§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 13 December 2001,Official Report, columns 999–1000, on fuel poverty, which section of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy confirms a commitment to end fuel poverty using a definition which excludes housing benefit and income support and mortgage interest; and if she will make a statement on how this relates to paragraph 4.6 of the strategy. [25771]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 10 January 2002]: The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy sets out the goal of the Government and the devolved Administrations to seek an end to the problem of fuel poverty with the first target being to seek an end to the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010.
In the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, the introduction to Chapter 4 (paragraphs 4.1 to 4.6) sets out the target for England and the definition to be used in England.
The number of households in fuel poverty in England is displayed on the basis of the two main definitions as follows:
a household is in fuel poverty if, in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, it would be required to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (including housing benefit or income support for mortgage interest (ISMI) on all household fuel use;a household is in fuel poverty if, in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, it would be required to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest (ISMI) on all household fuel use.Paragraph 9.4 sets out our intention to move to a single UK-wide definition of fuel poverty once the separate consultations have been completed in the devolved Administrations.
Until then, the nature of our programmes means that it is likely that the targets will be met on both definitions as set out in paragraph 4.6 of the strategy.