§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of fuel poverty in rural areas. [84137]
§ Mr. MorleyA summary report published in August 2001, Fuel Poverty in England 1998, estimated that around 19 per cent. of rural households were in fuel poverty, compared with 15 per cent, of urban households. These figures will be updated in due course with the release of the 2001 English House Condition Survey.
The depth of fuel poverty in rural areas may be affected by a number of factors. These include the disproportionate number of households which are off the mains gas network and properties which are considered hard to heat.
A working group was established in 2001 to investigate extension of the gas network. There is evidence that lack of access to mains gas, which is currently the cheapest and most efficient fuel for domestic heating, contributes to keeping households in fuel poverty. The Working Group concluded that a full-scale extension of the gas network could not be justified on cost benefit grounds, but that extension to a more limited extent would be justified in certain cases. Work is progressing on identifying priority areas for any possible future extensions of the gas network.
My Department recently commissioned a scoping study which is looking at the potential for alternative technologies to help tackle fuel poverty. This could be of particular relevance for rural communities, especially areas without access to the gas network. The study will also consider alternative methods for the treatment of 'hard to heat' homes. The report is expected early in the new year.
The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, which was set up to advise Government on achieving its goal of ending fuel poverty, is also looking at issues which effect rural areas. It has already considered a paper on households without access to gas and is due to discuss households which are considered to be 'hard to heat'.