Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Penrose and Kemi Badenoch

Thursday 23rd March 2023 Commons Chamber

[John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare) (Con)]

1. What recent progress she has made on updating the statutory duties of economic regulators in the utilities sectors.

[The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kemi Badenoch)]

We are committed to bringing forward a consultation in the coming months on proposals to reform our approach to economic regulation in the utilities sector. This will include the outcomes of our review of the regulators’ statutory duties.

[John Penrose]

I welcome the bright and shiny new ministerial team to their roles, and I urge my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, as the new broom, to get this moving a lot faster. Some economic regulators are too expensive, too slow and too soft, so could we use the upcoming competition Bill to refocus them on sharper competition so that consumers get better deals and fewer rip-offs, because otherwise we will miss the best opportunity for years?

[Kemi Badenoch]

My hon. Friend is quite right. As set out in our policy paper, the duties and functions of Ofwat, Ofcom and Ofgem have significantly expanded since privatisation. I agree that the Bill would enable us to move more quickly, and I would like to work with him to see what we can do to improve regulation more broadly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Penrose and Kemi Badenoch

Wednesday 24th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare) (Con)]

T3. Does the Minister agree that improving trust in and legitimacy of key public officials and institutions in areas such as law enforcement, immigration and health, particularly in communities where historically they have been low, is absolutely essential, and what steps does she intend to take to level up in this vital area?

[The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch)]

Building trust between different communities and the institutions that serve them was a central theme of the report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. We will respond to the report shortly, setting out our plans for building back fairer, and I can assure my hon. Friend that his concerns will be at the heart of our response.