Oral Answers to Questions — Communities – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:30 pm on 16 September 2024.
Andy Allen
UUP
2:30,
16 September 2024
T4. Mr Allen asked the Minister for Communities, having in previous answers referenced the Fuel Poverty strategy, to give a definitive date for when that strategy will come forward. (AQT 514/22-27)
Gordon Lyons
DUP
Unfortunately, I am not able to give a definitive date on that because it will be subject to Executive approval, but I can reassure the Member that we have progressed with it at pace. As I have said, we have done more on it than has been done for some time, and I am looking forward to being able to share that as soon as possible.
Andy Allen
UUP
I am sure that the Minister, as with other Members, including me, is being contacted almost daily by members of households who are struggling to heat their homes. Can he therefore give a guarantee that the Fuel Poverty strategy will be truly cross-departmental and will have meaningful and tangible outcomes that will be felt by those householders struggling to heat their homes?
Gordon Lyons
DUP
Yes, absolutely, because it will be successful only if it is cross-departmental. Energy has a large role to play in this. Infrastructure will have its role, and Health, in my view, absolutely has a role as well. Not only will it be beneficial for it to be Executive-wide but it is necessary.
A household is said to be in fuel poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given their income.
A household is said to be in fuel poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given their income.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
