Oral Answers to Questions

Rehman Chishti Excerpts

Thursday 14th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay) (LD)]

13. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of households in fuel poverty.

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to tackle fuel poverty.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

We have in place the green deal and the energy company obligation, which we expect to provide support for at least 230,000 low-income and vulnerable households each year. In addition, our warm home discount scheme supports 2 million households in total, and this winter has already helped more than 1 million of the poorest pensioners. We also make cold weather payments and winter fuel payments.

[Gregory Barker]

My hon. Friend is right and I am sure more could be done. That is why we designed the green deal and the ECO to be flexible and responsive to the needs of a range of energy consumers, particularly the fuel-poor. If my hon. Friend has any particular ideas on that, I would be happy to discuss them with him.

[Rehman Chishti]

Will the Minister provide an update on the Government’s plans to publish a refreshed strategy for tackling fuel poverty this year?

[Gregory Barker]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; the Government are committed to bringing new ambition and vision to tackling fuel poverty. The last fuel poverty strategy was published 10 years ago, and we will be coming forward this year with an ambitious strategy, pulling together all strands of policy and building on the latest evidence and creative thinking in that area. I would welcome my hon. Friend’s input, given his knowledge and experience in the area.