§ 21. Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress he has made in considering the setting up of the regulatory authority for the electricity supply industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ParkinsonAll aspects of the regulatory regime are being actively considered with our advisers. We have also had helpful discussions with the electricity supply industry and other interested bodies. I am pleased to say that we are making good progress.
§ Mr. MossI thank my right hon. Friend for his reply. Will he endorse the conclusions of a recent study of energy utilities in the United States, which showed that the companies with the best credit rating and whose bonds were most popular on the market incorporated energy-efficiency responsibilities into their regulatory framework?
§ Mr. ParkinsonAs my hon. Friend said, we intend that the regulators should be responsible for the promotion of the advantages of energy efficiency. We are not prepared to go as far as some critics would wish. We do not seek to impose on people the obligation to save electricity in their homes and to impose on companies an obligation to make energy-saving arrangements. We are in the business, as will be the regulator, of encouraging the efficient use of energy.