Press Release

30^th October 2001

Oak Tree Tenants win Central Heating Victory

MSP for Greenock & Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, has intervened to ensure that tenants of Oak Tree Housing Association receive their free central heating package as soon as possible.

A bureaucratic wrangle between Scottish Homes and the Housing Association was blocking the release of £55,000, allocated by the Scottish Parliament under its free central heating scheme to carry out work on twenty two households.

After being contacted by a number of concerned Oak Tree tenants, Mr McNeil made representations to both Scottish Homes and the Housing Association.

The log-jam has now been broken and all of the homes will now receive the free package (for details, see below) by the end of this financial year. Special priority, though, will be given to pensioners.

Mr McNeil welcomed the move, saying:

"Fuel poverty - people living in cold, damp houses which they cannot afford to heat - has no place in 21^st Century Scotland. And when the Scottish Parliament is tackling this problem by giving Council tenants and Housing Association tenants and all pensioners - including those who own their own homes - free central heating and insulation, red tape must not be allowed to cause delay.

"I was therefore concerned when Oak Tree tenants came to me, asking why they were not getting the package to which they were entitled. I made representations to both Scottish Homes and Oak Tree Housing Association, asking why the money which we had made available was not being spent on providing warm, well-insulated homes for local tenants.

"I am glad to see this has had the desired effect, with the two organisations sorting out their differences, releasing this money and allowing work to begin."

The news comes as the Scottish Executive confirmed that all Council houses in Inverclyde will have central heating by April 2002. Inverclyde Council is receiving £207,500 in 2001 / 2002 to complete the programme for Council Tenants.

The Executive has also revealed that 420 applications have been submitted by pensioners in the Private sector. Should these applications be successful, this will result in a further £1 million in grants being made to Inverclyde households, bringing the total amount earmarked for Inverclyde to £1.3 million.

ENDS

1. The free central heating package comprises:

• A central heating system;
• Loft, tank and pipe insulation, cavity wall insulation, and draughtproofing, in each case where appropriate;
• A carbon monoxide detector (except where the heating system is electric); a mains linked smoke detector and a cold alarm; and
• Advice on how to use the heating system and on best use of energy and budgeting.

2. "Fuel poverty" is defined as a household which spends over 10% of its income on fuel.

3. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, aims to make fuel poverty a thing of the past for vulnerable households by 2010.

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