Latest updates: comments come despite PM defending Ann-Marie Trevelyan, the new international trade secretary, over climate crisis denial
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12.25pm BST
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, will make a statement to MPs this afternoon about the gas price crisis, Downing Street said.
At the morning lobby briefing the No 10 spokesman also insisted that the government was not worried about gas supplies running out, and that food supply chains were “well prepared” to handle any disruptions. He said:
We recognise people and businesses are worried about the increase in wholesale gas costs. I’d firstly points out that major energy suppliers purchase much of wholesale gas in advance, which obviously give them some protection in terms of short-term price hikes. We would expect companies with longer term contracts to have less or little exposure to the high wholesale prices.
I’d also point to the energy price cap which is in place, which protects 15m households from the sudden increase in gas prices.
We have diverse and resilient food supply chains and we are well prepared to handle any potential disruptions.
We are confident that security of supply is not a cause for immediate concern in terms of energy. We have a diverse range of gas supply sources with sufficient capacity to meet demand.
12.02pm BST
A new poll suggests that, by a margin of three to one, people think the government’s Brexit deal has created more problems than it has solved.
The polling was carried out by Opinium, on behalf of Best for Britain, an anti-Brexit group that now campaigns for internationalism and better relations with the EU. It has been published alongside a report recommending how the Brexit deal could be improved.
The poll shows the British public can see the government’s Brexit deal for what it is – an insufficient and self-sabotaging agreement that is causing significant problems for British businesses, the economy and jobs. With new heads around the cabinet table, here’s hoping sense prevails, and the commission’s recommendations are adopted.