To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps he has taken to implement the undertakings made by the Prime Minister on 11 September 2008 in relation to the home energy saving programme; and if he will make a statement. (265834)

[holding answer 23 March 2009]: The Prime Minister’s announcement saw a £74 million increase in funding for the Warm Front Scheme, offering grants for central heating and energy efficiency measures for the fuel poor. Over 37,000 households have been assisted to date with this additional funding.

Also the weekly rate for cold weather payments was increased from £8.50 to £25. Over 8 million payments were made during winter 2008-09—at a value of £209 million.

Following full public consultation, the Government have laid the statutory instruments giving effect to the proposals for the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) and the increase in the Carbon Emissions Reductions Target (CERT), subject to parliamentary approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much new funding for low-carbon community heating schemes announced in Budget 2009 will be provided in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) subsequent years. (285101)

Of the £25 million made available in Budget 2009 to fund low-carbon community heating schemes, £20.96 million is being administered by the Homes and Communities Agency to fund at least 10 exemplar schemes in England. It is anticipated that all of the funding will be provided to successful schemes in 2009-10. The remainder of the funding was made available to the devolved Administrations in line with the Barnett formula and is a matter for them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the first payments of money from the new funding for low-carbon community heating schemes announced in Budget 2009 will be made. (285102)

The first payments of money from the new funding for low carbon community heating schemes will be made before the end of July. A formal and more detailed announcement will be made as soon as is possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria will be used to select recipients of the new funding for low-carbon community heating schemes announced in Budget 2009. (285103)

The criteria used to select recipients of the new funding for low carbon community heating schemes include:

Novelty, innovation or exemplar quality;

Support for new housing development or refurbishment of existing buildings;

Value for money;

Carbon savings;

Progress of the scheme and ability to deliver quickly, and to timescales;

Help for people affected by fuel poverty; and,

Ability to leverage additional public or private funding.