§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his plans to make progress with the proposals which appear in his Department's White Paper, "A Fair Deal for Consumers: Modernising the Framework for Utility Regulation the Response to Consultation". [78294]
§ Mr. ByersMany of the proposals announced in the White Paper will require legislation. We will introduce this as soon as Parliamentary time permits. Other elements of the reform package either do not require legislation, or can be advanced ahead of legislation. Where this is the case, the Department is acting itself, or asking others to act. For example, the Department has appointed a single individual as both gas regulator and electricity regulator. The Department has also encouraged the regulators to carry forward work on the regulatory issues associated with multi-utilities.