Govt Must Not Allow Companies To Profit From Cost-Of-Living Crisis

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood has said the British government "cannot allow any company to enjoy huge profits due to the cost of living emergency".

He was speaking after BP announced profits of £7.1bn between July and September.

Mr Eastwood said the government must increase the windfall tax on energy companies to provide extra support to those who are struggling due to rising costs.

Foyle MP Mr Eastwood said: "It's an absolute disgrace that at a time when many people across these islands are struggling energy companies like BP are reporting huge profits. Nobody should be allowed to benefit from an emergency that is making it more and more difficult for people to afford basic necessities like heating and food and it's well past time the British government took proper action.

"From the beginning of this crisis we repeatedly called for a robust windfall tax to be imposed on these companies to fund cost of living support. While the Tories were reluctantly forced to act it's clear that the current tax in place doesn't go anywhere near far enough.

"Introducing a proper windfall tax on these obscene profits would go a long way to helping people living in cold homes with empty cupboards. As we enter November people in the North have been failed by the Tories at Westminster and the DUP at Stormont, with utterly inadequate support in place and the majority who rely on home heating oil treated as an afterthought. The British government should act now to protect people by imposing a proper windfall tax on these companies and providing clarity around the £400 energy payment to families here."

Belfast City Council Approves Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund

Belfast City Council has agreed to establish a Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund following a proposal by Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn.

Cllr Flynn said: "I am glad that council has agreed our proposal today to set up an emergency scheme, intended to provide much needed support for vulnerable people and families this winter who are due to face immense hardship.

"I intend this fund to provide one-off £100 payments to those people & families most in need across our city.

"However, it should not be up to the council to provide this much needed relief, we should have a functioning executive with ministers ready to implement a region wide relief scheme, with a fuel poverty strategy to back it up and an energy strategy fit to meet our long term goals of energy security, but we are where we are and where the executive parties fail, the Green Party will do what we can to support people this winter."

A further report detailing administration of the scheme will come over the next few weeks.

Alliance Welcomes Council Decision On Fracking

The Alliance Party has welcomed the passing of a motion at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in support of a moratorium on all forms of exploration and extraction of oil and gas in Northern Ireland (to be followed by a legislative ban), and in opposition to fracking.

The motion, brought forward by Councillor Jay Burbank, was introduced following recommendations set out by the Department for the Economy earlier this year, and was passed unanimously on Monday.

Such actions would bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK when it comes to fracking, and also go further by legislating for all other types of petroleum exploration or extraction.

Cllr Burbank has said: "I wholeheartedly welcome the passing of this motion, especially with it having garnered unanimous, cross-party support within the Council and proven to be an issue of universal concern.

"This does however raise questions surrounding the general stance and commitment of the DUP in relation to fracking in particular, following two of their MPs - Paul Girvan and Jim Shannon - recently voting with the Conservative Party in Westminster in opposition to Labour's proposed fracking moratorium.

"This lack of clarity and cohesion is incredibly worrying in light of the dangers the practice of fracking pose, especially for those in Antrim, Dunsilly and Airport DEAs as well as Antrim and Newtownabbey at large, with the possibility of the issuing of petroleum licensing in the 'Lough Shore basin' area of Lough Neagh.

"So many communities in Northern Ireland stand at risk from lack of robust leadership on matters of the environment like this in the years to come, and we'd implore any future Economy Minister to act prudently and take heed of these recommendations."