Salmond Attacked For Freeze On Oaps

Nov 18 2007 By Mark Aitken, Political Editor

ALEX SALMOND has been accused of betraying pensioners by freezing funding for free central heating.

The First Minister told MSPs his government aimed to "enhance and improve" the scheme.

But in his spending review last week Finance Minister John Swinney failed to increase the £45.9million budget for the government's "warm deal" programme.

Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander said because of inflation, that was effectively a cut.

Alexander added: "It's shocking that as we go into winter Alex Salmond is willing to leave pensioners out in the cold."

The programme was set up to tackle fuel poverty and in six years around 77,000 people have had free systems installed.

The Sunday Mail revealed last week, however, that more than 5000 pensioners have been left without heating because the installation scheme is in chaos.

The SNP said they had targeted 2016 for ending fuel poverty and the Budget had committed enhanced funding for the next three years.