Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has spent to limit excess winter deaths in each of the last five years.

The Department does not report specifically on spending against this objective. However, Government recognises the link between living in a cold home and ill-health, and has subsequently invested heavily in improving the energy efficiency of households vulnerable to the effects of the cold, as well as financial payments to help with the affordability of energy bills. Some of these schemes target a range of households, and are not limited to those particularly vulnerable to the effects of cold homes. My noble Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property has asked for the relevant expenditure to be separated out; she will write to the hon. Member with that information and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.