PART 7Regulatory authority

Designation, reporting and members

Authority to prepare annual reports on its activities as designated regulatory authority23

After section 5 of the Utilities Act 2000 insert—

5ZAReport on activities as designated regulatory authority

1

The Authority must, as soon as is practicable after the end of each reporting period, prepare a report on the activities it has carried out in that period as designated regulatory authority for Great Britain.

2

A report prepared under subsection (1) is referred to as a regulatory authority report.

3

The regulatory authority report must include, in particular, a general survey of the steps taken and results achieved by the Authority in the performance of its functions in accordance with Article 37 of the Electricity Directive and Article 41 of the Gas Directive.

4

In preparing the regulatory authority report, the Authority must have regard to the need for excluding, so far as that is practicable, any matter which relates to the affairs of a particular individual or body of persons (corporate or unincorporate), where publication of that matter would or might, in the opinion of the Authority, seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that individual or body.

5

The Authority must—

a

send a copy of the regulatory authority report to—

i

the Secretary of State,

ii

the European Commission, and

iii

the Agency; and

b

publish it in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate.

6

In this section “reporting period” means—

a

the period beginning with the date on which this section comes into force and ending on 15 July 2012;

b

each subsequent period of 12 months.

7

Nothing in this section or section 5 prevents a regulatory authority report and an annual report from including a report on the same matters.