---

Energy Bill

I welcome the questions put by the noble Lord, Lord De Mauley. I should like to ask for some help from the Minister on the meaning of paragraph (b), which states that the licensing authority may by regulations make provision, "““imposing obligations on the licensing authority””." I have not had much experience as a legislator, but I have never come across something that gives an organisation the power to impose something on itself. It is quite a strange approach. I would have thought it would say something on the lines of ““imposing regulations by the licensing authority in respect of””. It is strange to give an organisation the right to impose obligations on itself. I would be grateful if the Minister could explain how this will work. If obligations are imposed on an organisation, they should come from another organisation, otherwise there is a clear conflict of interest.