Clause 14
Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill
9:00 am
Mark Prisk (Shadow Minister (Small Businesses and Enterprise), Trade & Industry; Hertford and Stortford, Conservative)
Thank you, Mr. Caton. I, too, welcome you to the Chair. I do not think that I have had your guidance before in a Standing Committee or, as we must now call them, a Public Bill Committee, but I am delighted to have such guidance now as we continue our deliberations.
I welcome the Minister’s opening remarks on the clause. He rightly said that it will require the council to refer a complaint that stems from clauses 11, 12 and13 to Ofgem when it considers the authority’s powers to be exercisable which, in principle, is a perfectly reasonable measure. However, as the Minister will know, there will be cases on the margins of Ofgem’s power, as it were, over which there may be some dispute, particular regarding disconnections. It would be helpful if the Minister would express his views or give some guidance to the Committee now or in the future as to what will be the guiding principles in cases that involve a dispute over whether a matter should be referred to Ofgem.