Governance of the Office for the Internal Market
Updated 17 November 2020
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What are we going to do?
The UK Internal Market Bill will also set out the governance arrangements for the Office for the Internal Market (OIM), and ensure it will operate independently from the UK government and the devolved administrations. These arrangements will be compatible with the CMA’s existing activities. They will involve a panel of experts, who will form task groups to deliver specific pieces of reporting, such as annual ‘health of the market’ reviews or requested monitoring on the intra-UK trade impacts of specific regulations.
How are we going to do it?
The OIM chair and panel members will be appointed by Secretary of State, following a fair and open appointments process and in full consultation with the devolved administration who will be asked to consent to appointments within a one month period. The UK government will ensure that panel appointees reflect a range of relevant expertise and are drawn from across the UK.
How will the Office for the Internal Market support intergovernmental decision-making?
The OIM will carry out its functions equally in relation to all 4 administrations and all 4 will benefit from the creation of the OIM and the provision of expert reporting and technical monitoring, including on trends and developments across sectors and regions. All reporting will be made available to all administrations on an equal basis.
Should a scenario emerge in which the economic impacts of a particular regulation affect the internal market and necessitate a discussion between one or more administrations, the OIM can be asked by an administration to provide a non-binding report on the regulatory measure in question, which will support intergovernmental discussion. This assessment of economic impacts will ensure a technical, evidence-based underpinning to discussion.
Following intergovernmental discussion, the OIM’s reports will be laid in the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly for consideration and potential debate.
Key facts
The OIM will provide independent, non-binding, monitoring and advice with regard to the UK internal market. All 4 administrations and legislatures will be able to request specific reporting.
The OIM will be established within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has a global reputation for ensuring markets work well for consumers, businesses and the economy. The panel of experts will be supported by an estimated staff of 30 public servants, the panel’s chair will also be a CMA Board member.
Panel members will serve up to 8 years.