Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make additional funds available to allow the Northern Ireland Executive to extend the Warm Home Discount Scheme to Northern Ireland; what recent steps she has taken to encourage the setting up of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.
Decisions on tackling fuel poverty are devolved matters and this is why Northern Ireland has its own fuel poverty strategy separate to Great Britain. It therefore follows that any associated funding issues that would arise in introducing the Warm Home Discount Scheme to Northern Ireland would be for the Northern Ireland Executive to fund from its Block Grant.
I am aware that from time to time the Social Development Committee has considered the question of introducing a Warm Homes Discount Scheme in Northern Ireland but as these are matters that are the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the hon Member might wish to take this matter up with the DETI Minister directly.