Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question follows a recent report indicating rising fuel poverty. The previous year saw over 3 million households in fuel poverty.
What estimate has been made of the number of households in fuel poverty in winter 2023-24?
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter. The latest figures, published on 15 February 2024, showed that 3.17 million households were in fuel poverty in 2023. The Government continue to deliver financial support to low-income homes and vulnerable households through the warm home discount scheme and cost of living payments.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide an estimate for winter 2023-24 as requested, only figures from a previous period.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government's energy efficiency policy has not met its targets, with only 3,000 homes insulated in eight months and just 137 in South Yorkshire.
The cost of living crisis affects constituents; the Great British insulation scheme aims to insulate 100,000 homes annually but only 3,000 have been helped. Will the Minister explain why it will take 60 years to meet their three-year target?
Energy efficiency is incredibly important to this Government and we have many schemes available. The Great British insulation scheme alone has committed £592 million.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address the slow progress of the scheme or why it will take 60 years to meet targets.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The Great British insulation scheme, following previous failures like the green deal and green homes grant, has only insulated 137 of South Yorkshire's 1.4 million residents' homes.
With just 137 homes upgraded in South Yorkshire under GBIS and constituents wanting bills cut, emissions reduced, and homes insulated, when will the Minister get a grip?
We are spending £6 billion in this Parliament and a further £6 billion up to 2028 to make buildings, including private rented properties, cleaner and warmer. That is in addition to the estimated £5 billion that will be delivered for ECO4—the energy company obligation—and the Great British insulation scheme up to March 2026.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address why progress was slow or specific actions planned, only future spending commitments.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Constituents in Motherwell and Wishaw face dire fuel poverty, with national estimates showing 6 million households in fuel poverty post-price cap.
With National Energy Action estimating that there will be 6 million UK households in fuel poverty, when will the Government take meaningful action on an energy social tariff?
Last winter, this Government delivered £40 billion for households and businesses. We also have the warm home discount, the winter fuel payment and the disability cost of living payment. We are committed to ensuring that affordability is top of our list in relation to energy security.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide a timeline or commitment for an energy social tariff consultation.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Previous energy saving schemes have been failures, with just seven homes upgraded in Gateshead under the current scheme.
With 14 years of failed energy saving schemes, can the Minister explain why progress is so slow?
We continue to drive energy efficiency improvements for lower-income and fuel-poor households, through schemes including the energy company obligation, the social housing decarbonisation scheme and the homes upgrade grant.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address why progress was slow or specific steps taken to improve it.
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
A report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit highlights low installation rates under current government programmes.
The Government's false claims about their success in energy efficiency mostly involved taking credit for legacy Labour schemes; can the Minister explain why this is a disaster?
This Government have provided unprecedented support for people in this country. I have regular meetings with stakeholders, charities and different organisations. Undoubtedly, we are making sure that people have support through, as I have mentioned, the warm home discount, the energy price cap and lots of other payments, such as the cost of living payment of £900 per annum.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address why the record on insulation is a failure or specific measures to improve it.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
The boiler tax adds an extra £150 to the cost when a new boiler is purchased.
Does the Minister agree that it is time to ditch unworkable and unaffordable net zero policies?
No decision has yet been taken on that, but we have a commitment to ensure that we get the very best deal for all our constituents.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide an explicit agreement or disagreement on discarding net zero policies.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
A year ago, the Energy Secretary committed to compensate customers if suppliers had wrongly installed prepayment meters.
How many individuals who had a prepayment meter wrongly installed have had compensation and when will those still waiting receive it?
One thing on which we can all agree across the House is that it was absolutely abhorrent that people had prepayment meters forced on them. We are working our way through the compensation, but I can assure Members that we are doing everything we can to ensure that, when prepayment meters are installed, we are doing exactly the right thing to make sure that everybody is kept safe.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific numbers or a timeline for compensation.
Response accuracy
Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
Over 3 million households are in arrears with energy suppliers, and nearly 10 million homes suffer from poor insulation. The Great British Insulation Scheme is experiencing issues.
More than 3 million households are in debt to their energy suppliers and almost 10 million households are living in cold, damp and poorly insulated homes. The Great British insulation scheme is proving to be a great Tory insulation fiasco. Will the Minister tell me why the insulation scheme is proving to be such a disaster?
We have taken great steps to support people. For example, last winter we gave unprecedented support to households and businesses. Of course, debt is a major concern, and I have regular meetings with stakeholders to ensure that we are doing the very best not only to get people out of debt, but to prevent them getting into debt in the first place.
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Assessment & feedback
Why the insulation scheme is failing
Regular Meetings With Stakeholders
Response accuracy