Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 1 February 2017.
Yes, I am aware of Age Cymru’s statement on fuel poverty and, certainly, we are currently considering the proposals that they’ve recommended in the development of our wider fuel poverty policy going forward. We’ve already responded to many of the proposals that they have brought forward in our response to the Nest consultation that was published just before Christmas. So, for instance, we’re proposing to extend eligibility for a package of Nest home energy improvement measures to low-income households with occupants suffering from certain vulnerable health conditions, and we do have fast-track arrangements in place for eligible vulnerable people, which I think is really important. Also, when my colleague, Carl Sargeant, and I were in our respective portfolios—and now we’ve swapped—we decided that we would have a look at a major new data collection for our housing stock, because we did not have that data that we both felt that we should have. So, we have brought that forward and we’ve issued a joint written statement to Members on that.