New business-friendly competition proposals announced
A Competition Regime for Growth: a consultation on options for reform’ sets out proposals to create a single Competition and Markets Authority…
A Competition Regime for Growth: a consultation on options for reform’ sets out proposals to create a single Competition and Markets Authority by merging the competition functions of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) with the Competition Commission (CC). The UK already has a globally regarded competition system but Ministers are determined to make sure that it supports growth while simplifying the existing system for business.
The proposals to strengthen and streamline the competition regime will boost the existing arrangement in a number of ways. This includes reducing the duplication of costs for business, and increasing industry confidence in the system.
The Government wants to stimulate growth by allowing the market to be dynamic and competitive. Ministers also want to empower small and medium businesses by giving them greater support in the system.
Proposals include:
- Creating a single, powerful advocate for competition: The Competition and Markets Authority would ensure dynamic and flexible use of tools to ensure strong and fair competition.
- Increasing business confidence: through faster decision making, ending duplication, and more predictability of competition processes and decisions.
- Reducing barriers to entry: by making it easier for the competition authority to tackle anti-competitive mergers; and reform anti-trust provisions to increase deterrence of anti-competitive and abusive behaviour.
- Delivering faster results for consumers: we want shorter end-to-end studies and investigations into markets where lack of competition is giving consumers a bad deal.
- Reducing the SME burden: we want to introduce an exemption for small mergers from the merger control regime.
- Giving small business a voice: an extended supercomplaints process to spotlight market features that harm small companies.
Edward Davey said:
“The UK Competition Regime is regarded as one of the best in the world. But it can and should be even better. Competition is the cornerstone of growth, innovation and consumer choice. That means we also need to have a strong regime to promote effective competition in markets.
“This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen and streamline the competition regime to deliver better outcomes for consumers and increase business confidence and certainty. At the same time we are taking advantage of this chance of reforming it to assist small and medium enterprises. I hope that everyone interested in this consultation will take the time to respond to our proposals.”
Notes to editors:
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You can find the consultation on the BIS website here:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/Consultations/competition-regime-for-growth?cat=open -
You can read the Secretary of State, Vince Cable’s statement on the competition and consumer landscape here: http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/consumer-issues
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These proposals should help reduce barriers to entry for businesses by:
- Making it easier to tackle anti-competitive mergers;
- Reforming the regulations on anti-trust to increase deterrence of anti-competitive and abusive behaviour;
- Making it easier to investigate and remedy practices that have an adverse effect on competition;
- Making it easier to use general competition law to address issues in the regulated sectors, thereby increasing deterrence.
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For further information call Olivia Campbell on 020 7215 5363 or Olivia.Campbell@bis.gsi.gov.uk
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BIS’ online newsroom contains the latest press notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
Notes to Editors
Contact Information
Name BIS Press Office Job Title
Division COI Phone
Fax
Mobile
Email NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Name Olivia Campbell Job Title
Division Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Phone 020 7215 5363 Fax
Mobile