With energy prices set to rise again in January, households across Scotland will be facing significant pressures when it comes to heating their homes this winter. During the election campaign, Labour promised to cut fuel bills by £300. Instead, bills have gone up, and although the Scottish Government is delivering the low-income winter heating payment and other initiatives to support those who are most in need, the United Kingdom Labour Government is callously cutting the winter fuel payment to pensioners. Will the First Minister join me in calling on the UK Government to make good on its manifesto commitment to tackle rising fuel bills and reverse its winter fuel cut?

I think that members of the public will be stunned that a Labour Government that promised to reduce fuel bills by an average of £300 has seen those bills increase in October, with the likelihood of further increases coming in January. To compound that difficult situation, the withdrawal of the winter heating payment means that more than 400,000 people on low incomes who have been eligible for that entitlement will lose it.

It is a very serious situation that pensioners in particular in our society are facing. I make the plea today, because it is absolutely central to what we need to do, that we get the UK Government to reverse the unwarranted cut in winter fuel payments, which is damaging the livelihoods and circumstances of pensioners in Scotland.