UK Inquiry Tracker

Post-pandemic economic growth: State Aid and Post Brexit Competition Policy

Business and Trade Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 23 Sep 2021 Closed: 3 May 2023 Parliament page

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee would like to hear the views of UK businesses on the future role that government will play in investing in industry and shaping competition policy. The views and ideas that business leaders provide will help inform the Committee as it starts work … Read more The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee would like to hear the views of UK businesses on the future role that government will play in investing in industry and shaping competition policy. The views and ideas that business leaders provide will help inform the Committee as it starts work on its inquiry, on State Aid and Post-Brexit Competition Policy , which was launched on 23rd September. The closing date for submitting your views and ideas (in the form of written evidence submissions) is Monday 1 November. In this inquiry the Committee are examining three main themes: Whether the Government’s newly proposed State Aid and the Subsidy Control Bill will provide a strong and fair framework for enabling public bodies to subsidise businesses How the Government could reform the country’s competition regulations with regards to mergers and acquisitions, and the role played by the UK’s independent Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) The CMA’s role in ensuring fair, healthy competition between global tech companies in the UK’s digital markets. The Committee also wants to probe how the CMA’s new, internal Digital Markets Unit could reform regulation so that its sits cohesively with those of other countries, while promoting competition and protecting customer data. As well gauging the views of the UK’s business community and legal experts, the cross-party Committee will host in-person evidence sessions where MPs will quiz a range of witnesses, including ministers, leading civil servants, experts in competition law and industry representatives. The Committee’s State Aid and Post-Brexit Competition Policy inquiry will also form the final part of its long-term, overarching inquiry on Post-Pandemic Economic Growth , launched in June 2020. As part of this broader inquiry, the Committee has already undertaken work on Levelling Up and on the UK’s Industrial Strategy . Read the call for evidence for more information about this inquiry. Show less

17 Recommendations

13 Conclusions

1 Report

6 Oral sessions

2 Letters

6 Events

Activity timeline 17 events

28 Apr
2023

Report published

Fifth Special Report - State aid and post-Brexit competition policy: Office for the Internal Market response to the Committee’s Fourth Repo…

21 Feb
2023

Correspondence

Letter from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to state aid, 16 February 2023

21 Feb
2023

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to Secretary of State on state aid rules, 16 January 2023

10 Feb
2023

Report published

Third Special Report - Post pandemic economic growth: State aid and post-Brexit competition policy: Responses to the Committee’s Fourth Rep…

25 Oct
2022

Report published

Fourth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: state aid and post-Brexit competition policy

26 Apr
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

26 Apr
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Committee event

1 Mar
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

1 Mar
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Oral evidence session

1 Feb
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

1 Feb
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Oral evidence session

30 Nov
2021

Oral evidence

State Aid and Post-Brexit Competition Policy

Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions

26 Apr 2022

View on parliament.uk

Alesha de Freitas · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Niall Mackenzie · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Paul Scully MP · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Rt Hon Lord Andrew Tyrie

1 Mar 2022

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

Matthew Upton · Citizens Advice Matthew Vickers · Ombudsman Services Rocio Concha · Which? Steve Ruddy · Chartered Trading Standards Institute

1 Feb 2022

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

Andrea Coscelli · Competition and Markets Authority Camilla de Coverly Veale · The Coalition for a Digital Economy Dame Melanie Dawes · Ofcom Neil Ross · techUK Sunil Patel · PwC

30 Nov 2021

View on parliament.uk

State Aid and Post-Brexit Competition Policy

Isabel Taylor · Slaughter and May James Webber · Shearman & Sterling LLP Nicole Robins · Oxera Professor Sir John Vickers · Oxford University

2 Nov 2021

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

George Peretz QC · Joint Working Party of UK Bars and Law Societies on Competition Law John Penrose · Home Office

26 Oct 2021

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

George Peretz · Joint Working Party of UK Bars and Law Societies on Competition Law John Penrose · Home Office Professor Sir John Vickers · Oxford University

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fourth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: state aid and pos…	HC 759	25 Oct 2022	30	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 results

5 Recommendation Deferred

Fourth Report - Post-pandemic econ…

Whilst we support the increase in powers for the CMA, we also share the concern...

Whilst we support the increase in powers for the CMA, we also share the concern that there is insufficient oversight of the CMA and its performance. Additional powers must therefore come with additional accountability. This Committee will be undertaking more … Read more

Government Response

The government redirects concerns about intra-UK trade to the Office for the Internal Market (OIM), which is statutorily obligated to monitor the UK's internal market and provide annual reports.

Department for Business and Trade

View details

17 Recommendation Deferred

Fourth Report - Post-pandemic econ…

We commend the CMA for its COVID-19 Taskforce which was effective in improving consumer rights...

We commend the CMA for its COVID-19 Taskforce which was effective in improving consumer rights in several industries. However, we believe that this taskforce was disbanded prematurely. We ask the CMA to establish an horizon scanning unit that pro-actively engages … Read more

Government Response

The CMA will be responding separately, deferring the response to a later date.

Department for Business and Trade

View details

18 Conclusion Deferred

Fourth Report - Post-pandemic econ…

We welcome the Government’s recent proposals to increase the CMA’s ability to fine businesses that...

We welcome the Government’s recent proposals to increase the CMA’s ability to fine businesses that abuse their market position, by reducing the minimum turnover threshold for immunity from financial penalties from £50 million to £20 million and imposing penalties of … Read more

Government Response

The CMA will be responding separately.

Department for Business and Trade

View details

Government Response AI assessment · 30 of 17 classified

Accepted 7

Acknowledged 12

Deferred 3

Not Addressed 8

Total 17 recs + 13 conclusions

Correspondence 2 letters

21 Feb 2023 To committee Letter from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to state aid, 16 February 2023

Parliament page

21 Feb 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to Secretary of State on state aid rules, 16 January 2023

Parliament page