PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has pledged support for the government's "warm homes for all" policy.

He backed the Home Energy Conservation Bill, calling for the provision of a decent and safe standard of accommodation for all citizens, at a second reading in the House of Commons.

Mr Prentice said: "Poor housing is a big issue in Pendle. In this day and age it is unacceptable for people to be living in damp and chilly properties. I am hopeful that, if this Bill becomes law, we can start to move quickly to ensure everyone has the benefit of a warm home."

He said that Pendle Council was already taking up the challenge of eradicating fuel poverty in the form of an "affordable warmth strategy".

This included an action plan with energy efficiency advice and information about grants.

The council had secured £215,000 in Neighbourhood Renewal Funding to help nearly 500 vulnerable households improve thermal efficiency in their homes over the next three years.

Mr Prentice said Housing Minister Lord Falkner had been to East Lancashire to see the condition of some private housing for himself and that the East Lancashire Partnership was putting together a detailed submission to be presented to the Minister in January.

The Pendle MP, who pushed for more resources for Pendle when he met Treasury Minister Andrew Smith last week, added: "Everyone knows the scale of the problem. The government just needs to roll up its sleeves and provide the necessary resources".