10Reports on effect of regulatory policies

10 Reports on effect of regulatory policies

(1) Without limiting the generality of section 9, the Minister may, by notice in writing delivered to the senior member, request the Authority to consider, prepare and give to the Minister a report on, and make recommendations to the Minister on, the effect, on the achievement of the objects of the Authority, of a regulatory policy specified in the notice and, where the Minister does so, the Authority shall comply with the request as soon as it is practicable to do so. (2) Without limiting the generality of section 9, the Authority may, where it considers it appropriate to do so, consider, prepare and give to the Minister a report on, and make recommendations to the Minister on, the effect on the achievement of the objects of the Authority of a regulatory policy. (3) Where, under this section, the Authority is required to, or may, consider, prepare and give to the Minister a report on, and make recommendations to the Minister on, the effect on the achievement of the objects of the Authority of a regulatory policy, the Authority may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, arrange for members of the staff referred to in subsection 24(1), or other persons, to carry out research in respect of that effect and to prepare a report on that research containing recommendations in relation to that effect, and, where the Authority does so, and that report is prepared, the Authority, for the purposes of this Act, shall be taken to have considered that effect and may adopt that report as the report of the Authority on that effect. (4) In this section, regulatory policy means a regulatory policy of the Commonwealth in relation to:

(a) trade practices;

(b) consumer protection;

(c) environmental protection;

(d) prices surveillance;

(e) foreign investment in Australia; or

(f) any other matter.