Telecommunications Act 1984

13 Licence modification references to Commission

(1) The Director may make to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (in this Act referred to as " the Commission ") a reference which is so framed as to require the Commission to investigate and report on the questions—

(a) whether any matters which relate to the provision of telecommunication services or the supply of telecommunication apparatus by a person authorised by a licence under section 7 above to run a telecommunication system and which are specified in the reference operate, or may be expected to operate, against the public interest; and

(b) if so, whether the effects adverse to the public interest which those matters have or may be expected to have could be remedied or prevented by modifications of the conditions of that licence.

(2) The Director may, at any time, by notice given to the Commission vary a reference under this section by adding to the matters specified in the reference or by excluding from the reference some or all of the matters so specified; and, subject to subsection (5) below, on receipt of such notice the Commission shall give effect to the variation.

(3) The Director may specify in a reference under this section, or a variation of such a reference, for the purpose of assisting the Commission in carrying out the investigation on the reference—

(a) any effects adverse to the public interest which, in his opinion, the matters specified in the reference or variation have or may be expected to have ; and

(b) any modifications of the conditions of the licence by which, in his opinion, those effects could be remedied or prevented.

(4) The Director shall publish particulars of a reference under this section, or of a variation of such a reference, in such manner as he considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing the reference or variation to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it and, in the case of a licence granted to a particular person, shall send a copy of the reference or variation to that person.

(5) The Director shall also send a copy of a reference under this section, or a variation of such a reference, to the Secretary of State; and if, before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the Secretary of State receives the copy of the reference or variation, the Secretary of State directs the Commission not to proceed with the reference or, as the case may require, not to give effect to the variation, the Commission shall comply with the direction.

(6) The Secretary of State shall not give a direction under subsection (5) above unless it appears to him to be requisite or expedient to do so in the interests of national security or relations with the government of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.

(7) It shall be the duty of the Director, for the purpose of assisting the Commission in carrying out an investigation on a reference under this section, to give to the Commission—

(a) any information which is in his possession and which relates to matters falling within the scope of the investigation, and which is either requested by the Commission for that purpose or is information which in his opinion it would be appropriate for that purpose to give to the Commission without any such request; and

(b) any other assistance which the Commission may require, and which it is within his power to give, in relation to any such matters,

and the Commission, for the purpose of carrying out any such investigation, shall take account of any information given to them for that purpose under this subsection.

(8) In determining for the purposes of this section whether any particular matter operates, or may be expected to operate, against the public interest, the Commission shall have regard to the matters as respects which duties are imposed on the Secretary of State and the Director by section 3 above.

(9) Sections 70 (time limit for report on merger reference) and 85 (attendance of witnesses and production of documents) of the [1973 c. 41.] Fair Trading Act 1973 (in this Act referred to as "the 1973 Act") and Part II of Schedule 3 to that Act (performance of functions of the Commission) shall apply in relation to references under this section as if—

(a) the functions of the Commission in relation to those references were functions under that Act;

(b) the expression " merger reference " included a reference under this section;

(c) in the said section 70 references to the Secretary of State were references to the Director and the reference to three months were a reference to six months;

(d) in paragraph 11 of the said Schedule 3 the reference to section 71 of that Act were a reference to subsection (2) above; and

(e) paragraph 16(2) of that Schedule were omitted.

(10) For the purposes of references under this section the Secretary of State shall appoint not less than three additional members of the Commission; and if any functions of the Commission in relation to any such reference are performed through a group, the chairman of the Commission shall select one, two or three of those additional members to be members of the group and the number of regular members to be selected by him under paragraph 10 of Schedule 3 to the 1973 Act shall be reduced accordingly.