Call in the Archers for Rural Warmth

9.02.14am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 24th Oct 2003

"Rural areas are losing out", claimed David Rendel MP, a senior member of the Public Accounts Committee, at yesterday's hearing into the "Warm Front" Scheme.

The scheme provides grants to improve energy efficiency in households which suffer from fuel poverty. But the proportion of rural homes receiving grants is lower than the proportion of households living in fuel poverty which are in rural areas.

Mr Rendel said:

"The Warm Front Scheme is an important initiative to fight fuel poverty. But not enough has been done to ensure that rural areas get their fair share of the grants being handed out.

"Information should be much more widely available so that people don't miss out. This could be done through village shops, where many of those who are eligible do most of their shopping. It would be even better if the DEFRA were to suggest to the BBC that they should include a story line about the Warm Front Scheme in The Archers."