§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government will take to ensure that every home has access to affordable heating. [125582]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Government published its Strategy for dealing with fuel poverty in November 2001, and its first annual progress report in March 2003. These documents set out how the Government intends to ensure that fuel poverty is ended among the vulnerable by 2010 and among the non-vulnerable in England by November 2016, as far as reasonably practicable. This will be done through
programmes to improve the home energy efficiency of fuel poor households;continuing action to maintain the downward pressure on fuel bills, ensuring fair treatment for the less well off, and supporting the development of energy industry initiatives to combat fuel poverty;continuing action to tackle poverty, low incomes and social exclusion.We are working closely with the independent Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, to develop better identification and targeting mechanisms to improve local delivery of measures to combat fuel poverty. Extension of the gas network can help to meet these targets, and my Department is continuing to consider how this may be achieved.