Britain will consider measures to abate energy bills, UK's Johnson says

LONDON - Britain's government will listen to businesses and consumers on measures to abate rising energy bills, but a cut in sales tax on gas and electricity was a "blunt instrument", Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

"We will continue to listen to businesses and consumers about how to abate the costs of energy," he told a news conference. "I'm not ruling out further measures."

"The argument is ... that (value added tax) is a bit of a blunt instrument, and the difficulty is that you end up also cutting fuel bills for a lot of people who perhaps don't need the support in quite the direct way that we need to give it."