To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to reduce carbon emissions from council homes. (147409)

The Decent Homes Standard, which we expect every council home to meet, requires that homes have both efficient heating and effective insulation. This requirement will enable carbon emissions from council housing to be reduced.

Since 2001, over 470,000 dwellings have received work to improve their energy efficiency under the decent homes programme or as part of wider local authority work to update the stock. Since 2001 there has also been a 36 per cent. reduction in the number of social sector homes failing the Decent Homes Standard on the thermal comfort criterion.