You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

28 Mar 2003 : Column 472W—continued

Fuel Poverty

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which of her Department's public service agreements relate to fuel poverty reduction; and what progress has been made in achieving them; [104166]

28 Mar 2003 : Column 473W

Mr. Morley: The PSA agreement relating to fuel poverty reduction in England, is included under Defra's objective 5, which is to promote sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally. The PSA target is ["to reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households by improving the energy efficiency of 600,000 homes between 2001 and 2004".] Good progress has been made against that target with around 500,000 households having received assistance so far.

All surveyors are trained to either City and Guilds 6,176 or National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2 for energy efficiency awareness. Eaga's surveyors are trained to HNC/HND level for technical knowledge for buildings e.g. cavity wall insulation requirements, and customer service skills is provided to NVQ level 2. TXU's surveyors receive in-house training for customer service, first aid and health and safety.

For the period June 2000 to October 2002, 28 private sector landlords were required to repay the costs measures installed under Warm Front.

The annual budgets published 30 November 2000, Official Report, column 765 were the amounts allocated to tackle fuel poverty in England for the 2000–04 financial years, the bulk of which was to be spent on Warm Front. Expenditure on fuel poverty activity in 2001–02 was £202 million, of which £197 million was spent on Warm Front. The level of funding for 2002–03 for fuel poverty is £167 million. The level of funding for 2003–04 is still under discussion. However, the Government remain committed to meeting the PSA target of assisting 600,000 vulnerable homes by 2004 and the wider ranging requirements set out in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy published November 2001, which, is underpinned, by the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Under the Energy Efficiency Commitment for 2002–05 (EEC), electricity and gas suppliers are required to meet targets for the promotion of improvements in domestic energy efficiency. We expect the costs of EEC for the next three years, which falls on the energy suppliers, to be around £465 million. Capital budgets of local authorities and registered social landlord energy efficiency programmes are the responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The two Warm Front Scheme Managers were appointed following UK Public Procurement Rules and Regulations on the basis of price tendered. The recommendation to appoint Eaga Partnership and TXU Warm Front Limited was unanimously approved as offering best value by the Tender Selection Panel. The fees paid to the Scheme Managers consist of a fixed monthly element and a variable amount paid for each

28 Mar 2003 : Column 474W

household where work has been completed and invoiced. The level of expenditure on administration of the scheme is a matter of commercial confidentiality.

Assuming an average SAP increase of 19 points per property and based on the 1998 Energy Follow Up Survey data, it is estimated that the percentage of households in fuel poverty based on full income (including Housing Benefit or ISMI) and basic income (excluding Housing Benefit or ISMI) would fall to 9 per cent. and between 14–15 per cent. respectively. This compares with 16.4 per cent. and 22.3 per cent. respectively at the time of issue of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy. However, it should be noted that while some properties may receive measures leading to a smaller SAP gain others may achieve a greater gain.

The number of households eligible for Warm Front cannot be obtained from the information collected on benefits by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Inland Revenue. Figures on eligibility and take up of benefits are collected on the basis of benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. Benefit units do not correspond directly to households as there may be more than one benefit unit per household, whether that is because an individual is on more than one benefit or more than one recipient of a benefit is occupying the same household.

The procedures used in estimating the take-up of a single benefit cannot be extended to combined benefits without making considerable assumptions/judgments. The figures produced would therefore be highly unreliable and due to the complexity involved would be achieved at highly disproportionate costs.

Estimates of take-up of individual income-related benefits (income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance) are produced by the Department for Work and Pensions . A report containing the latest statistics, entitled "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 1999/2000", is held in the Library.

In the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published November 2001, the Government gave a commitment to working towards a consistent definition of fuel poverty across the UK. Whilst some progress has been made, there is not yet uniformity.

In Scotland, the definition is now broadly in line with that agreed for England. One difference that remains is that the satisfactory heating regime for elderly and infirm households is set at 23°C in the main living area compared to the English definition of 21°C. The Welsh Assembly is still considering the position with respect to the definitions of income. They will monitor the number of households in fuel poverty using the same definition as in England. Northern Ireland's definition of fuel poverty will be subject to consultation.

We are currently carrying out a review of Warm Front to look what it has delivered; the issues faced such as the link between fuel poverty and eligibility for assistance under Warm Front, solutions found, examples of best practice and future priorities. A report of that review will be produced during 2003.

28 Mar 2003 : Column 475W

Illegal Imports

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many copies of her Department's leaflet for travellers, 'Don't Bring Back More than You Bargained For', have been (a) published and (b) distributed; by what means the leaflets were distributed to travellers; and when the most recent distribution was. [103755]

Margaret Beckett: 545,000 copies of the 'Don't Bring Back More Than You Bargained For' leaflet have been printed.

In total 272,533 have been distributed to date, via various channels including: independent travel agents, travel retailers, airlines, airports, GPs surgeries, dentists, NHS hospitals, post offices, health clinics/day hospitals, health education units, public libraries, school/college/university libraries, Citizens Advice Bureaux, chemists, veterinary surgeries, environmental health officers, law centres/solicitors and the general public.

Copies of the leaflet continue to be available on request from Defra publications.

Leaflets are not the only method we are using to get the message across, for example we are advertising on 7 million ticket wallets for long haul destinations.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many notices under Regulation 24, for the seizure of products of animal origin that have been illegally introduced, were issued in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02, and (c) 2002–03. [103758]

Margaret Beckett: Defra has been notified of the following seizures of products of animal origin under Regulation 24. Little or no data were available centrally prior to April 2001.


Next Section Index Home Page