Great British Energy Bill

Debate between Lord Petitgas and Lord Cromwell

Committee stage
Wednesday 15th January 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Cromwell (CB)]

My Lords, I am not sure what the opposite of a filibuster is, but I am going to try. I add my support to Amendments 88 and 92. They are both simple, timely, consistent and robust: elements of good housekeeping, quite frankly.

I also add my support to Amendment 89. We need to draw lessons from the experience with the water industry, whose reporting was opaque. It simply was not transparent enough on key areas of its financial structuring. This amendment would tease out the things that people need to know—people who are not forensic accountants going through the balance sheets reported by companies. Therefore, I thoroughly endorse Amendment 89.

[Lord Petitgas (Con)]

My Lords, I too would like to voice my support for Amendments 88 and 89. I will be brief. The timing and regularity of this reporting seems to be normal, standard housekeeping. It is not onerous, and it is legitimate. On the substance, as I said on the previous day in Committee, this is not an operating company which would report, like Ørsted or others; this is a portfolio of investments. It would be a number of minority investments; this company will not be operating assets. The Member opposite seems to be sceptical, but it will be a collection of small investments. Therefore, it will be more complex to track, and it will be important that it is clearly stated in the accounts. Amendment 89 states that.