Deaths: Winter Increase (Hansard, 24 February 1987)

§ Lord Ezra
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the underlying causes of the annual winter increase in the number of deaths are very complex. The underlying trend in excess winter mortality has been downward over the last 35 years, but it remains a matter of great concern. We need to gain more knowledge of the factors involved. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is considering how that can be best achieved. Meanwhile, the Government are spending some £400 million per year in supplementary benefit heating additions to help supplementary pensioners and others on low incomes to meet their fuel bills.

§ Lord Ezra
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. But may I ask him whether he agrees that long-term measures are preferable to short-term palliatives and that organisations such as Neighbourhood Energy Action which draughtproof and insulate the homes of elderly people on low incomes are much to be encouraged? In that connection, will he indicate what replacement is 92 envisaged by the Government towards the single payment hitherto made by the DHSS for draughtproofing which is due to come to an end in April next year? If that is not soon decided, is he aware that the work of the NEA could very quickly grind to a halt?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the Government recognise the valuable co-ordinating role performed by Neighbourhood Energy Action, of which the noble Lord is chairman. We also fully recognise the value of draughtproofing measures and of the important work undertaken by local insulation projects. Future arrangements to help with the cost of draughtproofing materials are being considered by the government departments concerned in the context of the Government's help to people on low incomes with energy conservation measures as a whole. I appreciate the concern that has been expressed about the need for an early announcement, but it is still too early to say what the outcome of this consideration will be.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether the Government agree with the figure of 2,000 as the increase in the number of deaths from hypothermia and whether it includes hypothermia-related illnesses as the cause of death? Can he also tell the House whether the Government are satisfied with the arrangements for a £5 a week severe weather payment, how many applications were received, how many were granted and whether any payments have yet been made?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, that is a rather confusing number of questions. As regards the 2,000 deaths, they were certainly not all related to hypothermia. Cold weather has of course always caused a rise in the death rate and the problem of the additional number of deaths from all causes—which is what the figure of 2,000 refers to—particularly heart disease, strokes and chest infections, that occur in winter compared with the summer. However, excess winter mortality has declined significantly from in excess of 68 per cent. from 1951 to 1955 to 29 per cent. from 1981 to 1985.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, what about the £5 grant? There is no answer.

Lord Paget of Northampton
My Lords, does the noble Lord agree with the general scientific view that the fundamental cause of the problems of our species is a tendency to live far too long? Is he satisfied that the Government's efforts here are in the right direction?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the Government make a special provision of an extra £200 per annum to all those who achieve the age of 85 and above.

The Earl of Halsbury
My Lords, can the noble Lord urge his department to come into the computer age and realise that the giant computers of the Meteorological Office could within minutes evaluate a points scheme for every postal district in the country which combined temperature, wind velocity and elevation above sea level, transmit it to every post office where pensions and supplementary allowances are payable again within a matter of an hour or so, and allow these things to accumulate once a week?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, with regard to the gathering of information from the weather stations, it was generally agreed last year that there had been a vast improvement on previous years and I am sure that that will continue.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, in addition to the direct help that a government can and should give in circumstances such as those set out in the Question, will the Government consider giving guidance to families to make an effort themselves to look after their elderly people and not leave it entirely to organised bureaucracy? We know that winter will come. Perhaps the family contribution has a bigger part to play than in many instances it is playing today.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I am sure that many Members of the House would agree with that view. In the direct matter of advising the elderly on protection and on keeping warm in the winter, the Health Education Council has issued two training packs, one of which is entitled Your Right to be Warm and the other Warmth in Winter.

§ Lord Kinnaird
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that if it gets cold enough I would rather be dead anyway?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I am grateful for my noble friend's observation.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, to return once more to the replacement of single payments for draughtproofing, is the noble Lord aware that on several occasions his right honourable friend in another place also accepted the principle that it should be replaced and said that an answer would come in due course or shortly? Will the Minister say, first, when this equivocal period of time will finally come to an end; and, secondly, whether the obstacle to coming to a decision is perhaps that the departments involved cannot agree who will bear the cost of replacement of the single payment?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I feel that I have already answered this question of the noble Baroness, who I know is the vice-chairman of Neighbourhood Energy Action, when I answered the questions of the noble Lord, Lord Ezra.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether the Government have machinery to study the overall effects of the exceptional spells of cold weather which happen every three years or so and which at times appear to leave us at a standstill without any idea what to do? Can he say whether the Government are studying the point on this occasion so that they will have a policy to deal with the range of problems which arises? Also, will he reply to the question about the £5 allowance put by my noble friend?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I think it is generally considered that with each passing year the data that are collected and their quality are improving. We hope this will assist the Government in providing answers to the problem.

§ Lord Glenamara
My Lords, has the noble Lord seen the recent reports on the carcinogenic substance in the material with which most houses in this country are insulated? Have the Government formed any view on this?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I understand that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is expected to make an announcement shortly. There is no reason for householders to remove man-made mineral fibres from their lofts, but they should take simple precautions such as wearing masks, gloves etc. when working in lofts where the insulation is exposed.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, is the noble Lord unable to answer my simple question on what happened about the £5 weekly allocation?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, if the noble Baroness could remind me of the point about the £5, I should be most happy to answer.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, I asked how many applications had been received, how many had been approved and whether anybody yet had any money.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the latest figures we have are for last year, when there were 500,000 applications, compared with 170,000 in 1982.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, I am talking about this year.