Shadow Social Justice Minister and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has hit back at a Minister’s claims that the cost of living crisis “has its roots firmly in Downing Street”.
In her Statement on the ‘Cost-of-Living’ in today’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, the Social Justice Minister lay blame for the crisis with the UK Government, but responding, Mr Isherwood highlighted high inflation rates in other countries and stressed that the problem facing the country are not unique to the UK.
He said:
“You say the cost-of-living crisis has 'its roots firmly in Downing Street'. In fact, inflation figures to May, which are the last international figures I can find, point to inflation in Holland at 8.8 per cent, the US at 8.6 per cent, Germany at 7.9 per cent, and in the Baltic States as high as 20 per cent. Is Downing Street responsible for all of this, or is somehow the cost-of-living crisis—and I'm happy to use that word—in the UK unique to us and somehow unrelated to the global cost-of-living crisis impacting in desperate ways in so many parts of the world?”
Mr Isherwood went on to question the Minister over Welsh Government support to help people through these challenging times.
He firstly questioned her over the Welsh Government Fuel Voucher Scheme and said that sector representatives have told him as Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, “that although this was welcome news, further information was still needed”.
He added:
“National Energy Action estimate the price cap increase from April will bring an additional 100,000 households in Wales into fuel poverty, taking the total to 280,000. Both your Written Statement and Press Release refer to individuals and people in respect of the Voucher scheme. So, how many households does the Welsh Government therefore anticipate this Voucher Scheme support will reach?”
He also asked when the new crisis service for households that are off the gas grid and are unable to afford to buy gas bottles or fill their oil tank, log store or coal bunker will be launched, and questioned her over Fuel Bank Heat Fund support, asking; “Is it your intention that the Fuel Bank Heat Fund is to fully cover the cost of 500 litres of oil, where it is noted that similar support available via the Discretionary Assistance Fund is currently limited to £250, meaning that many low-income, vulnerable households cannot always afford the minimum delivery?”
Having not received a clear answer when last week questioning the Minister over the £25 million consequential funding flowing to the Welsh Government from the UK Government extension to the Household Support Fund, Mr Isherwood therefore asked again if the Welsh Government will target this funding, in its entirety, at households hardest hit by the cost-of-living increases.
He also asked what action the Welsh Government is taking to address concerns raised by residents in a number of Local Authority areas about the delay in paying the Council Tax rebate to those who do not pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood said:
“Sometimes it seems that these Ministerial Statements are just another excuse to knock the UK Government in Welsh Parliamentary time rather than address matters for which the Welsh Government is responsible.
“In reality, the Welsh Government’s own updated modelled fuel poverty estimates predict that up to 45% of households (614,000 households) may now be in fuel poverty in Wales. In reality, the UK Government recently announced a new £15 Billion Cost of Living support package targeted towards millions of low-income households, bringing its total cost of living support to £37 billion. In reality, the UK Government has also now appointed a new Cost of Living Business Tsar, working in partnership with the private sector, including supermarkets and sports organisations, to develop, expand and promote business-led initiatives that support people with rising costs of living.”