Are you looking forward to a White Christmas? I know many people, especially children, lookforward to snow, but equally there are many Scots who dread this time of year and the coldweather our climate brings us, because they cannot afford to heat their homes.

This substantial section of Scottish society - in particular the elderly, ill, unemployed,disabled, and full or part-time carers - may spend hours in their homes but without adequateheating because of the associated cost. Low incomes, and the conditions associated withthem, magnify fuel poverty, where smaller disposable incomes are stretched to purchase fuel.

Affordable warmth is defined as costing no more than 10% of disposable weekly income and theUK average is 5%. However, poorer families and individuals spend as much as 20% and ScottishLocal Energy Advice Centres have recorded cases of severe hardship where low incomehouseholds were spending as much as 40% of their disposable incomes on fuel.

And the true extent of fuel poverty is masked by the increasing installation of pre-paymentmeters by utilities, which can lead to self-disconnection becoming a way of life for toomany low income occupiers. Scottish Power found in 1993 that over 7,000 households a yearwere recurringly going without electricity for more than 24 hours - half because they justcouldn't afford to buy powercards. In a developed society it is appalling that people haveto choose between heat and other essentials of life - like food.

1996 has been the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. Yet, despite certainobligations arising from the United Nations World Summit for Social Development, the UKGovernment did not devise a national poverty eradication plan. According to SocialSecurities Minister Peter Lilley, these plans may be useful in developing countries but notin "well developed industrial nations such as the UK".

This from the minister in charge of poverty prevention in Britain, whose party's policieshave created a ten point increase in the percentage of the UK population on income support -a key measure of poverty - and increased VAT on fuel to 8%, which creates œ1.3 billion forthe Treasury every year. The SNP would reduce VAT to 5%, a measure we have long wanted andbrought to Parliament last year, but could not secure as Labour refused to back our policy.An SNP government will also implement a Cold Climate Allowance, which would be paidautomatically during the 17 coldest winter weeks from December to March (inclusive) to allhouseholds in receipt of a Retirement Pension, Income Support, Family Credit of HousingBenefit.

Last winter was one of the coldest on record and this year it looks as though it will be nobetter. That is why addressing the needs of Scotland's fuel poor is more vital than ever.The fuel poor whom the Government ignores but whom I believe have a right to warmth, deserveyour thoughts during the cold Winter and in Spring your votes for a party who believe insocial justice the SNP.

Merry Christmas.

Margaret Ewing MP
SNP Parliamentary Leader
Convener All-Party Warm Homes Group

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If you would like to know more about the SNP and HELP SCOTLAND contact snp.hq@snp.org.uk or visit the official the Scottish National Party web site.

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