GOVERNMENT CONCEDES CASE FOR CHANGING COLD WEATHER PAYMENT LINKAGE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 17th Oct 2001

North MP John Thurso has received confirmation from Malcolm Wicks MP at the Department for Work and Pensions that the Government is to abandon the linkage of a large part of Sutherland to the Wick Airport Weather Station for the purpose of Cold Weather Payments. A new weather station is to be installed at Cassley with temperatures recorded at that station triggering cold weather payments throughout the whole of the IV27 postcode over the coming winter.

John Thurso said:

"This is excellent news. While the winter fuel payment provides welcome relief for those over pension age in meeting large winter heating bills,, there are many others on fixed incomes who for a variety of reasons - disability, incapacity, or families with very young children - find themselves confined to the home and incur high heating costs over the winter months.

Temperatures recorded at Wick Airport Weather Station were not representative of those experienced in our landward communities and I hope the linkage to the new weather station will result in considerably more households being able to access these grants."

Former MP Robert Maclennan first raised the matter two years ago. He said today: "It has been a long and hard fight convincing the Met Office to move. I am delighted to learn of the success of the campaign."

John Thurso added:

"The Met Office has conceded the argument: the immediate next step is to secure the linkage of the KW11 and IV28 postcodes to Cassley."