Severe Weather Payments (Hansard, 26 February 1986)

§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)
I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No.10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the need to provide adequate heating assistance for pensioners and others on very small incomes in view of the continuing exceptionally severe weather in all parts of the country. I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, will now accept that the matter is sufficiently urgent and important to meet the criteria laid down in the Standing Order.
The matter is specific because of the continuing very severe weather in all parts of the country, yet in many areas exceptionally severe weather payments have not yet been authorised. Indeed, I think it is true to say that in most parts of the country that payment is still not being made. That is surely unjustified.
I emphasise that a large number of elderly people with very small incomes do not qualify for supplementary benefit and thus receive not a penny from the DHSS to help with their heating bills. I submit that that group could well be most at risk during the present freezing weather.
The matter is important because of the reports coming in from welfare agencies about the tremendous difficulties facing the elderly at this time. Casualties and tragedies have already occurred. For example, it is reported today that a 79-year-old pensioner was found dying of cold in her freezing flat in High Wycombe—the constituency of a DHSS Minister, whose office I notified that I intended to raise the matter—and others, too, have died as a result of the freezing weather.
The director of the Family Policy Studies Centre and author of a book entitled "Old and Cold" estimates that 10 people per day are dying from hypothermia and several hundred from other cold-related conditions. Help the Aged, the organisation concerned with the welfare of the elderly, has also stated that it fears a big increase in the number of old people who will die during this period.
The matter is therefore extremely important and urgent, so I make no apology for the fact that I raised the matter under Standing Order No.10 not long ago and that the present application is made on the day following the unsuccessful application made by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West(Mr. Meacher).I believe that it is our duty and responsibility to see that the problem facing so many people in the community, especially the elderly, who simply do not have enough money to keep themselves warm, should be raised here in the House of Commons. The time has come for a debate to take place.
954 Speaking frankly and honestly, Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand why no debate leas yet taken place. During this period of freezing weather, described by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West yesterday as the coldest February for years, it is essential that we have the opportunity to debate this subject. I plead with you, Mr. Speaker, to allow this application so that tomorrow we can have the debate which my hon. Friends and I have been seeking. We can then raise these matters and try to persuade the Government to allow far more money for those so desperately in need of assistance. [Interruption.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No.10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the need to provide adequate heating assistance for pensioners and others on very small incomes in view of the continuing exceptionally severe weather in all parts of the country. As the hon. Gentleman knows, and as I mentioned to him yesterday —[Interruption.] Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will pay attention while I am speaking lo him —having listened carefully to his submission and to what was said yesterday, is my sole duty in considering these applications to decide whether the matter should be given priority over the Orders of the Day set down for today or tomorrow. I regret that I cannot find that the matter raised by the hon. Gentleman meets all the criteria laid down in the Standing Order. I therefore cannot submit his application to the House.

§ Mr. Winnick
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I know no one in the Gallery and certainly not the person—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. We never refer to what goes on in the Gallery. Does the hon. Gentleman wish to raise another matter?

§ Mr. Winnick
If someone elsewhere is not aware of our habits and regulations, could you take steps to ensure that that person is allowed to go back to where he was?

§ Mr. Speaker
We never take notice of what goes on in the Gallery.