Part I U.K. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Provisions with respect to committeesE+W+S

51 General duty of consumers’ committees to advise Director etc.E+W+S

It shall be the duty of each consumers’ committee—

(a)to make representations to and consult with each public electricity supplier allocated to the committee about all such matters as appear to the committee to affect the interests of customers or potential customers of that supplier;

(b)to keep under review matters affecting the interests of consumers of electricity supplied to premises in the committee’s area; and

(c)to advise the Director on any matter relating to the supply of electricity in that area on which they consider they should offer advice or which is referred to them by the Director.

52 Periodical and other reports of consumers’ committees.E+W+S

(1)Each consumers’ committee—

(a)shall make a report to the Director on any such matter as he may require; and

(b)may make a report to the Director concerning any matter which appears to the committee to affect the interests of customers or potential customers of a public electricity supplier allocated to the committee.

(2)Each consumers’ committee shall at least once in every year, and whenever directed to do so by the Director, make a report to him on their activities; and every such report shall include a statement of the matters on which, during the period to which it relates, the committee have advised the Director under section 51 above.

(3)The Director may arrange for a report made to him under this section to be published in such manner as he considers appropriate.

(4)In publishing any report under this section the Director shall have regard to the need for excluding, so far as that is practicable, the matters specified in section 42(5)(a) and (b) above.

53 The National Consumers’ Consultative Committee.E+W+S

(1)There shall be a committee, to be known as the National Consumers’ Consultative Committee, of which the Director shall be chairman and the ordinary members shall be the persons who for the time being hold office as chairmen of consumers’ committees.

(2)The Committee shall meet at least four times a year and shall be under a duty—

(a)to keep under review matters affecting the interests of consumers of electricity generally; and

(b)to facilitate the exchange of information relating to such matters between the Director, the ordinary members and their respective consumers’ committees.