Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

Lord Faulkner of Worcester Excerpts

Tuesday 18th December 2012 Grand Committee

As we know, there has been a lot of fuss about the water services and the gas and electricity markets. However, one can debate how much of it is the fault of the regulator and how much is the fault of government policy. I do not want to go into that today but there are always two sides to these arguments. Why is Monitor not included? Sadly, I was not in my place when this matter was debated before, but it is a regulator and what is good for one is surely good for the other. I hope that, not just in today’s debate but at future stages, we will look more closely at how to improve the performance of some of the regulators that we feel are not doing as good a job as they might be rather than taking this draconian action, as I see it, of removing their ability to look at the competition issues with their specialist knowledge of their industry as at least a first step—

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Lord Faulkner of Worcester)]

We have a Division in the Chamber. The Committee will stand adjourned until Members have returned or for 10 minutes, whichever is the sooner.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees]

My Lords, before the Division, we were debating Amendment 26BA.

[Lord Berkeley]

My Lords, I had just about finished, but want to conclude by saying that I hope that the Minister and our other colleagues will look at the proposed new clause very carefully before Report, because there are some serious things wrong with it. I commend the amendments of my noble friend Lord Whitty for consideration.