(1)It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that such arrangements (if any) are in force as he thinks appropriate for requiring or authorising, in such cases as he thinks fit, the making of such payments as he considers appropriate in respect of compliance with relevant obligations by any of the following—
(a)a credit reference agency (within the meaning given by section 145(8) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c. 39)) or any servant or agent of such an agency;
(b)a person providing a telecommunications service (within the meaning of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (c. 23)) or any servant or agent of such a person;
(c)a water undertaker or a water and sewerage authority constituted under section 62 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) or any servant or agent of such an undertaker or authority,
(d)any person who (within the meaning the Gas Act 1986 (c. 44)) supplies gas conveyed through pipes, or any servant or agent of such a person;
(e)any person who (within the meaning of the Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29)) supplies electricity conveyed by distribution systems, or any servant or agent of such a person;
(f)any person added to the list of persons falling within subsection (2A) of section 109B of the Administration Act by an order under subsection (6) of that section, or any person’s servant or agent who falls within that subsection by virtue of such an order.
(2)In subsection (1) “relevant obligation”—
(a)in relation to a person falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (f) of that subsection, means—
(i)an obligation to provide information in pursuance of a requirement imposed on that person under section 109B of the Administration Act by virtue only of his falling within subsection (2A) of that section; or
(ii)any obligation to comply, for the purpose of enabling an authorised officer to obtain information which might otherwise be obtained by the imposition of such a requirement, with any requirements imposed on that person under section 109BA or 110AA of that Act;
and
(b)in relation to a person falling within any of paragraphs (c) to (e) of that subsection, means any obligation to provide information in pursuance of a requirement imposed by such an exercise of the powers conferred by section 109B of that Act as is mentioned in subsection (2D) of that section.
(3)For the purpose of complying with his duty under this section, the Secretary of State may make arrangements for payments to be made out of money provided by Parliament.
(4)It shall be the duty of an authority administering housing benefit or council tax benefit to comply with such general or specific directions as to the making of payments as may be given by the Secretary of State in accordance with any arrangements for the time being in force for the purposes of subsection (1).