5. asked the Minister for Social Development if her Department will meet its annual commitment to reduce fuel poverty in 9,000 homes.          (AQO 1024/09)

My Department is on course to meet its target of alleviating fuel poverty in 9,000 homes this year by implementing energy-efficiency measures. Although that level of alleviation is on target, it will not effectively counter the overall rise in fuel poverty resultant from huge increases in energy prices. My Department is also trying to help people to help themselves. It has developed a television advertising campaign, which aired on 27 October, and will run throughout the winter. The campaign encourages people to seek help and advice on budgeting for energy bills. The television advertisement will be supported by a wider media campaign.

Will the Minister update Members on the progress of the report from the fuel poverty task force, which she set up in May? I understand that the task force’s proposals were sent to the Executive.

As Members will be aware, I developed a comprehensive set of proposals after work undertaken by the fuel poverty task force. I circulated a paper to ministerial colleagues in advance of the scheduled Executive meeting of 18 September. The Executive failed to meet, so I took on board the written comments that I received from ministerial colleagues and redrafted my paper in advance of the scheduled meeting in the first week of October. I asked for that paper and its content to be taken by the urgent procedure route, and it was submitted on 2 October. Regrettably, more than one month later, I have not received a response. Therefore, I can conclude only that one or both parties in OFMDFM do not agree with the proposals and may not want to discuss them.

I shall continue to work with the Minister of Finance and Personnel, the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to take work forward. However, the issue of fuel poverty merits a considered response from the Executive as a whole, because OFMDFM has responsibility for poverty, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has responsibility for energy prices and social tariffs, my Department has responsibility for energy efficiency in the home, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has responsibility for health-related issues — a significant report was carried out by Dr Liddell into the matter — and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a significant responsibility for fuel poverty in rural areas. Therefore, there is a cross-ministerial responsibility in respect of the issue.

I ask only that those who are continuing their blockade of meetings of the Executive stop in the interests of the wider community, because people are concerned about how they are going to keep warm this winter, and that is the issue that is confronting the wider population. Therefore, I urge those who are preventing Executive meetings to stop now.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Does the Minister believe that the warm homes scheme targets the most vulnerable sections of society, in particular, older people? I had an elderly constituent in Strabane who had difficulty applying for the warm homes scheme, but the issue was resolved with the assistance of a DSD official, and I wish to thank that official and the warm homes scheme for dealing with the matter. Go raibh maith agat.

I thank Mrs McGill for her kind comment, which I will pass on to my officials.

The warm homes scheme has been very successful since its inception, and many people in Northern Ireland have benefited from it. However, in order to focus on those who are most in need, I have initiated a consultation process on the scheme. A consultation paper is on my Department’s website, and MLAs and members of the public are invited to comment on it. It is only through informed comment from the public that a better, more beneficial policy can evolve.

It is also interesting to note that I have put more money into the warm homes scheme than did the former direct rule Ministers. There is no doubt that the scheme has been successful, but it must be more clearly focused on those who are most in need. That is why there will be a consultation period, inviting comments from Members and the wider public.

Will the Minister tell the Assembly what the consequences have been for those families and households who are already facing fuel poverty because of the failure of the Executive to meet for almost five months?

I fully sympathise and empathise with the Minister — with the Member — who asked the question.

A Member:

You were right the first time. [Laughter.]

We need a little bit of jocularity in the Chamber now and then.

A Member:

And spiritual activity, too.

Yes, and spiritual guidance from Rev Coulter.

The Member asked a very serious question. It is time for cross-ministerial activity and discussion in the Executive as well as cross-ministerial response and decision-making. People will be in peril if we do not do that. I am not scaremongering: the most important issue is that those people who are blockading Executive meetings — they know who they are, what they are doing and why they are doing it — are placing the lives of people in severe danger. I ask them to stop it and to give immediate consideration to my paper on fuel poverty, which was submitted in the second week of September 2008. It is unacceptable that we have not yet had a response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister to my request for that paper to be dealt with by urgent procedure.