24.—(1) Section 62 (public inquiries) of the Electricity Act 1989(1) is amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).
(2) In subsection (1), at the end insert “or the Welsh Ministers”.
(3) After subsection (1A) insert—
“(1B) The Welsh Ministers may cause an inquiry to be held in any case where they consider it advisable to do so in connection with any matter relating to the exercise by them of any function under this Part.”.
(4) After subsection (5) insert—
“(6) Where—
(a)an inquiry is to be caused to be held by the Welsh Ministers under this Part or Schedule 16 to the Energy Act 2004(2) in connection with any matter; and
(b)in the case of some other matter required or authorised (whether by this Part, that Schedule or by any other enactment) to be the subject of an inquiry which is to be caused to be held by the Welsh Ministers, it appears to the Welsh Ministers that the matters are so far cognate that they should be considered together,
the Welsh Ministers may direct that the two inquiries be held concurrently or combined as one inquiry.”.
1989 c. 29; section 62 was amended by section 3(2) of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27), section 102(1) and (3) of the Energy Act 2004 (c. 20) and article 6(1) of, and paragraph 8 of Schedule 5 to, S.I. 1999/1750.