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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many households are defined as fuel-poor on the basis of (a) income including housing benefit and mortgage interest support, (b) income excluding housing benefit and mortgage interest support and (c) income excluding housing expenditure. [145766] 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. Using data from the latest English House Condition Survey, the table shows the effect of different options for calculating household income on the number of households defined as fuel poor in 1996. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number of households defined as fuel poor Fuel poor households as a percentage of in England in 1996{ 1} (Million) all households in England{ 2} (a) Income including Housing Benefit and 4.3 22 Income Support for mortgage interest (b) Income excluding Housing Benefit and 5.3 27 Income Support for mortgage interest (c) Income excluding housing expenditure 6.8 35 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Assumes fuel costs include those for non-heating purposes. {2} Total number of households in England in 1996 was 19.6 million. As would be expected, when housing expenditure is excluded from household income, the overall household income decreases and hence the number of households defined as fuel poor rises. Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and it is the responsibility of the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

361 c294W; 145766

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Households Fuel poverty Heating Fuels Income Low incomes

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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