96 Directions for preserving security of electricity supplies etc.E+W+S
(1)The Secretary of State may, after consultation with a person to whom this section applies, give to that person such directions of a general character as appear to the Secretary of State to be requisite or expedient for the purpose of—
(a)preserving the security of buildings or installations used for, or for purposes connected with, the generation, transmission or supply of electricity; or
(b)mitigating the effects of any civil emergency which may occur.
(2)If it appears to the Secretary of State to be requisite or expedient to do so for any such purpose as is mentioned in subsection (1) above, he may, after consultation with a person to whom this section applies, give to that person a direction requiring him (according to the circumstances of the case) to do, or not to do, a particular thing specified in the direction.
(3)A person to whom this section applies shall give effect to any direction given to him by the Secretary of State under this section notwithstanding any other duty imposed on him by or under this Act.
(4)The Secretary of State shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every direction given under this section unless he is of the opinion that disclosure of the direction is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of any person.
(5)A person shall not disclose, or be required by virtue of any enactment or otherwise to disclose, anything done by virtue of this section if the Secretary of State has notified him that the Secretary of State is of the opinion that disclosure of that thing is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of some other person.
(6)This section applies to any licence holder and any person authorised by an exemption to generate or supply electricity.
(7)In this section “civil emergency” means any natural disaster or other emergency which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, is or may be likely to disrupt electricity supplies; and expressions used in Part I have the same meanings as in that Part.