Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts
Tuesday 7th November 2017

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Harrington of Watford Portrait Richard Harrington
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The Government consider the security of smart meters to be very important, and the whole smart meter programme was designed with the approval of the cyber-security body and all the other relevant authorities.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
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How does the Minister intend to make the process for switching between gas or electric companies easier for those with smart meters, as the process is extremely convoluted, to use a Ulster-Scots-ism, at present, with customer smart reading going dumb and manual readings having to be sent out?

Lord Harrington of Watford Portrait Richard Harrington
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The hon. Gentleman should be aware that the SMETS 2 programme involves complete compatibility between all the different meters, enabling people to switch. The current system that is being installed, SMETS 1, will be applicable for that in, we think, about a year, when the software allows that to happen.