§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people lived in fuel poverty in Shrewsbury aid Atcham(a) in May 1997 and (b) on the most recent (late for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [156509]
§ Mr. MeacherThe common definition of a fuel poor household is one that needs to spend in excess of 10 per cent. of household income in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
Data on the number of households living in fuel poverty are derived from the English House Condition Survey, which is carried out every five years. The Survey allows estimates to be made of the number of fuel poor households at a regional level, but not at local authority level.
Using data from the latest English House Condition Survey (1996), the table shows the effect of different options for calculating household income on the number of households defined as fuel poor in the West Midlands Government Office region in 19961.
14W
West Midlands Government Office region England (Thousand) England (Million) (a) Income including Housing Benefit and Income Support for mortgage interest 550 4.3 (b) Income excluding Housing Benefit and Income Support for mortgage interest 640 5.3 1 Assumes fuel costs include those for non-heating purposes. Since the last English House Condition Survey, the Government have implemented a range of measures that have reduced the number of fuel poor households in England by an estimated 1 million between 1996 and 1999.
Further measures to end the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010 are set out in the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy, which was published for consultation on 23 February 2001.
§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress is being made to combat fuel poverty among pensioners. [156574]
§ Mr. MeacherOn 23 February 2001, the Government published its Fuel Poverty Strategy for consultation. The Strategy sets out our commitment to end the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households—which includes pensioners on low incomes—by 2010.
The Government have already taken action to tackle the main causes of fuel poverty—low income and poor energy efficiency—to help those suffering from fuel poverty.
The Winter Fuel Payment, which has been increased to £200 for this winter, will help many older households in, or at risk from, fuel poverty. For the poorest pensioners we have introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee, which is already helping 1.6 million pensioner households.
We have also reduced the level of VAT on fuel and on the installation of energy saving materials, so that people can more easily afford to keep warm. Further reductions in energy bills have resulted from the reform of the energy market.
But the permanent solution is to provide better insulation and heating. We have made available substantial additional capital funds for housing investment by local authorities. We have also launched our radical new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). The scheme now provides grants for packages of heating and insulation improvement measures, including high efficiency central heating systems for low—income households aged 60 years or more. With a budget of over £600 million, HEES is expected to have reached some 800,000 vulnerable households by 2004, 480,000 being over-60s.
In addition, the Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance schemes (EESOPs) run by the energy suppliers have been doubled to some £50 million a year. Around two-thirds of this help is going to pensioner and 15W low-income families. From 2002, the Government are proposing to increase the scale of the scheme to around £150 million a year, continuing its focus on disadvantaged consumers.
As this is a devolved matter, it is the responsibility of the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.