Commentary on provisions of Act Section 50: Consumer advocacy and advice
This section amends several reservations in Part 2 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 so that responsibility for consumer advocacy and advice is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
	Subsections (2) to (4) insert exceptions for consumer advocacy and advice from the reservations in Sections C7 (consumer protection), C8 (product standards, safety and liability) and C9 (weights and measures) This will have the effect of devolving the provision of consumer advocacy or advice by, or by agreement with, a public body or holder of a public office, in relation to those reserved matters.
	Subsections (5) to (7) insert exceptions from consumer advocacy and advice from the reservations in Sections C11 (posts), D1 (electricity) and D2 (oil and gas). This will have the effect of devolving the provision of consumer advocacy and advice by, or by agreement with, a public body or holder of a public office, in relation to those reserved matters, whilst reserving the right to levy energy and postal sector companies in order to fund consumer advocacy and advice. Further, these exceptions do not include conferring or removing functions on the Office of Communications (Ofcom) or the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Ofgem). This is clarified by subsection (8), which adds Ofcom and Ofgem to the list of reserved bodies in paragraph 3 of Part 3 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998.
	Subsections (9) to (16) make consequential amendments to support the change in funding arrangements that the devolution of consumer advocacy and advice requires.