50.—(1) It shall be the duty of the Director, so far as it appears to him practicable to do so—
(a)to keep under review the carrying on both in Northern Ireland and elsewhere of activities to which this paragraph applies; and
(b)to collect information with respect to those activities, and the persons by whom they are carried on, with a view to facilitating the exercise of his functions under this Part;
and this paragraph applies to any activities connected with the generation, transmission and supply of electricity, including in particular activities connected with the supply to any premises of heat produced in association with electricity and steam produced from and air and water heated by such heat.
(2) The Department may give general directions indicating—
(a)considerations to which the Director should have particular regard in determining the order of priority in which matters are to be brought under review in performing his duty under paragraph (1)(a) or (b); and
(b)considerations to which, in cases where it appears to the Director that any of his functions under this Part are exercisable, he should have particular regard in determining whether to exercise those functions.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Director, where either he considers it expedient or he is requested by the Department or the Director General of Fair Trading to do so, to give information, advice and assistance to the Department or that Director with respect to any matter in respect of which any function of the Director under this Part is exercisable.
(4) It shall be the duty of the Director to make such arrangements as he considers appropriate for the provision of information by him to the consumer committee.
51.—(1) The Director may arrange for the publication, in such form and in such manner as he considers appropriate, of such information and advice as it may appear to him expedient to give to customers or potential customers of persons authorised by a licence to supply electricity.
(2) In arranging for the publication of any such information or advice the Director shall have regard to the need for excluding, so far as that is practicable, the matters specified in Article 45(5)(a) and (b).
(3) The Director General of Fair Trading shall consult the Director before publishing under section 124 of the 1973 Act (publication of information and advice) any information or advice which may be published by the Director under this Article.
52.—(1) The Director shall, at such premises and in such form as he may determine, maintain a register for the purposes of this Part.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3) and to any direction given under paragraph (4), the Director shall cause to be entered in the register the provisions of—
(a)every licence and every exemption granted to a particular person;
(b)every modification or revocation of a licence;
(c)every direction or consent given or determination made under a licence; and
(d)every final or provisional order, every confirmation of a provisional order, every revocation of such an order and every notice under Article 28(6).
(3) In entering any provision in the register, the Director shall have regard to the need for excluding, so far as that is practicable, the matters specified in Article 45(5)(a) and (b).
(4) If it appears to the Department that the entry of any provision in the register would be against the public interest or the commercial interests of any person, the Department may direct the Director not to enter that provision in the register.
(5) The contents of the register shall be available for inspection by the public during such hours and subject to the payment of such fee as may be specified in an order made by the Department.
(6) Any person may, on the payment of such fee as may be specified in an order so made, require the Director to supply him with a copy of, or extract from, any part of the register, being a copy or extract which is certified by the Director to be a true copy or extract.
(7) Any sums received by the Director under this Article shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
53.—(1) The Director shall, as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year—
(a)make to the Department a report on—
(i)his activities during that year; and
(ii)the Monopolies Commission’s activities during that year so far as relating to references made by him; and
(b)send a copy of that report to the chairman of the consumer committee.
(2) Every such report shall—
(a)include a general survey of developments, during the year to which it relates, in respect of matters falling within the scope of the Director’s functions;
(b)set out any final or provisional orders made, and provisional orders confirmed, by the Director during that year;
(c)set out any general directions given to the Director during that year under Article 50(2); and
(d)include a general survey of the activities during that year of the consumer committee and a summary of any reports made to him by the committee under Article 55.
(3) The Department shall lay a copy of every report made by the Director under paragraph (1) before the Assembly and shall arrange for copies of every such report to be published in such manner as the Department considers appropriate.
(4) The Director shall also make to the Department—
(a)such reports with respect to the matters mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) as the Department may require; and
(b)such other reports with respect to those matters as may appear to him to be expedient;
and the Director shall, if the Department so directs, arrange for copies of any report made under this paragraph to be published in such manner as is specified in the direction.
(5) In making or preparing any report under this Article the Director shall have regard to the need for excluding, so far as that is practicable, the matters specified in Article 45(5)(a) and (b).
(6) Section 125(1) of the 1973 Act (annual and other reports) shall not apply to activities of the Monopolies Commission on which the Director is required to report by this Article.