Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2013, Official Report, column 13W, on energy: prices, for what reasons he has not held any meeting where he has asked energy companies to lower or not increase their prices.
Answer
In a competitive market, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to dictate pricing strategies to energy companies. DECC has received representations to introduce such a policy of price fixing. This would result in higher prices for consumers before and after a freeze and damage investment. Therefore we have rejected these representations.