Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 25 January 2023.

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Photo of Sioned Williams Sioned Williams Plaid Cymru 1:52, 25 January 2023

(Translated)

Thank you, Minister. I was asking particularly about the discretionary assistance fund, but perhaps we could return to that at another time.

I do have a question on prepayment meters and this concern that people are being forced onto them against their will, even when it's not safe for them to be on such a meter, which is contrary to the duty of the supplier to check that. I'm pleased that so many of us have supported Jack Sargeant's proposal, which poses some questions on this very issue.

We know that Citizens Advice have seen more people coming to them saying that they can't afford to top up their meters in past 12 months than in the past 10 years. This is clearly an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. So, how does the Welsh Government encourage social landlords to enable their tenants to pay for their energy through alternative methods, if they want to do that? The Westminster Government over the weekend has encouraged suppliers not to force customers to prepay for their energy, but that's not a prohibition. Has the Welsh Government made any effort to seek the powers necessary to ban or limit the use of meters in Wales?