§ 10. Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)What recent representations he has received over fuel poverty among the elderly on small incomes. [63195]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Mr. Stephen Timms)We have no record of any recent representations to the Department principally about fuel poverty among the elderly, but, since January 1998, we have received 439 letters about winter fuel payments.
§ Mr. WinnickDoes my hon. Friend accept that elderly people suffer much distress as a result of cold weather such as we have had today? What the Government have already done—what the Tories refused to do—is very welcome indeed, but could Ministers consider whether there could be a more flexible arrangement for cold weather payments? I and, I am sure, all Labour Members, feel that it is quite wrong that so many elderly people on small incomes should suffer such distress during cold weather when we should be in a position to help them.
§ Mr. TimmsI am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important subject. I agree that the introduction of winter fuel payments has been an important step forward. About £1 billion will be made available this Parliament. A total of 3.3 million payments were included in a computer run at the weekend, and we hope that the full 10 million payments will have been paid out by the end of next week.
17 My hon. Friend is right to say that the cold weather payments scheme is another important means of the Government tackling the problem. An interdepartmental group on fuel poverty, led by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale), is considering a wide range of fuel poverty issues, including the arrangements for cold weather payments, and it intends to publish proposals in the spring.