Transparency data

CMA board meeting minutes: 16 July 2024

Published 4 October 2024

Meeting date: 16 July 2024

Venue: In the Cabot, London, and by videoconference

Members present

• Marcus Bokkerink (Chair)
• Joel Bamford
• Justin Basini
• Sarah Cardell (CEO)
• Martin Coleman
• Frank Dangeard
• Cynthia Dubin
• Will Hayter
• Dame Patricia Hodgson
• Cyrus Mehta
• Murdoch MacLennan
• Erik Wilson (COO)

Advisers present

• Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer^{[footnote 1]}
• George Lusty, Interim Executive Director for Consumer Protection and Markets
• Chris Prevett, General Counsel
• Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser

Apologies

• Juliette Enser
• Dharmash Mistry

CMA staff present

• Karen Croxson, Chief Data & Technology Insights Officer^{[footnote 2]}
• Jennie Halliday, Senior Director, Advocacy, Public Policy and International^{[footnote 3]}
• Anthony Wright, Interim Senior Director of Communications^{[footnote 3]}
• Kate Bridge, Director of Executive Office, Security, and Property
• Sukhinder Lalli, Legal Director, Governance
• Board Secretary, Minutes

Teams

The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including staff from Strategy, Comms and Advocacy, Office of the Chief Economist, and the Digital Markets Unit.

Minutes

The Board approved the minutes from the meeting of the Board on 19 June 2024, with no changes.

Introduction

1. Introduction

The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting.

Major developments in the external environment in which we operate

2. General election outcome and reflections on CMA Strategy discussion

The Board discussed the outcome of the General Election and was updated on early communications and engagement with the new Government. It also reflected on the strategy discussion at the Extraordinary Board of 25 June 2024.

Cases

3. Infant formula market study

The Board reviewed the progress and emerging findings to date in this market study. It discussed the identified issues and their underlying causes, potential solutions, the actions available to the CMA and the actions that could be taken by others, including government, to effect a positive outcome. Given the central role of government policy and regulation in the market, the Board decided that the CMA should not propose to make a Market Investigation Reference (MIR) at this time, but should keep open the possibility of doing so at a later point in time.

Strategy, Portfolio and Risk

4. CEO update

The Board was updated on and discussed recent developments in the CMA’s portfolio and risk profile. The Board also reviewed the corporate risk register and the external guidance tracker.

5. Digital markets competition regime guidance – Summary of consultation responses

The Board considered the early, partial feedback from the consultation on the CMA’s proposed guidance on how we will exercise our digital markets competition regime powers. It discussed this feedback, gave steers on potential responses to emerging themes, and agreed the team should return to the Board in September with the full feedback and a final draft of the guidance.

6. DMCC Consumer Guidance and Rules

The Board reviewed the draft consumer procedural guidance and rules under the DMCC Act which creates a direct enforcement regime for the CMA for certain breaches of consumer law. The Board discussed the key features of the regime and related policy issues. It approved the consultation on the draft rules and guidance.

7. Future Corporate Systems

The Board received an update on the CMA’s project to introduce a new Enterprise Resource Planning system to manage its HR, Finance and Procurement processes. It gave its perspectives on the opportunities and risks associated with introducing such a new system and steers on mitigating the risks.

8. AOB

DMU update July 24

The Board noted this update presented for information.

Draft revised guidance on the ‘mergers’ regime

The Board approved the consultation on this revised guidance, which outlines the CMA’s approach to the mergers regime changes introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

Digital Markets regime: design of the SMS levy

The Board noted this update presented for information.

The Chair noted that this was Erik Wilson’s last Board meeting before his retirement at the end of July. He thanked Erik for all his work in the CMA, highlighting that he has been instrumental in making the CMA as positively impactful as it is today, and celebrating his achievements.

The Chair thanked the Board for the meeting.

1. JL joined the meeting for item 2 only. ↩

2. KC joined the meeting for items 3 and 7. ↩

3. JH and AW joined the meeting for items 2, 3, and 4. ↩ ↩²