Bridget slams MP for backing down over warm homes

11.11.21am GMT Thu 11th Nov 2004

Cllr Bridget Fox today slammed local Labour MP Chris Smith for backing down over vital legislation to increase energy efficiency in homes which would have made a major impact on reducing CO2 emissions and relieving fuel poverty.

Cllr Fox said

"Islington's Labour MP said all the right things and supported energy efficient homes right up until he had to vote on it. He has failed to put his money where his mouth is when it counted. This legislation could have saved many lives."

Fuel poverty, which energy efficient homes can help combat, contributed to there being 2800 excess winter deaths in London in 2002/03. Chris Smith has signed Early Day Motions in the past supporting this aim, but on Monday voted against the amendments in the Housing Bill, contributing to their defeat by the Labour Government.

Bridget Fox wrote to Chris Smith MP before the vote urging him to support it. In the letter, she said:

"Decent homes should mean warm homes. Councils cannot achieve this alone. Islington needs an MP who will seize this chance to amend the Housing Bill and make Warmer homes a reality. My Liberal Democrat colleagues in Parliament support this. Please use your vote on Monday to do the same. Don't leave our planet over-heating and Islington residents out in the cold."

Background Information:

The Lords amendments to the Housing Bill were defeated in the House of Commons on Monday (8th Nov) by the Labour Government. Chris Smith MP voted against both. The amendments were:

Lords Amendment 190 – Decent Homes Standard for Social Housing, which would have raised the decent homes standard to include a SAP (energy efficiency) rating of 65 in line with the requirements of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act, andLords Amendment 191 – Improvements in Energy Efficiency, which would have restored the 20% energy efficiency target recently abandoned by the Government. The Energy White Paper recently stated that energy efficiency is the "cheapest, cleanest and safest" way to reduce CO2 emissions.

In 2002/03 there were 2,800 Excess Winter deaths in London and 24,000 in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics