HC Deb 16 January 1997 vol 288 cc386-7W
Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes there have been to the trigger points for cold climate payments in Scotland; for each new station what is the difference in recorded temperatures compared to the previous site for the last three months; how many payments have been triggered for the areas covered by new weather stations; and if he will make a statement. [10727]

Mr. Roger Evans

From November 1996, a number of changes were made to postcode links with weather stations in Scotland. Two additional weather stations were introduced at Aultbea and Loch Glascarnoch. Aultbea covers some postcodes formerly covered by Tiree weather station. Loch Glascarnoch covers some postcodes formerly linked to weather stations at Aviemore, Kinloss, Tiree and Wick airport.

So far this winter, Loch Glascarnoch has triggered payments five times. Aultbea has not triggered.

Based on the daily data used for the scheme, the mean monthly temperatures for the last three months are set out in the following table:

Mean temperatures Deg. C
October 1996 November 1996 December 1996
Aultbea 11 5.8 4.7
Tiree 10.7 6.3 5.2
Loch
Glascarnoch 9.0 2.2 1.0
Aviemore 9.4 2.1 0.4
Kinloss 10.8 4.3 2.4
Tiree 10.7 6.3 5.2
Wick airport 9.4 3.7 3.1

This winter, the starting date for the cold weather payments scheme was 4 November.