Transparency data

CMA Board meeting minutes: 20 March 2024

Published 3 June 2024

Meeting date: 20 March 2024

Venue: OFCOM, Floor 3, 2 Caspian Point, Caspian Way, Cardiff Bay CF10 4DQ, and by videoconference

Members present

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

Advisors present

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

Apologies

• Frank Dangeard

CMA staff present

• Jennifer Halliday, Senior Director, Advocacy and External Engagement ^{[footnote 2]}
• Kate Bridge, Director of Executive Office, Security, and Property
• Anthony Wright, Director, Communications ^{[footnote 3]}
• Assistant Legal Director, Governance

Teams

The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including staff from Legal Services and the Digital Markets Unit.

Minutes

Introduction

1 . Introduction

The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting in Cardiff, including the interim Directors for Consumer Protection and Markets and Competition Enforcement who joined the Board as Advisors for the first time.

The Chair noted for the record the offline Board decision to appoint Justin Basini to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, and Cyrus Mehta to the Remunerations Committee and Subsidy Advice Unit Committee.

Minutes

The Board approved the minutes from the meeting of the Board on 21 February 2024, with no changes.

2. Reflections on stakeholder engagement

The Board reflected on the consumer and business stakeholder engagement session on Tuesday 19 March and provided steers on lessons to apply in future board visits outside London and in regional engagement more broadly.

Major developments in the external environment in which we operate

3. Chair and CEO comments

The Board considered the current opportunities and challenges facing the CMA.

Strategy, Portfolio and Risk Management

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, the external guidance tracker, the monthly Finance update and the management information report.

5. ARAC update

The Chair of ARAC updated the Board on the items discussed at its meeting on 18 March.

Policy and Cases

6. DMCC Bill – Digital markets competition regime draft Guidance

The Board reviewed a draft of several chapters of the CMA’s guidance on how it will exercise its new digital markets functions under the forthcoming DMCC Bill, on which the CMA hopes to consult shortly. It discussed the plans for internal sign-off and external consultation of this guidance, and how we propose to enable the Secretary of State to sign-off on the guidance (where required) in good time. The Board delegated final CMA sign off for Tranche 1 of the consultation documents to the CEO and Chair. The Board also gave steers to the team for tranche 2 of the guidance, which it expects to consider at its April meeting.

The Board noted that the full set of guidance will be put to the Board for consideration over the next few months.

7. Consultation on CMA17

The Board reviewed this guidance and authorised the CMA to consult on it, delegating the sign off of the final version for publication to the Executive Director, Mergers, unless material changes are required.

8. AOB

For information: DMU update

The Board noted the paper presented for information.

The Chair thanked the Board for the meeting.

1. MW left the meeting at the end of item 7. ↩

2. JH joined the meeting for items 2-4. ↩

3. AW joined the meeting for item 4. ↩