Commenring on today’s figures showing a 74% rise in the number of excess winter deaths in 2008/9, Shadow Social Justice Minister Mark Isherwood AM said:
“There is a strong link between excess winter deaths and fuel poverty. All too often it is elderly people who have been hit hardest by high gas and electricity prices.
“These alarming statistics represent real human suffering and highlight the urgent need to introduce a revised strategy which properly gets to grips with the increasing problem of fuel poverty.
“Freezing winter weather such as that experienced over recent weeks focuses attention on the issue but what we need are long-term solutions, not crisis management.”
