Speeches by Young.

“We have talked a lot about the information that is going from Governments to people, but do you think that people currently feel that there is a clear process for them to meaningfully contribute to the UK Government’s policies on climate action? Is communication going the other way?”

“Just to be clear, this study—which I am sure we will be interested in—is it specifically looking at Wales.”

“Would you agree that public conversation processes in the UK have generally been one-off events, and would you support a multi-year, national campaign to raise awareness about the heat transition?”

“You have partly answered my next question which is: what would you most like to see included in the DESNZ public participation strategy? Do you have anything to add?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for North Somerset (Sadik Al-Hassan) for securing this debate, which is particularly important for the west of England. Hydrogen-powered flights have real potential to cut carbon emissions in a notoriously difficult to decarbonise indu…”

“The Government’s decision to cut personal independence payments by changing the eligibility criteria is a double whammy for carers, who risk losing their carer’s allowance if the person they care for no longer qualifies for PIP. Given that it is Carers Week, will the Leader of the House raise this issue with the Secret…”

“That is one approach, but we need to ensure that it does not take away from the high-needs approach. The point is that we have to fund both early intervention and the high-level needs that have resulted from the lack of early intervention. The previous Government declined to fund an additional 200 special school placem…”

“Schools in my constituency are among the lowest-funded in the country, and there is a lack of resource for early intervention work before children get to the point of needing SEND support or an EHCP, which means that more children will need a higher level of intervention later. It is a vicious circle. The lack of money…”

“Thousands of self-employed people and business owners were excluded from Government support because of the arbitrary eligibility criteria. They paid their taxes but were left unsupported during the crisis. Does the hon. Member agree that it is disappointing that those people are still struggling five years on?”

“Absolutely. South Gloucestershire is in an even worse position, and I am sure all the authorities in the f40 group would agree. Yesterday, I raised with the Prime Minister one of the impacts that lack of support for SEND has on families. He did not take up my request for a meeting, but I hope he will consider meeting m…”

“But for repairs?”

“I see the point you are making. Ned, are there enough smart meter engineers to carry out repairs and installations? If not, what steps would you take to boost recruitment?”

“Specifically on the targets, would you change them to focus on working smart meters, rather than simply installing them, or do you think these other things that you are outlining would be a better approach to the problem?”

“Welcome to the panel. We have seen some worrying statistics about the reliability of smart meters, such as one in 10 being used in manual mode. Money Saving Expert has estimated that, when you take a wider definition of “faulty”, it is more like 19%, which also ties in with Citizens Advice saying that 20% are having pr…”

“We have possibly gone off on an interesting diversion—albeit one that might support our reducing energy bills, so we might want to come back to you separately on that—but perhaps I can bring us back to the question of smart meters. Given that one in five consumers with a smart meter still has to give regular manual met…”

“Do we know whether that is because the energy performance certificates are effectively getting it wrong? Or is it simply that if you are living in a poorly insulated home, getting a smart meter and seeing just how much you are using motivates you to use less? If you are living in a well-insulated home, you might think …”

“I would like to focus on the reductions in energy consumption. Simon, has the smart meter roll-out so far had the impact that it was designed to have on reducing energy consumption? Is there a difference between domestic and non-domestic customers?”

“Do you think those guaranteed standards of performance that Ofgem is proposing go far enough, or is there anything that you would add?”

“If I can come back to whether smart meters are working, Ned, do you want to add anything on whether Ofgem’s rules about taking “reasonable steps” to ensure that smart meters are working need to be made clearer?”

“Sara, Ofgem’s rules state that suppliers must take “reasonable steps” to ensure that smart meters are working. Do you think those responsibilities need to be made clearer?”