Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Select Committee on Regulators's Books

As a result of the privatisation of many nationalised industries in the 1980s, independent sector-specific regulatory offices were established to regulate these industries to promote genuine competition and ensure companies did not exploit monopoly powers. Examples of these regulatory offices include Oftel (telecommunications), Ofgas (gas supply), Offer, (electricity), Ofwat (water services) and Postcomm (postal services). Other regulatory offices with slightly different regulatory remits include the Civil Aviation Authority, the Financial Services Authority, the Pensions Regulator, the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading. The Committee's report examines the statutory remits of the UK economic regulators, their working methods and working relationships, the value for money they provide and the extent to which the regulators have successfully promoted competition and de-regulated where possible, as well as considering whether they should be given an additional statutory duty to facilitate the competitiveness of UK firms. Overall, the Committee concludes that the legislation is working well, but that a greater standardisation of remits should be introduced over time to ensure all regulators are statutorily required to follow best practice. In most sectors, regulators have played an important role in helping to promote competition, with the exception of the water industry. The report explores possible reasons for the lack of competition in this sector, and urges Ofwat to take account of the general comments made by the Competition Appeal Tribunal on its access regime. It highlights the need for greater parliamentary oversight over regulatory bodies and recommends that a Joint Committee of both Houses be set up, or failing this, that a sessional Select Committee be established in the House of Lords.

The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill contains provisions to increase the scope of regulatory reform powers (following a review undertaken by the Better Regulation Task Force) in order to tackle red tape and unnecessary regulatory burdens, building on the powers of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001. The Committee examines the provisions of the Bill as brought to the Lords in May 2006 (HLB 109, session 2005-06; ISBN 0108422399) which it finds to have been changed significantly since the Bill was first introduced into the Commons in January 2006. Although the Committee finds that the Bill proposes the greatest delegation of power to Ministers that it has seen, it does not find the regulatory reform provisions inappropriate, although it questions whether the 2001 Act could not itself have been amended. The provisions relating to consolidation, simplification and implementation of Law Commission recommendations are found to be unsuitable for delivery by delegated legislation and it is suggested that primary legislation subject to special procedure would be a better option to legislate for such purposes.

Special Report : Sessions 2003-04 and 2004-05, the work of the Committee, 18th report of session 2004-05, report with Evidence

This report is a follow-up to the Committee's 9th report of session 2005-06 (HL paper 33, ISBN 0104007427). It includes the Government's response to that report (appendix 1), but also looks at developments during the UK presidency, and agreements and proposals to be carried forward in the Austrian and Finnish presidencies. Appendix 3 contains the text of "Advancing better regulation in Europe - a joint UK, Austrian and Finnish presidency discussion paper", issued in December 2005. Other sections of the report cover national level action in the UK, including the Davidson Review - examining the issue of UK over-implementation of EU legislation - and the work of the Better Regulation Task Force (now superseded by the Better Regulation Commission).

11th report of Session 2006-07 : Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Bill; Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, Government amendments: Greater London Authority Bill, Government response: Pensions Bill, regulato

17th report of Session 2005-06 : Government of Wales Bill; Childcare Bill; Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill (HL); Violent Crime Reduction Bill - Government response; Proposal for the Regulatory Reform (Registered Designs) Order 2006

23rd report of Session 2005-06 : Armed Forces Bill; Education and Inspections Bill; International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill; Government of Wales Bill - Government response; Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill - Government

Book's by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Select Committee on Regulators

UK economic regulators

UK economic regulators

Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

Special Report

Special Report

Ensuring Effective Regulation in the EU

Ensuring Effective Regulation in the EU

11th report of session 2006-07

11th report of session 2006-07

17th Report of Session 2005-06

17th Report of Session 2005-06

23rd Report of Session 2005-06

23rd Report of Session 2005-06

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email