Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002

3Functions of the Commissioner

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)The Commissioner must investigate any complaint made to the Commissioner or a Customer Panel by a current, potential or former customer of Scottish Water as respects any of its core functions.

(2)A Customer Panel must refer to the Commissioner any such complaint which is made to it.

(3)The Commissioner need not investigate a complaint under subsection (1) if—

(a)the complainer has not pursued the complaint with Scottish Water, or

(b)it appears to the Commissioner that the complaint is vexatious or frivolous.

(4)The Commissioner may, on behalf of the complainer in a complaint investigated under subsection (1), make representations to Scottish Water about any matter—

(a)to which the complaint relates, or

(b)which appears to the Commissioner to be relevant to the subject matter of the complaint.

(5)Where the Commissioner investigates a complaint referred by a Customer Panel under subsection (2), or decides not to investigate such a complaint, the Commissioner must send to the Panel a report of the investigation or, as the case may be, a statement of the reasons for not investigating the complaint.

(6)The Commissioner is to advise the Scottish Ministers on any matter which appears to the Commissioner or to them to relate to—

(a)the standard of service provided by Scottish Water to its customers, or

(b)the manner in which it conducts its relations with its customers or potential or former customers,

in the exercise of its core functions.

(7)The Commissioner has power to do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is incidental or conducive to, the exercise of the Commissioner’s functions.