§ Mr. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have benefited to date from the current electricity discount scheme in Scotland; what is his estimate of the total of those entitled to money under this scheme; what is the amount paid out under this scheme so far; and what this represents as a percentage of the amount provided for in the Estimates.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherBecause of the recent industrial action by civil servants it is not possible at this stage to assess the total number of people who have benefited from the current electricity discount scheme.
Some 320,000 people in Scotland received the £5 cash payment under the scheme. In addition, it is estimated that over 500,000 people may have qualified for a discount on one winter electricity bill.
Disbursements so far amount to approximately £4.72 million, which is 467W slightly in excess of the provision made in the Estimates for the total cost of the scheme in Scotland.