To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will raise the issue of fuel poverty at the next meeting of the joint ministerial committee on poverty. (S1O-2283)

I am delighted to inform the member that we will raise the issue of fuel poverty in the joint ministerial team. I will highlight the fact that this week we have announced the biggest ever programme to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland. Around 70,000 pensioners and 71,000 other council and housing association tenants will benefit from this radical programme, which will eat into the major problem of fuel poverty in Scotland.

Does the minister agree that the current sense of national crisis over fuel would be better directed towards trying to alleviate the plight of the fuel poor? As the Scottish Executive is doing everything that it can to tackle fuel poverty, will the minister stress to the Westminster ministers on the joint committee the absolute necessity that they act to bring the cost of fuel down to within the price range of the fuel poor? Will he stress that they must outlaw—and I mean outlaw—the obscene practice whereby profit-bloated, privatised power companies force power cards on to some of the poorest people in our country, forcing them to pay more for their fuel than anyone else and ultimately forcing them to disconnect themselves from the fuel supply? That is unacceptable in the 21 ^st century.

We will identify ways in which we can continue to address fuel poverty. The issue that Mr McAllion has raised should be addressed. We will discuss with our colleagues at Westminster the winter fuel allowance, which is now at its highest ever level in Scotland. We want to ensure that we still have the resources to continue the warm deal programme. By working in partnership, we can address the issues that John McAllion has raised. Fuel poverty will be addressed.

Does the minister agree that it would be possible—using the powers of the Parliament and the Executive—to develop a voluntary code for the power generating and delivering companies, which would call upon them to exempt all our pensioners from standing charges?

If Mr Quinan writes to me, I will be happy to take that issue forward.

In these days when a car is a necessity in many rural areas in Scotland, does the minister acknowledge that the definition of fuel poverty needs to be extended to cover those who are unable to afford the fuel to run their cars?

That is a little wide of the question. We will move on.