4th Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the Committee's "scrutiny and endorsement of our overall approach" and states agreement with several recommendations, with some amendments made to the Bill.

• On the Digital Economy Act 2015 data-sharing recommendation, the Government says "We agree" and has published a short consultation; "Subject to the consultation" it intends to bring forward regulations "as soon as Parliamentary time allows".
• The Government agrees the aim must be to put a cap in place "as soon as possible" and "hope[s]" the Bill will progress swiftly, as Royal Assent will be needed "as early as possible" for a cap for next winter.
• The Bill has been amended to require Ofgem to review the cap level, in line with the Committee's recommendation, and to give Ofgem a duty to consult on exempting green tariffs chosen by customers, including how green gas "might be included".
• The Government agrees that the decision to lift the cap will be based on "whether the conditions are in place for effective competition", informed by Ofgem's report, and will be published in a statement.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error