Sturgeon said that the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum, which will be chaired by Rev Graham Blount, will be asked to develop proposals for the reform of fuel poverty programmes within existing budgets.

 Sturgeon announced the proposals as she launched the Scottish Government’s Review of Fuel Poverty in Parliament yesterday, which states that current fuel poverty programmes are failing to help the 543,000 Scottish households classed as fuel poor. 

She said: "Too much of the money invested in the central heating programme doesn't help the fuel poor. That's why we need to overhaul the current programme to ensure it helps those in most need. 

"The evidence from the review suggests that the central heating programme is not tackling fuel poverty as effectively as it could be, and makes clear that, currently, many of those eligible for central heating are not fuel poor. 

"I therefore want the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum to advise me on how to refocus the policy and better use the resources available, to achieve the target of eradicating fuel poverty.” 

The Children’s Fuel Poverty Coalition in Scotland - which includes Barnardo’s Scotland, Capability Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, Quarriers, Children in Scotland and Save the Children – welcomed the announced and said that it looks forward to contributing to the fuel poverty debate. 

The Coalition said: “We estimate there are around 100,000 Scottish children who live in cold, damp houses. The consequences of this are misery, discomfort, ill-health and debt and no parent should have to make such a tough choice between putting the heating on to provide a warm home or getting into debt. 

“It is encouraging that this forum will address the needs of society’s most vulnerable groups, including children and young people. Our hopes are that this will go some way to keeping the Scottish Government’s promise of eradicating fuel poverty by 2016”.  

A copy of the review is available here.