We want a Warm Homes Act

Recent figures show 20,500 ‘cold’ homes in the Rutherglen constituency with 35 per cent of households in fuel poverty. This is totally unacceptable.

It comes at a time when the SNP have cut £15million from the fuel poverty budget.

This means that many low income households and pensioners in Rutherglen and Cambuslang have to choose between eating and heating.

If Scotland is to enjoy affordable homes and ensure it cuts it greenhouse gas emissions, we need a bold new approach to supporting the uptake of energy efficiency measures and low carbon heat. Scottish Labour would introduce a Warm Homes Act in the first term of the new parliament. This would help tackle fuel poverty by driving up energy efficiency and insulation standards.

That way we can deal with the essential task of ensuring the scandalous figure of 35 per cent of Rutherglen households being in fuel poverty is tackled urgently.