UUP rounds on Alliance over Fuel Poverty Motion
Ulster Unionist Children and Families spokesman Roy Beggs MLA today hit back at the Alliance Party over their criticism at the UUP tabling another motion on Fuel Poverty.
In a statement Mr. Beggs said,
“it is incredibly disappointing – and somewhat surprising - that the Alliance Party’s Naomi Long has decided that the Assembly is wasting its time debating fuel poverty. With my Ulster Unionist colleague John McCallister, I submitted a motion calling again on the Social Development Minister to review the fuel poverty strategy. Our last motion in the spring calling for this won all-Party support in the Assembly. Despite this there has been no review. The Assembly exists not to be an entertaining debating society, but to hold Ministers to account. This is precisely the aim of our motion.
“Fuel poverty costs the taxpayer – particularly in putting a strain every winter on the NHS. And that is why Early Day Motions on fuel poverty are brought before Parliament every year. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Assembly is about to consider the Executive’s Budget, a crucial time in the Assembly’s scrutiny of the Executive’s action. There is no better time to raise the issue of fuel poverty.
“While I obviously thank the Alliance representative on the business committee for deciding – unlike Naomi Long – that our fuel poverty motion is important enough to debate, I trust that the Alliance Assembly group will sort out their internal communications before Tuesday’s debate and ensure that they support our motion”