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House of Lords Official Report Vol. 708 Tuesday No. 35 24 February 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions Benefits: Winter Fuel Allowance Statute Law Database Economy: Arts and Culture Energy: Renewable Gas Health: Disease Control (Intergovernmental Organisations Committee Report) Motion to Take Note Freedom of Information Act 2000 Statement Energy: Renewables (Economic Affairs Committee Report) Motion to Take Note Human Rights: Religious Belief Question for Short Debate Grand Committee Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL] Committee (Seventh Day) Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. The bound volumes also will be sent to those Peers who similarly notify their wish to receive them. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. Corrections for the bound volume which Lords wish to suggest to the report of their speeches should be clearly indicated in a copy of the Daily Report, which, with the column numbers concerned shown on the front cover, should be sent to the Editor of Debates, House of Lords, within 14 days of the date of the Daily Report. This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/index/090224.html PRICES AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES DAILY PARTS Single copies: Commons, £5; Lords £3·50 Annual subscriptions: Commons, £865; Lords £525 WEEKLY HANSARD Single copies: Commons, £12; Lords £6 Annual subscriptions: Commons, £440; Lords £255 Index—Single copies: Commons, £6·80—published every three weeks Annual subscriptions: Commons, £125; Lords, £65. LORDS CUMULATIVE INDEX obtainable on standing order only. Details available on request. BOUND VOLUMES OF DEBATES are issued periodically during the session. Single copies: Commons, £105; Lords, £40. Standing orders will be accepted. THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN, compiled by the House of Commons, gives details of past and forthcoming business, the work of Committees and general information on legislation, etc. Single copies: £1·50. Annual subscription: £53·50. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2009, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ 97 Benefits: Winter Fuel Allowance[24 FEBRUARY 2009] Benefits: Winter Fuel Allowance 98 through disability benefits, in particular the disability House of Lords living allowance. At the moment, somebody on the highest rate of care component and the higher rate of Tuesday, 24 February 2009. mobility component would receive a benefit of something in excess of £113 per week. We believe that that is the 2.30 pm right way. I should add that people who are disabled do not necessarily suffer the consequences of fluctuating Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Chichester. weather conditions. For example, someone who is profoundly deaf will not necessarily have an extra need for support with their heating, compared with Benefits: Winter Fuel Allowance others. Question Lord Tomlinson: My Lords, does my noble friend 2.35 pm agree with me that the Government have done their Asked By Baroness Wilcox share towards combating fuel poverty and it is about time that some of the utility companies accepted their To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they responsibility? Although energy prices have been falling, plan to alter the eligibility criteria for the winter that has not been reflected in consumer prices at fuel allowance for this winter. anything like the speed that the increases were when energy prices started rising. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Lord McKenzie of Luton: My Lords, my noble Luton): My Lords, winter fuel payments are paid to friend is right that the energy companies need to do people aged 60 and over to help to mitigate the effects more, which is why the Government are engaged with of cold weather during the winter months. There are them, particularly on data sharing, so that their efforts no plans to alter the eligibility criteria for winter fuel can be targeted on the most vulnerable. My noble payments this winter. This year, the winter fuel payment friend is also right about energy prices. Domestic gas is £250 for households with someone aged between prices rose by 51 per cent in the year to September 60 and 79, and £400 for households with someone 2008 and domestic electricity prices rose by 31 per aged 80 and over. cent. While wholesale forward prices for gas and electricity have fallen by something like 40 per cent, that has not Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord yet fed through into cuts to retail consumers, although for that Answer but, given the National Audit Office’s some of the energy companies have at last announced scathing report on the failure of the Government’s some decreases. Warm Front programme to reach the poorest and most vulnerable of our people, I wonder whether he Baroness O’Cathain: My Lords, is the Minister might like to look at this again. When are the Government aware that the energy companies, particularly the gas really going to get it right on fuel poverty? and electricity suppliers to householders, are bombarding customers with various bits of literature? First, they Lord McKenzie of Luton: My Lords, fuel poverty is have a self-read scheme, then they write and say that a significant issue for the Government. We are committed they do not have one and are going to do X, Y and Z to tackling it and have already put in place a number instead. The documents are all in small type with lots of measures to help those vulnerable to it. Since 2000, of words and they go straight into the rubbish basket. the Government have spent £20 billion on benefits and What is Ofgem doing about making the companies programmes to help those vulnerable to fuel poverty. more consumer friendly and making people who suffer In addition to this help, in September 2008 the from fuel poverty aware of what they can do and what Government announced an extra £1 billion package to they can get? I see that the noble Lord sitting beside tackle fuel poverty; the proposed new package includes the Minister is nodding in agreement. £910 million towards the national home energy saving programme. Lord McKenzie of Luton: My Lords, the noble Baroness raises a relevant point, on which my noble Baroness Thomas of Winchester: My Lords, will the friend was whispering in my ear. We are continuing to Government consider extending the eligibility of this engage on the issue to make sure that the messages scheme to those in receipt of the higher rate mobility from the energy companies are clear and, importantly, component of the disability living allowance who are targeted on the most vulnerable in particular. under 60? I declare an interest in that I receive the DLA, although unfortunately I am not under 60. Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan: My Lords, does my There is a limit to the number of woolly jumpers that noble friend recognise that the fuel poverty lobby, of people can wear when the weather gets very cold and which I am happy to be an office bearer, both in they have very limited mobility. Scotland and in the rest of the UK, has been advocating a gold standard for the relief of the poorest consumers? Lord McKenzie of Luton: My Lords, as I explained, At the moment, we are allowing a free market in we have no plans to extend eligibility. We believe that poverty subsidy rather than properly addressing the the right way to support people who are disabled is issue. The Government really have to grasp the legislative 99 Benefits: Winter Fuel Allowance[LORDS] Statute Law Database 100 [LORD O’NEILL OF CLACKMANNAN] law database websites. Those Acts likely to be affected nettle and create a gold standard for fuel poverty by the equality Bill are unlikely to be up-to-date when assistance for the poorest consumers. We cannot allow the Bill is introduced. However, consolidated versions the matter to be left to companies, which often fail to of the relevant legislation can be found on the Equality meet the undertakings that they have given to the and Human Rights Commission website free of charge. Government because there is a lack of definition in The Library also has access to commercial databases. what is required. The Government should show leadership on the issue. Lord Low of Dalston: My Lords, perhaps the Minister Lord McKenzie of Luton: My Lords, I believe that would take this as a request in relation to the equality we are showing leadership on the issue. We are continuing legislation and the statute law database. I thank him to engage with the energy companies. In the Pensions for his reply. In the light of the reported views of the Act last year, we legislated on data sharing, which is an Secretary of State for Business, can he confirm the important component of making sure that we can commitment given in the discrimination law review share data on the most vulnerable so that the energy that future equality legislation should involve no loss companies can play their part. As for what the of protection for groups covered by equality legislation Government are doing to play their part, in winter and should, indeed, enhance it where appropriate? 2007-08 we made more than 12 million payments to more than 8.5 million households.
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