More than 1,000 homes in Brighton and Hove will still be cold and damp in 2010 despite a Government pledge to end the scandal, MPs claimed.

The all-party Warm Homes Group said the promise that all properties would be "decent" by the end of the decade looks likely to be broken.

Now the MPs plan to table amendments to the Housing Bill to ensure the legislation is tough enough to enable the Government to hit its ambitious target.

More than 30,000 people, mainly the elderly and infirm, die every year in Britain because their homes are too poorly insulated to keep out the winter cold.

But the "decent" standard proposes as little as 50 millimetres of loft or cavity wall insulation, a figure not legally acceptable in new homes.

The MPs calculate that 1,064 "fuel poor" homes in Brighton and Hove will not be brought up to scratch.

The total figure could be even higher as it only covers properties run by social landlords, such as housing associations.

Properties owned by Brighton and Hove Council are not included, as the MPs were unable to obtain up-to-date figures.

A spokesman for the Warm Homes Group said: "The standard set for social sector housing is so low that it will not achieve the object of ending cold homes.

"Therefore, we will table an amendment to the Housing Bill upgrading the decent homes standard to make the disgrace of more than 30,000 winter deaths a thing of the past."

The group's amendments would boost insulation to 200 millimetres, lag hot water tanks and ensure every home had an "economical and efficient" heating system.

Statistics supplied to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister showed that 1.12 million council and housing association homes in England were inadequately heated.

More than 150 MPs - including Kemptown's Des Turner, Lewes's Norman Baker and Worthing West's Peter Bottomley - have signed a Commons motion demanding a tougher insulation standard.

Joan Moorhouse, who chairs Brighton and Hove Older People's Council, is a member of a group that encourages more and better insulation of homes.

When she was a member of the city council, she pressed for more insulation to be provided in its stock and said progress was good but added: "It is never as fast as you want it to be."

She said grants of up to £2,500 were available for some householders to undertake insulation and central heating improvements.

Mrs Moorhouse said: "I think warm housing is fundamental to good health so that older people have decent lives.

"These grants are not handouts but a right. I try to persuade people of that and there is help available for them to fill out the forms. People who have had the grants can help spread the word."

The city council has spent almost £1.5 million on energy efficiency work during the past year, including roof and loft insulation, replacement double-glazed windows and £900,000 for new heating systems in many of its homes.

It has issued planning guidance demanding more sustainable development, including the requirement for new buildings to be well insulated.

The annual Home Energy Conservation report for Brighton and Hove showed the council has made good progress in improving the energy efficiency of homes in the city.

It is also encouraging households to apply for grants of up to £2,500 for home insulation and heating improvements under the Warm Front scheme.