Energy: Winter Fuel Payment

Debate between Lord Palmer and Lord Freud

Monday 19th December 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, all money is fungible. This is a matter of psychology rather than funding. If people find it convenient to look at money as being in separate packets and give money in a particular packet to a particular charity, that is a very excellent thing to happen, particularly if it encourages charitable giving more generally.

[Lord Palmer]

My Lords, is it fair that this tax will be the same whether you live on the south coast of England or the north coast of Scotland?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, I think it depends on what side of the country you live. I understand that the Mull of Kintyre is rather warmer than East Anglia, so I think that what the noble Lord suggests would be a pretty complicated thing to do.