Territorial Extent and Territorial Application Northern Ireland Other functions of the Council Section 24: Provision of information to the Council
71.Subsections (1) to (5) enable the Council to serve a notice on a person listed in subsection (3) requiring the person to provide it with information. The listed persons are the OFT, a “designated regulator”, any person who supplies goods or services in the course of business and any person or description of person specified by the Secretary of State. “Designated regulator” means the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, the Postal Services Commission, the Water Services Regulation Authority and any other person prescribed by the Secretary of State (see subsection (9)). The Council may only ask for information that it needs for the purpose of exercising its functions (subsection (2)). In making a request for information, the Council must consider the desirability of minimising the costs or any other detriment the request might cause for the person on whom the notice is served (subsection (5)).
72.If the Council requests information from the OFT or a designated regulator and it fails to provide the information requested, the Council may require it to give notice of its reasons for failing to provide the information requested (subsection (6)). The Council may publish that notice.