599.This section gives the Secretary of State a power to make an order amending sections 233 and 372 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (“IA 1986”). These sections currently allow for certain providers of gas, electricity, water and communications services (“utility supplies”) to seek a personal guarantee from an insolvency practitioner before continuing to supply an insolvent business and prevent such suppliers from demanding that pre-insolvency arrears are cleared as a condition of continuing supply.
600.Subsections (1) and (2) provide a power to enable IT suppliers to be added to the present list of utility supplies to which sections 233 and 372 apply. This reflects the increasing importance of IT supplies to the functioning of modern businesses since these two sections were enacted.
601.Subsections (1) and (2) also enable the Secretary of State to widen the application of these provisions to providers of utility services who are not presently covered by sections 233 and 372. The Government considers this is necessary in order to be able to reflect the way the utility and telecoms markets have evolved and deregulated since these statutory provisions were enacted.