Fuel Poverty

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 16 November 2016.

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Photo of John Mason John Mason Scottish National Party

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The pound going down will push up fuel prices, which will hit poorer people even harder.

I believe that Andy Wightman was referring to the private rented sector and owner-occupiers when he talked about repairs and maintenance. I, too, was going to mention those issues, because if we are to improve the housing stock we might need to consider compulsory factoring and having someone in every property who takes the lead in getting things improved.

I note the recommendation in the report that the definition of fuel poverty be changed as it has proved unhelpful in targeting those most in need. That is a valid argument, although some will fear that someone will try to pretend that there is less of a problem than there actually is.

I welcome the Government’s commitment not to define the problem away and to have an expert independent review to see how we can make improvements.

There are certain essentials that we should expect in the modern, developed society that we claim to be. Food and clothing are certainly two of those, but warm, dry accommodation has to be included.