Chair of the Welsh Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, Mark Isherwood MS, has today called on the Minister responsible for Fuel Poverty to respond to concerns regarding the Welsh Government’s new Cold Weather Resilience Plan.
Questioning the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood, the Shadow Minister for Social Justice, said the Plan, which he has long been calling for, is welcomed by Fuel Poverty Coalition Members, although they have raised a number of concerns.
Asking the Minister to respond to these concerns, he said:
“Last month on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, the Welsh Government published its Cold Weather Resilience Plan for people at risk of living in a cold home, something I had been calling for as Chair of the Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency.
“Although Fuel Poverty Coalition Members welcomed the plan – and most of them fed into its development, how do you respond to their concern and feedback:
- That they would like to see strengthened detail on how the Welsh Government will work with the Health Sector to achieve the Plan’s aims and agree what the Health Sector can do to support it.
- That the plan would benefit from the inclusion of an additional objective or additional specific actions to:
- Help support critical moments in healthcare e.g. discharge from hospital; and protecting or enhancing ‘Hospital to Healthier Home’ services
- Help train healthcare professionals to identify fuel poverty and those at risk of cold weather and raise awareness of available support
- and help establish referral networks between health actors and advice partners.
- AND that beyond Emergency Assistance Payments under Discretionary Assistance Fund for oil/LPG, little to no detail is provided on how the Plan will support rural communities.
“I look forward to the Minister’s response accordingly.”
In her response, the Minister stated:
“You mentioned rural communities, through the Discretionary Assistance Fund - they're included in the plan, and also supporting joint working with energy suppliers to ensure that we are targeting support on households that are struggling to pay their energy bills; improved referrals into schemes such as the Warm Homes programme; the Energy Company Obligation Scheme; but also, clearly, as you have identified, in terms of health and well-being services as well.”
