Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inaccurate or prolonged estimated energy billing on small and microbusinesses.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Billing issues, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator. Ofgem’s licence conditions require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier.
We are rolling out smart meters to smaller businesses, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use in every half-hour period, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is issued to Returning Officers on the latest date by which postal ballot packs for overseas electors must be dispatched; and what monitoring is undertaken to ensure compliance.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers including on the issuing of postal votes to overseas addresses.
The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to help ensure that official child right’s impact assessments are undertaken to inform the evaluation of different policy options during the consultation, Driving action to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We will assess a range of impacts when deciding how we will act on social media, including children’s rights and their wellbeing. To inform those assessments, we will consult children and young people directly through the national conversation and consultation, because their views and voices must be heard.