To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many pensioner households in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire have received grants or other assistance to improve their home insulation in each year since 1996-97; and how much public funding was spent on such grants in each such year. (232595)

The following tables illustrate the number of pensioner households receiving insulation measures through the Warm Front Scheme and associated costs in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire by scheme year from 2005-06 onwards. We do not hold figures for measures prior to this period.

Since 2002, pensioners in Great Britain have also benefited from subsidised and free insulation measures, including loft and cavity wall insulation, under the supplier-funded Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC). During the period 2002 to 2008, 5 million households received insulation measures through the EEC. Suppliers were required to focus 50 per cent. of their efforts on a priority group of vulnerable and low-income households, including pensioners on qualifying benefits. However, suppliers were not required to provide a precise break-down of the types of households within the priority group that received assistance, or geographical information as to where measures were installed.

The current phase of the EEC, now known as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, operated in similar terms to the EEC. However, supplier activity levels are more than double that of EEC and will benefit some 6 million households by 2011. 40 per cent. of these will be from the priority group, which now includes all pensioners over 70.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many pensioner households in York have received grants or other assistance to improve their home insulation in each year since 1996-97; and how much public money was spent on this in each such year. (230257)

The following table illustrates the number of pensioner households assisted by the Warm Front Scheme in the City of York and Vale of York constituencies between 1 June 2005 and 30 September 2008. (Prior to this period the scheme was administered by a different agency and the data held by the current administrator are not sufficient to provide an accurate response to the question.)

Since 2002, pensioners in Great Britain have also benefited from subsidised and free insulation measures, including loft and cavity wall insulation, under the supplier-funded Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC). During the period 2002 to 2008, 5 million households received insulation measures through the EEC. Suppliers were required to focus 50 per cent. of their efforts on a priority group of vulnerable and low-income households, including pensioners on qualifying benefits. However, suppliers were not required to provide a precise break-down of the types of households within the priority group that receive assistance, or geographical information as to where measures were installed.

The current phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment, now known as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, operates in similar terms to the EEC. However, supplier activity levels are more than double that of the EEC and will benefit some 6 million households by 2011. 40 per cent. of these will be from the priority group, which how includes all pensioners over 70.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has held on the establishment of grant schemes to assist low income owner occupiers to insulate older properties without cavity walls. (233665)

[holding answer 6 November 2008]: Warm Front, which is the Government's main scheme for the eradication of fuel poverty, is always seeking to asses and incorporate new technologies which can improve the energy efficiency of vulnerable households. Those homes without cavity walls present a typical case of hard to treat properties, not least because the present alternative forms of insulation available are prohibitively expensive to deliver. My Department continues to work with stakeholders to ensure that all viable options are considered and incorporated into the scheme where appropriate.