Report (1st Day)

Part of Energy Bill [HL] – in the House of Lords at 3:45 pm on 19 October 2015.

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Photo of Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip), The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales 3:45, 19 October 2015

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her comments on these amendments, which, like me, she accepts are important in relation to fee-charging. I will have to write to her on the specific issue of whether the Environment Agency has been consulted—I would anticipate that it has—and on the related point about the European Emissions Trading Scheme. Of course, the Oil and Gas Authority would be bound, as are other institutions, by environmental law, and I anticipate that the proper liaison would therefore take place. However, as I said, perhaps I may write to her on the specific issues she raises.

Amendment 7 agreed.

Amendments 8 and 9

Moved by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

8: The Schedule, page 41, line 10, at end insert—

“( ) in paragraph (b), omit the words from “to the extent” to the end,”

9: The Schedule, page 41, line 14, at end insert—

“3A After section 9B insert—

“9BA Exercise of certain functions of the Secretary of State

(1) The Secretary of State must act in accordance with the current strategy or strategies when exercising the functions mentioned in subsection (2).

(2) Those functions are functions under Part 4 to the extent that they concern reduction of the costs of abandonment of offshore installations and submarine pipelines (including the reduction of such costs by means of the timing of measures proposed in abandonment programmes and by the inclusion in such programmes of provision for collaboration with other persons).””

Amendments 8 and 9 agreed.

Clause 3: Contracting out of functions to the OGA

Amendment 10

Moved by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

10: Clause 3, page 3, line 11, at end insert—

“(3) The Welsh Ministers may enter into an agreement with the OGA authorising the OGA to exercise any functions of the Welsh Ministers.

(4) The reference in subsection (3) to functions does not include functions of making, confirming or approving subordinate legislation contained in a statutory instrument.

(5) An agreement under subsection (3) does not affect the responsibility of the Welsh Ministers.

(6) An agreement under subsection (3) does not prevent the Welsh Ministers from exercising a function to which the agreement relates.

(7) The Welsh Ministers must arrange for a copy of any agreement under subsection (3) to be published in such manner as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate for bringing it to the attention of the persons who, in the Welsh Ministers’ opinion, are likely to be affected by it.”