks to all who attended, be they residents or stakeholders, including: Advice Portsmouth, Centrica, British Gas, HIVE Portsmouth, IncomeMax, Octopus Energy, Nationwide, Switched on Portsmouth, Portsmouth Water, the Energy Ombudsman, E.ON Next, Utilita Energy, Southern Water and NatWest. The drop-in highlighted so many issues, which is why I welcome the Government’s excellent warm homes plan—a plan that will improve energy efficiency, reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty through a mix of grants, loans, local delivery and updating of standards. The warm homes plan is vital because consumers have been let down by previous Governments, and by rogue tradies, so many times. We must think about trust. That is why I have been meeting with Checkatrade, the Department for Business and Trade and the sector, to ensure that our tradies’ reputations are not let down by cowboy builders and shoddy outfits when we bring about the reality of our warm homes plan. Although I welcome the warm homes plan, warmly, I ask the Minister to outline how it will build trust and complement local, community-led initiatives to ensure that energy bill support and home efficiency measures meet the people of Portsmouth’s needs.