00:01Madam Deputy Speaker, let me say this to families at home.
00:04I know that with the conflict in the Middle East, rising energy bills are a real worry.
00:10I know that people look to government at times like this, not to solve all their problems,
00:15but to give them a bit of breathing space.
00:17So today I'm taking one further step.
00:20This winter, for 20 million households in council tax bands A to D,
00:26I'm announcing a £100 energy payment for households.
00:35Paid directly into people's bank accounts to deal with rising energy bills.
00:39That's a £2.6 billion scheme to take the pressure off in the coldest months
00:45and see people through to the spring.
