PENSIONERS ACROSS Scotland are “freezing” this winter because of delays in the Scottish Government’s free central heating programme, Labour leader Wendy Alexander claimed yesterday, writes Steve Bargeton, political editor.

In a robust performance at First Minister’s Question Time yesterday she demanded to know why average waiting times for installation had doubled from 114 days to 229 days since the SNP came to power.

She told MSPs that before the minority nationalist administration took office last May “barely 1000 pensioners” were waiting more than three months for their free central heating system. Today that figure is more than 6500.

“The reality for those pensioners is that they have to choose either to freeze, or to pay up for themselves,” said Ms Alexander in her most effective weekly head-to-head confrontation to date.

“That is unacceptable —what is the First Minister going to do about it?”

Mr Salmond replied, “We don’t think the scheme we inherited is acceptable —which is precisely why we have introduced 1500 extra places over the course of this winter, which will result in a record 15,000 installations.

“That seems to me effective action to tackle a problem we inherited from Wendy Alexander’s colleagues.”

Ms Alexander retorted that the First Minister’s answer would be “cold comfort” to Scotland’s pensioners.

“In May, Scottish pensioners were waiting on average 114 days to get a new system,” she said.

“Now they are waiting 229 days—almost eight months on average, and in many cases it’s much longer.

“Does the First Minister think it’s acceptable that the waiting times for pensioners to have their heating system replaced have doubled under his stewardship?

“This is about the track record of this government, and it is no boast that the First Minister’s government has doubled the average wait for pensioners.

“When the SNP came to power, barely 1000 pensioners were waiting more than three months for their free central heating system.

“Today that figure is more than 6500.”

Mr Salmond said his Government inherited plans and a budget for 13,500 installation schemes in the course of this financial year but had increased that by 1500.

“If the previous administration thought 13,500 was adequate, why doesn’t Wendy Alexander recognise and welcome the increase to 15,000 under this administration?” he said.

Last night an aide to the First Minister said, “Following the shambles inherited from the previous administration, we are putting in place a record volume of activity for this hugely important and popular programme.

“The number of installations planned for this year has been increased to a record 15,000—compared to just 10,000 under Labour and the Lib Dems in 2006/07.

“In October, November and December of 2006—the start of last winter—only 85 installations were completed under the Lab/Lib Executive.

“In the last quarter of 2007, the figure was nearly 2900—and that is without taking into account the increased activity following the cabinet secretary’s announcement in November of additional resources.

“Nicola Sturgeon announced the commitment of an extra £7million for the Central Heating Programme in November, targeting the 1600 priority cases of people in the greatest need this winter, which will meet the needs of people without heating or hot water.”