§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to the Warm Front Scheme administered by Eaga partnership, how many applications have been received; how many are outstanding, awaiting(a) survey, (b) completion of works and (c) `snagging'; how many are outstanding in total; what has been the (i) average wait for completion of work, (ii) longest wait for completion of work and (iii) longest period someone has been waiting for work yet to be done; what its (A) highest and (B) average cost has been; what criteria are used to decide what equipment should be chosen; for what reason operatives from the North East, Midlands and south coast are employed in London; and if she will make a statement. [83846]
§ Mr. MorleyEaga Partnership is the Scheme Manager appointed to administer the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme—now marketed as Warm Front—in three of the four 'lot' areas of England: London and the South East; the North East and North West; and the South West and West Midlands. All answers that follow relate only to the area managed by Eaga Partnership.
In the last financial year Eaga Partnership Ltd. received over 236,000 eligible referrals. At 29 November 14,538 surveys were outstanding. In addition, 49,768 households were awaiting completion of at least one of their recommended measures.
Snagging is not a requirement of the contract with Eaga Partnership, however the Scheme does require quality installation checks on all gas central heating systems and a proportion of insulation works. If remedial work is required, following the quality inspection, the installers are contracted to undertake that work within 28 days of being contacted by Eaga Partnership Ltd.
The waiting time for completion of works can be extended by a number of factors. These include the shortage of central heating installers, awaiting landlord permission, changes to measures specified and the installation of gas to properties. The average waiting time for completion of heating work is 72 working days and for insulation 51 working days from the time of survey. The longest wait for completion of a job was 345 working days. The longest period of work currently awaiting completion is 521 working days. These delays came about through a combination of factors including the skills shortage and the development of equipment to meet the requirements of the scheme.
32WThe highest cost of an individual job funded by Warm Front is the current grant maximum—£1,500 for Warm Front and £2,500 for Warm Front Plus. The average grant value in 2001–02 was £454.
Warm Front is designed to tackle fuel poverty among those most vulnerable to cold-related ill health—older householders, families with children and the disabled or those with long-term illness. The range of measures offered to a property is determined by the existing standard of the property. We are currently carrying out a review of Warm Front to assess the effectiveness of the Scheme including consideration of the eligibility criteria and measures offered.
The Scheme Managers have responsibility for appointment of installers to work under the Scheme. To ensure the scheme gets good value for money, appointments are carried out through a competitive tendering process, with companies free to tender for work in any area. Additionally, a number of installation companies work nationally and so carry out work across several different areas.