Lies, damned lies, and...

If you have a statistic that you don't like, there are two approaches to improving matters.  The first - and most obvious - is to take steps to make things better.  The other - more subtle and cynical - is to redefine whatever it is that the statistic is measuring.  The Government have taken this latter approach over "fuel poverty" - a new Act will define it in such a way that some 800,000 people who currently fall into that category, will no longer do so.  Nothing will change except the statistic, which will simply look better!