Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the number of smart meter failures broken down by (a) installing company, (b) type of smart meter and (c) local authority.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Statistics are available on the number of smart meters not operating in smart mode, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics. A breakdown of this figure by energy supplier is published by Ofgem (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/smart-meter-transition-and-data-communications-company-dcc/smart-meter-performance). The Department does not collect data on smart meters not operating in smart mode by local authority.
A smart meter not operating in smart mode will continue to record energy usage accurately, with an energy company meter reader or the customer needing to take manual meter readings.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to the public purse was of spending to support the installation of smart meters in financial years (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The investment needed for smart metering including installation of smart meters is funded by energy suppliers.
Government expenditure on the Smart Metering Implementation Programme in DESNZ in 2022-23 was £9.7m, in 2023-4 it was £9.8m and forecast expenditure in 2024-25 is £10.5m.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to help community energy projects secure appropriate minimum prices for the power generated.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism that was designed to ensure that there is a guaranteed route to market for any small-scale low-carbon generator, such as a community energy project, that compensates for the value of their exported electricity.
The Department is also working alongside Ofgem and other key stakeholders to explore options for addressing the regulatory barriers to local energy supply, including route to market.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking legislative steps to establish community energy clubs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change, and has tabled an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill, which clarifies that Great British Energy may support renewable energy projects involving or benefitting local communities.
The Government has also announced the Great British Energy Community Fund, to provide funding and support to community energy stakeholders, helping to increase the roll out of renewable energy projects.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of recent trends in the level of smart meter failures (a) during installation and (b) in the weeks after installation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Department collects data on the number of smart meters not operating in smart mode, this does not differentiate between when meters are impacted.
The latest Government statistics on smart meter installations to end December 2024 were published on 20th March and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics. These include information about the number of smart meters operating in smart mode.
At the end of 2024 over 90% of smart meters were operating as intended and sending automatic readings to suppliers.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support community energy projects.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through Great British Energy we will turbocharge community energy. Our Local Power Plan will mean communities taking back control of their energy, bringing cheap clean power and energy security.
I look forward to further details being announced as the GBE Bill goes through its final stages.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in renewals of Personal Independent Payments (PIP).
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP continues to prioritise new claims to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ensuring claims are processed and awarded as soon as possible. However, with limited capacity and resources, this means some customers are waiting longer than expected for their PIP review.
To help address this, and to speed up the process and increase efficiency, the majority of reviews are now completed in-house. This means a DWP Case Manager can make a decision where sufficient evidence and information is provided or available.
Where we cannot deal with a review in-house, and where an award may possibly end, we have robust measures in place to ensure all claims remain in payment, including those awards which rely on PIP to access Motability vehicles or automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suggested guideline for issuing authorities of 12 weeks for the renewal of Blue Badges on people with disabilities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is responsible for the legislation that governs the Blue Badge scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administering the scheme, including issuing/re-issuing badges.
There are no timescales set for administering applications/renewals either in legislation or guidance. 12 weeks is mentioned in the gov.uk landing page for those applying for or renewing a badge online using the Department’s Blue Badge Digital Service and reflects how long typically the process takes. But each cases is considered on its merits by the relevant local authority.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the minimum income floor on self-employed workers that are unable to work for brief periods due to (a) health issues and (b) care responsibilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
The level of the MIF is equivalent to what a person in employed work in similar circumstances to the customer could expect to earn at living or minimum wage for their age. The MIF is therefore tailored to a customer’s individual circumstances; where a person has limitations on the hours they can reasonably be expected to work, for example because they have a health condition or caring responsibilities, the level of their MIF can be reduced.
Short-term health conditions experienced by a customer, such as colds, flu, strains, and sprains, are regarded as part of the normal pattern of self-employment. Therefore, customers must plan for these periods as part of their ordinary business cycle.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional support is available for self-employed workers in receipt of Universal Credit that experience a short-term fall in their earnings.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Customers who are new to gainful self-employment are eligible for a 12-month 'start-up period’, during which the Minimum Income Floor does not apply. This means that if a customer experiences a drop in their earnings, their Universal Credit award will increase. This gives customers the opportunity to adjust to the characteristics of the sector in which they work, such as seasonal or fluctuating earnings patterns.
Where a customer reports a loss from their self-employment, the value of the loss is considered when assessing earnings in future assessment periods. If the sum of any unused losses exceeds the amount of earnings in the subsequent monthly assessment period, the remaining value of the loss is carried forward to be offset against future earnings, until the loss is used up or the customer ceases self-employment. This may result in a customer receiving a higher Universal Credit award in the future.
Work Coaches can signpost customers in the start-up period to national and local support where available, such as business advice, mentoring or training. This may also include connecting self-employed customers with other government support including:
Local Growth Hubs in England, Business Wales and Find Business Support and Business Gateway in Scotland, which offer support, advice and guidance to new and existing businesses.
If a self-employed customer has earnings below £2,600 (or £3,600 if in a couple) in the six months prior to an application, they may be eligible for a budgeting advance to help finance intermittent/ unforeseen expenses or expenses. This ensures low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.