HC Deb 18 July 1996 vol 281 cc612-3W
Dr. Wright

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Electricity Regulation(a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary; [37905]

(2) what is the statutory base of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Electricity Regulation; and if they (a) publish their advice to OFFER, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [37906]

Mr. Eggar

There are 14 electricity consumers committees, which are independent bodies established under section 2 of the Electricity Act 1989. Section 52 of the Electricity Act requires each committee to report annually to the Director General of Electricity Supply and to include a statement on all the matters on which the committee has advised the director during that period. Section 52 enables the director to publish the reports of the consumers committees. In practice he has done this by incorporating them into the Offer annual report, which is published and laid before Parliament. Schedule 2 of the Act requires that the meetings of the committees, with certain exceptions, shall be open to the public and that agendas be published. Copies of the minutes of public meetings are available on request. Section 51 of the Act requires each committee to consult with and make representations to the relevant public electricity supplier. The consumers committees consult local consumer groups. A register of members' interests is not published.

The National Consumers Consultative Committee was established under section 53 of the Act. Its statutory duty is to keep under review matters affecting the interests of electricity customers generally and to facilitate the exchange of information between the director and the consumers committees. Its membership is made up of the chairmen of the electricity consumer councils. Details of the work of the National Consumers Consultative Committee appears in the Offer annual report.