Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell is in London today pressing Westminster to do more to tackle fuel poverty so Scots are not left 'out in the cold'.

Mr Maxwell joined power brokers from Government and energy companies to discuss the issue.

The Minister said that the devolution settlement constrains the Scottish Government from controlling the key factors - fuel prices and household incomes - which have the dominant impact on fuel poverty.

He encouraged everyone in Scotland to engage in the National Conversation, and consider how greater powers or independence might improve the country's capacity to achieve more through our fuel poverty policies.

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Mr Maxwell said: "Recent official statistics show that nearly a quarter of Scottish households - more than half a million - are still living in fuel poverty. In a modern Scotland, those statistics are a national disgrace.

"Our programmes focus on only one aspect of the three factors affecting fuel poverty - energy efficiency."

Maxwell pointed out that most of the mechanisms that can raise people's incomes remain reserved to Westminster. That's why this Government believes that greater fiscal autonomy would help alleviate the misery that blights Scotland's fuel poor.

"Efforts to end fuel poverty are also being thwarted by high fuel prices, which are determined by the commercial decisions of private companies.

"Today I will strenuously pursue the issue of fuel poverty with my UK counterparts and the energy companies, urging them not to leave Scots out in the cold," he said

Mr Maxwell called for the UK Ministerial Fuel Poverty Group to reconvene immediately, to allow all the relevant partners, including members from the devolved administrations, to have their say on the matter.

(GK/JM)