Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many (a) written, (b) email and (c) telephone representations he has received on (i) his plans to alleviate fuel poverty in the private rented sector, (ii) the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (iii) the disconnection of (A) gas and (B) electricity supplies in each month since May 2010; how many such representations were from (1) individuals and (2) organisations; if he will place in the Library copies of the responses sent to such representations; and if he will make a statement.

For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the Departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title ‘Fuel Poverty'. In the period since May 2010, 657 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 264 of these were from individuals, and 77 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title ‘Warm Homes'. In the period since May 2010, 176 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 33 of these were from individuals and 11 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

An initial search of the correspondence system relating to ‘disconnections' of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

DECC do not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore, providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.