Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of removing the right for energy companies to appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority under the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill on the ability of energy suppliers to (a) formulate business plans and (b) invest in the UK energy market.

The draft Bill would place a new duty on Ofgem to implement a cap on standard variable and default tariffs, and provides a bespoke power for Ofgem to implement the price cap through an amendment to the licence conditions. Energy companies would be able to appeal an Ofgem decision on whether to proceed with the licence modification by way of judicial review. It does not remove an existing right of appeal.