§ Baroness Maddockasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is required of agencies managing the Warm Front Scheme for the Government in terms of:
- (a) publication of data on works carried out under the scheme;
- (b) the form in which information is made available;
- (c) the frequency with which it is updated;
- (d) the content of published information; and
- (e) what, if anything, is exempt from publication. [HL629]
§ Lord WhittyAs part of their contract for managing the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in England, both scheme managers provide free of charge to all local authorities in England details of the work carried out in their area. This includes the number of properties improved through the scheme together with details of the energy efficiency improvement achieved.
Both scheme managers will shortly publish a report setting out the performance of the scheme over the past year. From this autumn, they will also begin to publish quarterly reports on their web-sites on the performance of the scheme. These reports will include the number of homes improved and the average energy efficiency improvement achieved, as well as further details based on suggestions received from interested groups. The scheme managers have also responded to ad hoc requests for information from interested groups.
The department is generally content with the publication of most information relating to the performance of the scheme. The specific exceptions are where it relates to the details of an individual householder or property in which case prior written approval is required from the individual concerned; or the information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost in which case an appropriate fee may be charged by the scheme managers.
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§ Baroness Maddockasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information will be published to enable an independent assessment of the extent to which works carried out under the Warm Front Scheme remove individual households from fuel poverty and make a general contribution to targets contained in the draft United Kingdom Fuel Poverty Strategy [HL630]
§ Lord WhittyThe Home Energy Efficiency Scheme managers shall shortly publish a report setting out performance of the scheme over the past year. This will include details of the average energy efficiency improvements achieved under the scheme. The scheme does not collect income details for each household. Therefore it is not possible to determine on an individual basis whether the person has been moved out of fuel poverty. In any case it would not be possible to publish details of individual cases without the written permission of the person concerned.
A major two year study into the relationship between fuel poverty and health is planned to start this winter. Part of this study will involve considering the effectiveness of the scheme in moving individual households out of fuel poverty. The steering group for this study includes representatives from a number of external groups with an interest in this area.