Jeremy Hunt to meet CMA, Ofgem, Ofwat and Ofcom over ‘profiteering’ concerns June 26, 2023 Jeremy Hunt will ask industry regulators what they are doing about any companies exploiting rampant inflation by raising prices. The Chancellor is set to meet the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and the watchdogs for energy, water and communications on Wednesday. He will press them on whether there is a profiteering problem in their sectors [...]
Right-wing think tank claims digital markets bill is a ‘recipe for disaster’ September 19, 2023 Proposed legislation to regulate digital markets is a “recipe for disaster” and risks spooking tech companies by handing Britain’s competition watchdog unbridled power, according to a new paper by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). The right-wing think tank has today published a paper which warns the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers bill (DMCC) will [...]
Shapps to ask supermarkets to ‘explain themselves’ over pump price hikes July 16, 2023 Supermarket bosses are set for showdown talks with the government next week over soaring prices at the pumps. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps will meet with chiefs from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco, with the minister vowing to slam “the brakes down on the mistreatment of motorists.” In a column in The Sun, Shapps said he [...]
Petrol prices rise for first time in eight months as CMA breaths down supermarkets’ necks July 6, 2023 Petrol prices rose for the first time in eight months in June just days after the competition regulator found supermarkets hiked up fuel prices last year. Unleaded increased by nearly a penny (0.7p) to 143.9p, while diesel came down by 1.2p to 145.46p at the end of month, marking eight consecutive monthly reductions, according to [...]
CMA provisionally clears Mitie and PAE over Heathrow and detention centre contracts December 7, 2022 The markets regulator has closed an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour over procurement contracts for Heathrow and an immigration centre. In an update published on Wednesday, the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would close the probe into the conduct of Mitie and PAE launched in March. The two firms were responsible for on-going [...]
CMA concerned £94m hearing implant merger will stoke higher prices for NHS December 6, 2022 A merger between two hearing implant suppliers has raised concerns within the UK’s competition watchdog, which said a deal could risk higher prices for the NHS and less choice for patients. Should Cochlear and Demant’s £94m deal for Otican Medical go ahead, it would mean the combined group would control between 90 and 100 per [...]
Let’s be honest, we’re going to kill our efforts to tempt in more tech investment September 21, 2023 Rishi Sunak's efforts to make Britain a science superpower thriving with tech investment could all be for nought with new digital markets rules.
Renters’ protection on the cards as competition watchdog launches probe into housing malpractice and land ‘banking’ February 28, 2023 Housing tenants could be given extra protections and housebuilders forced to change their practices, the competition watchdog has warned. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced a probe into the building and rental sectors, saying it would “need to find” any competition issues that might be holding back house building in the UK. “The [...]
A heavy-handed CMA is standing in the way of Britain being a leader in AI October 27, 2023 As a lifelong follower of computer science, it is interesting to see that the forthcoming AI Safety Summit will be held at Bletchley Park. Its role in Enigma code-breaking which turned the course of World War Two is well-known and it has since become synonymous with our country’s contribution to data science and AI. Although [...]
Adobe and Figma scrap £16bn merger after regulators criticise deal December 18, 2023 Adobe and Figma have ditched their $20bn (£16bn) tie-up after struggling to secure regulatory approval in both the UK and Europe.