E.ON UK plc v GEMA on Energy Code Modification UNC116
Disclosures of interest
Members' interest:
Professor Waddams is a Director of the Centre for Competition
Policy (CCP) connected to the University of East Anglia.
The CCP is currently undertaking a small piece of funded
work (under £10,000) for Energywatch on ‘the
pros and cons of prepayment meters’. It is intended
that Professor Waddams will personally spend around 6 days
on the project. The funds from this work will go to University
of East Anglia, which then distributes the funds to the
CCP. The total amount the CCP will receive after paying
direct costs and other UEA expenses is around £6,000.
As a Director of the CCP, Professor Waddams is a member
of the committee which will distribute the remaining funds.
Professor Waddams cannot receive the funds personally and
they will be used for research purposes only. The amount
of work is small in proportion to the CCP’s budget
(over £1 million). Professor Waddams’ salary
and the core expenses of the CCP are paid by the Economic
and Social Research Council and are not dependent on this
work.
The CC is satisfied that this will not affect Professor
Waddams’ ability to act impartially and independently
as a member of the Group.
Staff interest:
John Davies, Chief Economist at the CC, worked as a consultant
for Coopers (1994-1998), London Economics (1998-1999) and
Frontier Economics (1999-2003) in the energy sector. Mr Davies
took part in discussions about original network codes in
1994, on behalf of the Gas Forum. Mr Davies completed subsequent
work, through consultancy firms for energy companies in the
UK and overseas. Of most relevance was work for BG Transco,
National Grid, Scottish Power, British Energy, Ofgem, Eastern
Electricity, London Electricity and Edf. Mr Davies published
minor pieces such as ‘bulletins’ from Frontier
Economics relating to the UK energy sector. Mr Davies has
had no involvement since resigning from Frontier Economics
in 2003.
Alex Marsden, Inquiry Secretary, went on secondment to Ofgem
last year, for a 3 month period (mid July 2006 – mid
October 2006). In this time Mr Marsden worked in the Industry
Codes and Licensing group but was not specifically involved
in code modifications.
The CC is satisfied that the impartiality of the inquiry
will not be affected by any of the above interests.
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