By Steve Bargeton, political editor

WENDY ALEXANDER’S first question time test as leader of the Scottish Labour Party ended in farce yesterday.

In her first confrontation with Alex Salmond at First Minster’s questions she accused the Scottish Government of planning to means-test free central heating for the elderly.

The accusation was based on comment allegedly made by communities minister Stewart Maxwell at a Holyrood committee meeting earlier this week.

The question she asked was this, “Why, yesterday, did the communities minister admit that the SNP government is now reviewing the scheme, with targeting or means-testing the likely outcome?”

Mr Salmond replied, “We are entirely committed to the statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty.

“That point was made by the minister yesterday.

“The description by Wendy Alexander of what he said at the committee is not accurate.

“The important point for people around Scotland is that we are reviewing that scheme with a means to improving it.”

After the exchange, Labour MSPs and officials insisted the Government was planning means-testing—a charge that was emphatically denied.

A spokesman for the First Minister said, “The question was means-testing—the answer was no.”

He pointed out that Mr Maxwell was specifically asked in the committee about means-testing, and was on the record as saying it was not considered.

The Government later released a transcript of the official record of the exchange between local government convener Duncan McNeil—a Labour MSP—and Mr Maxwell during the committee session.

in the official record, committee convener Duncan McNeill asked if there was a possibility that the central heating programme might be means-tested in future, to which Stewart Maxwell replied, “No, I am not suggesting that.”

On being pressed, Mr Maxwell continued, “I am not for a minute suggesting that we will take it away or stop it—that will not happen.”

In the chamber, however, Ms Alexander seemed unaware Mr Maxwell had ruled out means-testing.

Pressing her attack on Mr Salmond she said, “The communities minister told the local government committee that free central heating for pensioners was now under review, and that targeting was planned.”

“The truth is that we extended this scheme and he spoke about restricting it.

“Is that review under way—or have you simply ditched it because you’ve once again been rumbled?”

Mr Salmond accused Ms Alexander of ignoring his previous answer, and told MSPs, “We are reviewing the scheme with the purpose of improving it.

“Clearly we could not improve the scheme unless we reviewed it.

“There are deficiencies in the scheme—we are hoping to improve them, and I think that will be widely welcomed by people who suffer from poor heating in their houses and are looking forward to the improvements under an SNP government.”

Following the exchange, parliamentary affairs minister Bruce Crawford described Ms Alexander’s first First Minister’s questions (FMQ) as “disastrous.”

“Wendy Alexander has come totally unstuck in her first outing at FMQs,” he said.

“She built her entire line of questioning on a claim that turns out to be 100% untrue. It was a disastrous start, and her new team of spinners must be in despair.”