Territorial Extent and Territorial Application Northern Ireland Other functions of the Council Section 25: Enforcement by regulator of section 24 notice
73.Section 25 applies where a regulated provider in the electricity, gas, postal services or water sectors fails to comply with a notice served by the Council under section 24. The Council may refer the matter to a person prescribed by the Secretary of State, or to the sectoral regulator if no person has been prescribed by the Secretary of State (in both cases the “designated investigator”). The designated investigator must consider any representations made by the Council or by the regulated provider and must determine whether the provider was entitled to refuse to provide the information requested by the Council (subsection (4)). If the designated investigator determines that the provider was not entitled to refuse, then it must direct the provider to provide the information. Such directions are enforceable by the sectoral regulator (see subsections (7), (8) and Schedule 2).