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What we do

Market investigations

Enactment

Referring organisation

Market Enterprise Act 2002 s131 Office of Fair Trading (OFT), or sectoral regulators with concurrent powers (the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Ofgem), the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (Utility Regulator), the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA))
Market Enterprise Act 2002 s132 The appropriate Minister

 

Merger inquiries

Enactment

Referring organisation

Completed merger Enterprise Act 2002 s22 OFT
Anticipated merger Enterprise Act 2002 s33 OFT
Scheme for protecting legitimate interests in a European merger Enterprise Act 2002 (Protection of Legitimate Interests) Order 2003 art 5 Secretary of State
Merger raising public interest issues, including some newspaper and other media mergers Enterprise Act 2002 s45 Secretary of State
Special merger raising special public interest issues including some newspaper and other media special mergers Enterprise Act 2002 s62 Secretary of State
Water merger Water Industry Act 1991 s32 OFT

 

Regulatory references and appeals

Enactment

Referring organisation

Airports and Air traffic services
Airport price regulation (quinquennial reviews) Airports Act 1986 s40 or The Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 art 31(9) CAA
Air traffic services licence modification Transport Act 2000 s12 CAA
Electricity & Gas
Electricity licence modification (Great Britain) Electricity Act 1989 s11C Licence holders, qualifying body or association, or National Consumer Council (part of Consumer Focus)
Electricity licence modification (Northern Ireland) Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 art 15 Utility Regulator
Electricity non-licensable activities Electricity Act 1989 s56C Ofgem
Energy Code Modifications

Energy Act 2004 s 173 read with The Electricity and Gas Appeals (Designation and Exclusion) Order 2005 and The Electricity and Gas Appeals (Designation and Exclusion) Order 2009

 Persons whose interests are materially affected by specified GEMA decisions or qualifying body or association who represent persons whose interests are materially affected
Gas licence modification (Great Britain) Gas Act 1986 s23B Licence holders, qualifying body or association, or National Consumer Council (part of Consumer Focus)
Gas licence modification (Northern Ireland) Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 art 15 Utility Regulator
Gas non-licensable activities Gas Act 1986 s41E Ofgem
Financial services
Regulatory provisions or practices of Financial Services Authority

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 s162

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 s306

 OFT
Postal services
Postal services price control decisions Postal Services Act 2011 s59 A person affected by a specified Ofcom decision
Railways
Railways licence modification Railways Act 1993 s13 ORR
Railways access charges Railways Act 1993 Schedule 4A, para 9 ORR
Telecommunications
Telecommunications price control decisions Communications Act 2003 s193 Competition Appeal Tribunal
Water and Sewerage
Water and sewerage, determination of questions arising under conditions of appointment Water Industry Act 1991 s12 Ofwat
Water and sewerage licence modification Water Industry Act 1991 s14 Ofwat
Water supply licence and retail licence modification Water Industry Act 1991 s17K Ofwat
Northern Ireland water and sewerage, determinations The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 art 19 Utility Regulator
Northern Ireland water and sewerage licence modifications The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 art 21 Utility Regulator
Scottish water price control and licence modifications The Water Services etc (Scotland) Act 2005 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2005 art 3 Water Industry Commission for Scotland

 

Other

Enactment

Referring organisation

Public bodies - efficiency and costs Competition Act 1980 s11 Secretary of State
Regulatory arrangements of approved regulators Legal Services Act 2007 s59 Lord Chancellor