Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Smith Excerpts

Thursday 16th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Charles Hendry]

The hon. Lady is right that the consumer experience is absolutely at the heart of the success of the smart meter roll-out. We are working very closely with Citizens Advice, Consumer Focus and other groups that represent consumers, including those representing older consumers, because the experience of consumers and making sure that they use smart meters most effectively to their advantage is at the core of what we are trying to achieve.

[Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)]

Crucial to obtaining the benefits of smart meters is ensuring that they are for everyone in this country, no matter where they live—no matter how remote and rural their location—and no matter what the construction of their house, even if it be with walls so thick that most signals will not get through. We need to be mindful that none of the early roll-outs of smart metering lock in a technology that will not be universal. Will the Minister ensure that his response to the consultation gives us a truly universal metering system?

[Charles Hendry]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his tenacity on this issue and the way in which he continually pushes us to make sure that we keep it very much in our mind. We are involving Ofcom directly in our discussions and our approach to developing this area to ensure that exactly those issues are very much in our mind.