Electricity Act 1989

47 General functions. E+W+S

(1) It shall be the duty of the Director, so far as it appears to him practicable from time to time to do so—

(a) to keep under review the carrying on both in Great Britain and elsewhere of activities to which this subsection applies; and

(b) to collect information with respect to those activities, and the persons by whom they are carried on, with a view to facilitating the exercise of his functions under this Part;

and this subsection applies to any activities connected with the generation, transmission and supply of electricity, including in particular activities connected with the supply to any premises of heat produced in association with electricity and steam produced from and air and water heated by such heat.

[F1 (1A) The activities to which subsection (1) applies also include, in particular, activities connected with the generation of electricity by microgeneration or with the transmission and supply of electricity so generated.

(1B) In subsection (1A), “microgeneration” has the same meaning as it has in the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006.]

(2) The Secretary of State may give general directions indicating—

(a) considerations to which the Director should have particular regard in determining the order of priority in which matters are to be brought under review in performing his duty under subsection (1)(a) or (b) above; and

(b) considerations to which, in cases where it appears to the Director that any of his functions under this Part are exercisable, he should have particular regard in determining whether to exercise those functions.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Director, where either he considers it expedient or he is requested by the Secretary of State or [F2 the Office of Fair Trading] to do so, to give information, advice and assistance to the Secretary of State or [F3 the Office of Fair Trading] with respect to any matter in respect of which any function of the Director under this Part is exercisable.

F4 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 47(1A)(1B) inserted (21.8.2006) by Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 (c. 19), ss. 9, 28(1)

F2 Words in s. 47(3) substituted (1.4.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), s. 279, Sch. 25 para. 20(9)(a); S.I. 2003/766, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3) (as amended (20.7.2007) by S.I. 2007/1846, reg. 3(2), Sch.)

F3 Words in s. 47(3) substituted (1.4.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), s. 279, Sch. 25 para. 20(9)(b); S.I. 2003/766, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3) (as amended (20.7.2007) by S.I. 2007/1846, reg. 3(2), Sch.)

F4 S. 47(4) repealed (7.11.2000) by 2000 c. 27, s. 108, Sch. 8; S.I. 2000/2974, art. 2, Sch. (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-12)