§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the amount of extra energy which pensioners will be able to purchase(a) this winter and (b) next winter on receipt of the extra (i) £20 and (ii) £50 allocated in the pre-budget statement; and what estimate he has made of the impact on carbon emissions. [18545]
§ Mr. BattleI have been asked to reply.
It is not practicable to provide an estimate as it is unclear that all money will be spent on additional heating; in practice many pensioners will use this money to reduce existing fuel bills.