§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many organisations indicated their views on the exclusion of elements of housing costs from the calculation of household income used to define fuel poverty(a) by making submissions to the consultation on the new HEES scheme and (b) by appending their names to other submissions; and how many organisations supported (i) the exclusion of housing costs, (ii) the inclusion of housing costs, (iii) other suggestions and (iv) making no comment. [158003]
§ Mr. MeacherThe consultation document on the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme invited comment on whether the calculation of household income should exclude any element of housing costs such as rent or mortgage payments.
A total of 252 responses to the consultation document were received. Some organisations submitted both an individual response as well as appending their names to a response from an umbrella organisation in the area.
The breakdown of responses is as follows:
A copy of the full analysis of the consultation responses was placed in the House of Commons Library in November 1999.
- (i) 20 per cent. of respondents supported the exclusion of some or all housing costs in the calculation of household income;
- (ii) 34 per cent. of respondents supported the inclusion of housing costs in the calculation of household income;
- (iii) 6 per cent. of respondents offered other suggestions;
- (iv) 40 per cent. of respondents made no comment.
The consultation draft of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy shows the number of fuel poor both on the basis of making no allowance for housing costs in the calculation of household income, and by excluding any Housing Benefit or Income Support for Mortgage Interest (ISMI) payments. Comments are invited on the draft strategy by 31 May 2001.