Fuel poverty shake-up announced

More than half a million households are classed as fuel poor

A shake-up of the Scottish Government's central heating programme for pensioners has been announced.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that future applicants will be subject to "prioritisation", while a review is carried out into the system.

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum has been asked to look at reform.

The move has prompted concerns by Labour that the central heating programme for all pensioners is now "at an end".

Ms Sturgeon set out the changes in a statement to parliament on fuel poverty.

It came as latest figures from the Scottish Government's review of fuel poverty was published, showing that almost 543,000 Scottish households are fuel poor.

This is classed as those spending more than 10% of their income on heating their homes.

Original purpose

The health secretary said the scheme's original purpose to equip pensioners with no central heating system had shifted. This originally accounted for 97% of installations - but is now just 7%.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Put bluntly, too much of the money invested in the central heating programme doesn't help the fuel poor.

"If we are serious about assisting the fuel poor we need to overhaul the current programme and set it on a course where, once again, helping the fuel poor is at the heart of the programme."

She said she wanted to spend the money more wisely and has asked representatives of Scottish energy firms, consumer and environmental groups to report back by the end of the summer.

But Labour MSPs attacked Ms Sturgeon over the changes.

Communities spokeswoman Johann Lamont said it was "a very significant shift of approach" by the government.

She challenged Ms Sturgeon saying: "Will the cabinet secretary confirm it is now the position of the government that the central heating programme, available to all pensioners, is now at an end."

The Liberal Democrats were also critical of the government.