23.—(1) The Council may investigate any matter (not being a matter which it is its duty to investigate under this Part) which appears to it to be a matter relating to the interests of consumers in relation to electricity or gas supplied by authorised suppliers.
(2) Where the Council has investigated a matter under this Article it may make a report on that matter to the Authority, the Department, the Office of Fair Trading or any other public authority whose functions appear to the Council to be exercisable in relation to that matter.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the Council may—
(a)send a report on any matter investigated under this Article to any person who appears to the Council to have an interest in that matter; and
(b)publish any such report in such manner as the Council thinks appropriate.
(4) Information which relates to the affairs of any particular individual or body of persons (corporate or unincorporate) shall not be included in a report which is to be sent to any person under paragraph (3)(a) or published under paragraph (3)(b), unless one or more of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph (5) applies.
(5) Information relating to a particular individual or body may be included in such a report if—
(a)that individual or body has consented to the disclosure;
(b)it is information that is available to the public from some other source; or
(c)it is not information the disclosure of which would or might, in the opinion of the Council, seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that individual or body.
(6) Before deciding to include in such a report any information relating to a particular individual or body in pursuance of paragraph (5)(c), the Council shall—
(a)consult that individual or body; and
(b)have regard to any opinion expressed by the Authority as to the application of paragraph (5)(c) to the information or as to the desirability or otherwise of its inclusion in the report;
and sub-paragraph (b) applies whether the opinion is given in relation to the information itself or to information of a description which applies to that information.
(7) The power to undertake an investigation under this Article includes, without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), power to investigate any matter relating to, or to anything connected with, gas fittings (or their use) or the use of gas.
(8) In paragraph (7), “gas fittings” means gas fittings (within the meaning of paragraph 1 of Schedule 5 to the Gas Order) which are used or intended to be used by persons supplied with gas by authorised suppliers.