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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people lived in fuel poverty in Shrewsbury and Atcham (a) in May 1997 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [156509] Mr. Meacher: The common definition of a fuel poor household is one that needs to spend in excess of 10 per cent. of household income in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime. Data on the number of households living in fuel poverty are derived from the English House Condition Survey, which is carried out every five years. The Survey allows estimates to be made of the number of fuel poor households at a regional level, but not at local authority level. Using data from the latest English House Condition Survey (1996), the table shows the effect of different options for calculating household income on the number of households defined as fuel poor in the West Midlands Government Office region in 1996{1}. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. West Midlands Government Office region England (Thousand) (Million) (a) Income including Housing Benefit and 550 4.3 Income Support for mortgage interest (b) Income excluding Housing Benefit and 640 5.3 Income Support for mortgage interest _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Assumes fuel costs include those for non-heating purposes. Since the last English House Condition Survey, the Government have implemented a range of measures that have reduced the number of fuel poor households in England by an estimated one million between 1996 and 1999. Further measures to end the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010 are set out in the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy, which was published for consultation on 23 February 2001.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

156509; 366 c13-4W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Energy Households Fuel poverty Heating Poverty Shrewsbury Atcham

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk