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Fuel Poverty

My hon. Friend makes an important point. We can see the benefits of actively intervening to tackle such problems. Of course, it is all very well to have schemes—I commend the work that the Government are doing—but if people do not know about or participate in them, they are very much a waste of time. We must get the message across. One important way to combat fuel poverty is to increase the income of many of those who are at risk of falling into the fuel poverty trap. My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith spoke about social tariffs. Like him, I hope that the energy Bill will include some positive proposals that will result in greater benefit to those who are in danger of falling into the fuel poverty trap. I have no doubt that the winter fuel payment has had a significant impact on fuel poverty, but the decision taken in the 2005 pre-Budget report to keep fuel payments at the present level for the duration of this Parliament needs to be revisited if the regulator does not have sufficient powers to intervene to prevent the massive increases that the fuel companies are demanding. It is clear that the winter fuel payment has not gone up in line with rising fuel prices. Indeed, figures show that, between 2005 and 2007, the percentage of total fuel bills met by winter fuel payment fell from 36 to 34 per cent. The Government must address that issue. We should consider ways of increasing winter fuel payments and, as other Members suggested, perhaps even widening the access to other vulnerable groups such as the disabled and, possibly, the terminally ill. With energy companies seemingly increasing their prices at will, we are faced with the difficulty that people will fall into fuel poverty as soon as energy prices rise. The great socialist James Maxton said that poverty is man-made and therefore open to change. Fuel poverty is man-made. It is up to us to do something about the situation and change it.