UK competition regime: options for further reform

Overview

This consultation is seeking your views on whether the government should take action to improve further the UK’s competition regime.  We would like to hear whether you think that, two years after the current regime was put in place, there are refinements which can be made to reduce the burden on businesses and to encourage faster decisions which remain robust.

Why your views matter

“Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation” highlighted the role that competition can play in improving productivity in the UK.  Building on that, the government published “A better deal: Boosting competition to bring down bills for families and firms" which set out the government’s plans for creating competitive markets that support economic growth and deliver more choice and lower prices for consumers.

Competition authorities with the right powers are integral to driving effective competition and ensuring that markets work well for consumers and businesses.  The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) are key components of that regime.  The changes to the competition regime, brought into effect in 2014, have had a positive impact and have been largely successful in realising the benefits of a streamlined system.  This consultation sets out ways that the government can enable them to perform their roles even better.

Some of the measures on which we are consulting may require primary legislation – we will aim to include these in a Bill in this Parliamentary session. Other measures may require secondary legislation and some may involve changes in practice and procedure.  We are interested in your views on all three types of change and whether we have got the correct mix.

What happens next

This consultation will run for four weeks.  During that time, BIS officials will engage with interested parties, included consumer groups and business representative organisations, to ensure that a wide range of views is gathered.

After the consultation closes, the government intends to publish a response by autumn 2016 setting which, if any, of the options we intend to take forward.