Energy Bill

Although I go along with the hon. Gentleman in his suggestion that it is important that rapid progress is made between the consultation and the implementation of smart meter technology, his computer analogy assumes that a choice is made within a common operating system. Does he accept that one of the issues in smart meter roll-out must be to ensure that meters are interoperable and interchangeable, and are not the creature of the company that installed them? It is therefore necessary to get that process right.