Commentary on provisions of Act Section 6: Directions
Subsection (1) allows the Secretary of State to give directions to Great British Energy and subsection (2) requires Great British Energy to comply with those directions.
	Subsection (3) requires the Secretary of State to consult Great British Energy, and such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate, before giving a direction.
	Subsection (4) requires any directions given to be published and laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State.
	This section ensures the Secretary of State’s direction-giving power is of a reserve nature, exercisable in cases where a more precise, tailored, and expeditious form of intervention may be needed than general company law could afford.
	In line with the Government’s policy, this influence should be used sparingly in practice, and the default position is that Great British Energy is independent in regard to its operations and investment decisions. The Government is constrained by public law and public policy considerations to act rationally and proportionately in any use of its influence over the company.
	This power is consistent with the power that the Government has to direct comparable institutions, for example: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has a statutory power to direct Great British Nuclear, although this has never been used to date.