2. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn helpu pobl mewn tlodi tanwydd yng Nghymru? OAQ51539

Thank you. Our key programme for tackling fuel poverty is Welsh Government Warm Homes, which includes the Nest and Arbed schemes. For the period 2017-21, we are investing £104 million in improving the energy efficiency of up to 25,000 homes of those on low incomes or living in deprived areas of Wales.

Diolch. Reducing emissions from our housing stock is key to meeting our broader energy and climate change targets. Given that 90 per cent of today's homes will still be in use in 2050, will you, as Cabinet Secretary, commit to working with the cross-party group on fuel poverty and energy efficiency to consider introducing a revised fuel poverty strategy and action plan to outline new targets to improve homes to a minimum energy efficiency standard of EPCC, whilst acknowledging the benefits that some schemes, such as Arbed, have brought forward, and recognising that there's much work to do, given that the 2018 targets originally set are not now going to be met?

I think you make a very important point, and we had a decarbonisation ministerial task and finish group on Monday, where we were talking about this, because, obviously, we've been concentrating on energy efficiency as our way of tackling fuel poverty, but we also need to look at retrofitting in respect of decarbonisation and how we are going to obviously hit those targets as well.

We will be having new fuel poverty data at the end of 2018 and that will absolutely inform the discussions that we have, particularly with our stakeholders. I'd be very happy to come along to a cross-party group, if you wish me to do so.

Cabinet Secretary, I recently met with Citizens Advice in my local area to discuss their work campaigning on pre-payment meters. I'm sure that you will be fully aware that people on pre-payment meters are some of our most vulnerable citizens, who are often disadvantaged to the tune of several hundred pounds a year. Rhondda Cynon Taf actually has the highest number of households with pre-payment meters in Wales. I appreciate that this isn't an area that is devolved, but what work has the Welsh Government done, or what consultation has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government around this key issue? 

Again, I think the Member makes a very important point. It's not a matter for the Welsh Government, but, of course, it is something that we are extremely interested in. I know that my officials have had discussions with officials in the UK Government around what we can do to support, as you say, some of the most deprived people in our constituencies.

In the future, as well as advice and support services, we should be looking at smarter and more efficient homes to begin with. I understand that the Welsh housing quality standard has mandated better efficiency in social housing, but we need to be looking at a wider approach. The SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Swansea University has created a design for homes as mini power stations, and plans were approved for 16 such new homes in Neath in August of last year. The design itself could cut household utility bills by 60 per cent. I was just wondering what plans you have to outline more support in this area so that we can look at more innovative housing to bring the cost down for those who potentially can't afford it.

I mentioned in my original answer to Mark Isherwood that we had a meeting of the decarbonisation ministerial task and finish group, and Rebecca Evans, the Minister for Housing and Regeneration sits on this, because we need to look beyond 2020 now, when all of our homes will have reached the WHQS, about what we then do with that funding that's been available for that. I think we need to look at much more innovation in our homes, and certainly those discussions will be ongoing between me and the Minister for Housing and Regeneration.