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Energy Bill

I shall rest on my noble friend’s words—that in relation to compromise there may be room. Like Camembert cheese, ideas mature. We have the Summer Recess. Over that period no doubt departmental officials will be very busy developing ideas with a view to taking the whole project forward. With that in mind, I refer to the intervention of my noble friend Lord O’Neill about doing this work during the summer months and the issue raised by the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale. When that work is done on what people do abroad, can we also have some idea on costs? What are the Italians actually paying for their meters? Where are the meters manufactured? We need information about not just what is available but what the costs are and where meters are manufactured. Is there the potential for manufacture within the United Kingdom? I spoke to a company this morning called bglobal, of Darwen in Lancashire, which provides meters. It tells me that its meters come from Singapore and are fitted in Australia. The Australians have a fairly major programme. When this research is done, following the amendment of my noble friend Lord O’Neill, we might well be able to collect a lot of data prior to the Report debate. I am sure that we would all find that very helpful. On the basis of the Minister’s assurance that these things are being considered, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clauses 84 to 89 agreed to.