S.C.A.
Amendment Paper as at
Tuesday 4th April 2000
STANDING COMMITTEE A
New Amendments handed in are marked thus *
UTILITIES BILL
NOTE
The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the Committee [7th March], as follows:
Clauses 89 to 103; Clause 126; Clauses 104 to 123; Schedule 4; Clause 125; Clause 129; Clause 9; Clause 13; Clause 10; Clause 14; Clause 11; Clause 15; Clauses 16 to 19; Schedule 2; Clauses 20 to 26; Clause 63; Clause 66; Clauses 27 and 28; Clause 64; Clause 29; Clause 62; Clauses 30 to 33; Clause 65; Clause 34; Clause 67; Clause 35; Clause 68; Clauses 36 to 41; Clause 69; Clause 42; Clause 70; Clause 43; Clause 71; Clause 44; Clause 72; Clause 45; Clause 73; Clause 46; Clause 74; Clause 47; Clause 75; Clause 48; Clause 76; Clause 49; Clause 77; Clauses 50 to 57; Clause 78; Clause 58; Clause 79; Clauses 59 to 61; Clause 82; Clause 80; Clause 81; Clause 83; Schedule 3; Clause 124; Clauses 127 and 128; Clauses 130 to 132; Schedules 5 to 7; Clauses 133 and 134; new Clauses; new Schedules.
Mrs Helen Liddell
734
Clause 57, page 57, line 35, leave out 'persons who supply electricity' and insert 'authorised suppliers'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
735
Clause 57, page 57, line 41, leave out from 'by' to 'provision' in line 45 and insert 'authorised distributors or authorised transmitters (as well as by suppliers);
(b) in relation to charges payable to suppliers,'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
736
Clause 57, page 58, leave out lines 11 to 16 and insert
'(a) require authorised suppliers, authorised distributors or authorised transmitters to supply information of any specified description, in any specified form, to any other such persons; and
(b) provide for the modification of licences'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
751
Clause 57, page 58, line 18, at end insert
'( ) The scheme shall
(a) ensure that no tariff structure requires any group of consumers to pay a greater amount of charges for receiving a lesser amount of electricity.'.
Mr Nick Gibb
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Ian Bruce [R]
Mr Christopher Chope
Mr Christopher Fraser
755
Clause 57, page 58, line 18, at end insert
'(5A) The Secretary of State shall, after consultation with the Authority, Council, Competition Commission and licence holders, publish a statement of policy with respect to the definition of "members of a disadvantaged group" and which shall, in particular, clarify the extent to which a scheme may permit cross subsidy from one group of consumers to another'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
737
Clause 57, page 59, line 1, leave out from 'require' to 'to' in line 2 and insert 'authorised suppliers, authorised distributors or authorised transmitters'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
738
Clause 57, page 59, line 10, leave out from 'require' to first 'to' in line 11 and insert 'authorised suppliers, authorised distributors or authorised transmitters'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
739
Clause 57, page 59, line 13, at end insert
'( ) In section 43A references to customers do not include customers of a description excluded by an order made by the Secretary of State.
( ) In this section and section 43A "authorised transmitter" means a person authorised by a licence or exemption to transmit electricity.'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
568
Clause 78, page 84, line 33, after 'gas', insert ',or that a disadvantaged group is unable to afford access to essential suppliers'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
569
Clause 78, page 84, line 33, leave out 'may' and insert 'shall'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
570
Clause 78, page 84, line 35, at end insert ',or make an order containing a scheme to ensure affordable access'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
740
Clause 78, page 85, line 11, leave out 'under this Act'.
Mr Nick Gibb
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Christopher Chope
Mr Ian Bruce [R]
Mr Christopher Fraser
754
Clause 78, page 85, line 13, at end insert
'(5A) The Secretary of State shall, after consultation with the Authority, Council, Competition Commission and licence holders, publish a statement of policy with respect to the definition of "members of a disadvantaged group" and which shall, in particular, clarify the extent to which a scheme may permit cross subsidy from one group of consumers to another.'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
571
Clause 78, page 85, line 47, at end insert 'annually'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
572
Clause 78, page 85, line 48, after 'and', insert 'carry out consumer impact assessments and'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
573
Clause 78, page 85, line 49, leave out 'whenever he directs it to do so.'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
574
Clause 78, page 86, line 4, at end insert '; and
( ) shall provide this information to the Council.'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
741
Clause 78, page 86, line 4, at end insert
'( ) In section 41A references to customers do not include customers of a description excluded by an order made by the Secretary of State.'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
759
Clause 58, page 59, line 16, leave out from beginning of line to 'the' in line 32 and insert
41A.(1) The Secretary of State may by order impose
(a) on each electricity distributor (or each electricity distributor of a specified description); and
(b) on each electricity supplier (or each electricity supplier of a specified description),
an obligation to achieve, within a specified period and in accordance with the order, the energy efficiency target specified in or determined under the order for that distributor or supplier (and that obligation is referred to in this section as an "energy efficiency obligation").
(2) In this section "energy efficiency target" means a target for the promotion of improvements in energy efficiency, that is to say, efficiency in the use by consumers of electricity, gas conveyed through pipes or any other source of energy which is specified in the order.
(3) The energy efficiency obligations imposed by'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
576
Clause 58, page 59, line 21, after 'period' insert ', of not more than one year,'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
668
Clause 58, page 59, line 21, leave out 'targets for the promotion' and insert 'obligations for the promotion and implementation'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
577
Clause 58, page 59, line 21, at end insert 'and improvement'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
578
Clause 58, page 59, line 22, at end insert ', including targets for reducing CO2 by 12.5 per cent. by 2010 and energy efficiency by 20 per cent.'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
247
Clause 58, page 59, line 22, at end insert
'(1A) In specifying those targets, the Secretary of State shall have regard to any national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, including in particular that of a reduction of 20 per cent. in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010 compared to 1990 levels'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
669
Clause 58, page 59, line 27, leave out ' "energy efficiency target" means a target' and insert ' "energy efficiency obligation" means an obligation'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
670
Clause 58, page 59, line 31, leave out 'targets' and insert 'obligations'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
753
Clause 58, page 59, line 35, at end insert
'( ) For the purpose of this section the Secretary of State may make a levy on any supplier where the average consumption of that supplier's customers rises by more than a specified amount.'.
Mrs Helen Liddell
760
Clause 58, page 59, leave out lines 36 to 42 and insert
'(4) The order may make provision generally in relation to the energy efficiency obligations which it imposes, including in particular provision
(a) as to the treatment of persons who become electricity distributors or electricity suppliers after the beginning of the period to which the order relates;'.
Norman Baker
Mr Andrew Stunell
671
Clause 58, page 59, line 38, leave out 'targets' and insert 'obligations'.