---

Energy Bill

I, too, wholeheartedly support this amendment. In my small contribution at Second Reading, I devoted most of my speech to fuel poverty. It is an absolute scandal that, in 2008, anyone should have to live in fuel poverty. The noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, mentioned targeting. He emphasised the fact that this is covered by several different government departments, which is often the same with alternative energy, in which I have also been involved. One used to have to get involved with Defra, the Department for Transport, the old Department of Trade and Industry and with the Treasury. There is a great complication as regards subsection (4) in this amendment. I feel incredibly strongly about the geographic difference. The noble Lord, Lord Bach, will realise that I have a meeting with him after Questions on Tuesday to discuss this very issue. It is absolute madness that, for example, someone on fuel poverty payments who lives on the south coast of England receives the same amount as someone living on the north coast of Scotland. Last weekend at home in the Scottish Borders, it was 52 degrees and we very nearly lit a fire. It was not that temperature on the south coast of England. We should seriously consider that there should be some geographic difference. This will not be the last that the noble Lord, Lord Bach, will hear from me on this subject. I look forward to talking to him. However, I wholeheartedly support this amendment. I reiterate that it is an absolute scandal for anyone to suffer fuel poverty today. It is interesting that a former Conservative Minister responsible for energy has to bring forward this amendment rather than the Government.