Proposals announced today by business minister Jo Swinson aim to make standards more consistent between sectors and streamline the system.
The business department cites the case of Albion Water against Ofwat, which dragged on over five years across the Competition Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal. It concerned Welsh Water’s pricing of bulk water supplies to Shotton Mill, in North Wales, which had been judged abusive.
Swinson said of the proposals: “It is only right that firms can hold regulators and competition authorities to account when they think the wrong decision has been reached. But it is in nobody’s interest that appeals end up being unnecessarily lengthy and costly.
“A new streamlined system will mean that businesses see their appeals sorted quicker and that they and regulators spend less time and legal resources on disputes. Reduced delays will help build a stronger economy and provide better outcomes for consumers.”