TALKS could take place on the future of regulation in Guernsey.

Deputy Treasury minister Jack Honeybill has called for the Office of Utility Regulation’s role to be investigated after both Guernsey Electricity and Guernsey Post raised concerns this week.

Treasury is the 100% shareholder in both companies but until now there appeared to have been a reluctance for it to get involved.

A spokesman for Commerce and Employment, which is responsible for the law under which regulation happens, said that the departments had already discussed specific regulation issues.

But it would welcome further meetings with Treasury to understand Deputy Honeybill’s concerns.

Deputy Honeybill said: ‘Bearing in mind Commerce and Employment is giving it more responsibility [with air route licensing] we need to get around a table and discuss it.

‘We need to look at the whole method of how it undertakes its responsibilities and tailor them for today, given that it was set up many years ago.’

Deputy Honeybill said the two departments involved and the OUR should meet to discuss how things could progress.

Treasury minister Charles Parkinson said on Monday that the department could not get involved in the dispute over prices with Guernsey Electricity, despite being the sole shareholder.

But Deputy Honeybill said: ‘We cannot interfere, but we can still hold an opinion.’

A decision would need to be made jointly to have a States report, he added.

‘The utilities pay a lot of money to be regulated. The OUR was only doing what it was instructed to do by the States, but there are certainly some issues that are contradictory to the shareholder’s role.’