21 December 2004

SPELLAR WELCOMES EXTRA FUNDING TO REDUCE FUEL POVERTY

Social Development Minister, John Spellar, MP, today warmly welcomed the additional funding that has been allocated to reduce fuel poverty. The money was announced in Monday’s Budget statement.

Mr Spellar said: "When I launched the Department’s fuel poverty strategy, ‘Ending Fuel Poverty: A Strategy for Northern Ireland’, last month, I made clear our commitment to eradicating fuel poverty in Northern Ireland. I am therefore delighted to have secured an additional

£12 million over and above existing baseline budgets, over the next three years, for measures to tackle fuel poverty.

"Much of this will be allocated to the Warm Homes Scheme, which has already had substantial increases in funding over recent years, and will help us to build on the success of this scheme.

"The fuel poverty strategy sets out a number of very challenging targets for reducing fuel poverty in all social houses and vulnerable houses by 2010 and all houses by 2016. The securing of this additional funding demonstrates our commitment to addressing fuel poverty and improving the health and well being of the most vulnerable members of our society."

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