1. What discussions has the Leader of the House had with the energy sector in designing the mobile action plan? OAQ52344

None. I have held discussions with the mobile industry, Ofcom, landowners, business organisations and local authorities in designing the mobile action plan.

Thank you, leader of the house. National and local press and television will frequently hear about how both the UK and the Welsh Governments are encouraging energy providers to install domestic smart meters in order to combat fuel poverty. Now, I've been contacted by people in rural areas of my own constituency who have reported that installation of smart meters is impossible because of the lack of mobile phone signal, which is required for smart meters to work. Can you outline what discussions you've had with the energy sector on this issue and have you given any thought into designing this and these issues into the priorities for the Welsh Government's mobile action plan?

I haven't had any conversation with the energy companies about smart meters. We have had some conversation with the industry round-table about getting energy to the masts themselves. But I agree entirely with Russell George's analysis that the lack of mobile coverage is a real issue for a whole range of services, including smart meters. Any number of services rely, increasingly these days, on data particularly, and he will know that we've been lobbying both the UK Government and Ofcom for a range of measures to be put in place to ensure that we can get decent amounts of mobile coverage from more than one operator across Wales, for exactly the reason that he outlines.