FUEL POVERTY BILL

Early day motion 1069, tabled 11 March 2009 by Alan Simpson (Labour). Signed by 205 members.

That this House notes that 418 hon. Members of all parties supported the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 during its passage through Parliament; notes that the Act brought about a statutory duty to end fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010 and in the rest of the sector by 2016; regrets therefore that a recent High Court judgment ruled that that statutory duty set pursuant to the Act was merely a duty to make efforts and that the targets were merely aspirations; further notes with concern that five million UK households will be unable to afford to heat their homes this winter and that a recent Help the Aged survey found that 4.5 million pensioners were planning to live in one room to keep warm; welcomes the introduction with cross-party support by the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome of the Fuel Poverty Bill, which reinstates the statutory duty to end fuel poverty by requiring the homes of the fuel poor to be brought up to the energy efficiency standards currently required for new homes and by the use of social tariffs for vulnerable customers in the short term; and calls on the Government to support this Bill and do everything that it can to ensure that it becomes law in this session of Parliament.

Signatures by party: Labour 103, Liberal Democrat 62, Conservative 22, DUP 4, Independent 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Scottish National Party 2, Independent Labour 1, Respect 1, UUP 1.