Speeches by Young.

“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…”

“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…”

“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?”

“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?”

“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?”

“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?”

“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 …”

“Q9. I have spoken to parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities who are not getting the support they need in school, but if, as a result, their child is out of school, they are left facing prosecution, fines or even prison time. Punishing parents for the failings of a broken system is outrageou…”

“Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. Oldbury in my constituency is one of the sites under consideration for SMRs, and I have been told many times that it has many factors going for it, including GB Nuclear’s ownership of it, the nuclear expertise in higher education locally, its existing nuclear history and the potential for co…”

“While the Government buried their heads in the sand, countless pensioners suffered, such as my constituent who, despite having a terminal disease, had to cut back on heating and food, and spent the winter “freezing cold”. Can the Minister explain why no impact assessments were conducted last year before winter fuel pay…”

“Net zero standards cut bills as well as carbon emissions, so does my hon. Friend share my incredulity that a Government who have been forced to U-turn on winter fuel payments are refusing to back new clause 2, which would cut bills for people of all ages?”

“T3. In the light of some worrying small-site applications on previously undeveloped green-belt land in my constituency, and of concerns from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, will the Minister undertake to monitor and assess the initial impact of the new grey-belt provisions and look at refining the wording, to av…”

“Vulnerable children spend many weeks each year—during the holidays—not at school. My own Liberal Democrat-Labour partnership local authority provides funding in the form of vouchers during the school holidays. Will the Government take this opportunity to end holiday hunger and provide funding for food during the holida…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (Ian Sollom) for securing this debate. Like him, I have a deep affection for maths. In fact, I would probably go further and say that I am a maths nerd. And, like him, I believe that it stil…”

“My constituent Olivia is fighting for Archie’s law—new legislation to improve the quality of care for critically ill infants and children—after tragically losing her baby boy Archie. I have raised the matter with the Secretary of State, but the responses so far have failed to specifically address Archie’s law, and I ha…”

“Do you think suppliers are doing enough to support consumers who are in arrears to prevent disconnection and raise awareness of support available to them, or do you feel that that falls on organisations such as Age UK?”

“I asked whether consumers have genuine choice. Do you think that consumers are adequately equipped or supported to make that choice? Obviously your model of your business is about trying to help people to switch to a cheaper tariff, but even if you go beyond the most vulnerable customers, do you think everyone can make…”