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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate his Department's expenditure on winter fuel payments over the last five years; and what money was made available for investment in programmes to achieve affordable warmth over the same period. [123490] Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table. Expenditure on Winter Fuel Payments in Great Britain over the past five years £ million (cash) _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Winter Expenditure 1998-99 194 1999-2000 759 2000-01 1,749 2001-02 1,692 2002-03 1,712 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy sets out a wide range of programmes to contribute to tackling fuel poverty by improving the comfort of vulnerable households. These include Warm Front and the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002-05 under which energy suppliers must focus 50 per cent. of their energy saving target on low-income families. In England, the main Government expenditure is through the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, now marketed as Warm Front. It is estimated that from April 1998 to March 2003, approximately £577 million has been spent on Warm Front grants. Similar schemes operate in Scotland and Wales.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

123490; 408 c766W;408 c763-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Department for Work and Pensions Expenditure Heating Older people Public expenditure Winter fuel payment

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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