New tech regulation mustn’t be allowed to stifle innovation June 3, 2021 There is scarcely any market that could not be described as digital in 2021. In ten years time, the phrase ‘digital market’ will be, effectively, redundant. We should be concerned, then, by the creation of a powerful new regulator with a remit to cover all ‘digital markets’. Read more: UK says any global tax deal [...]
Biffa wastes no time in snapping up Viridor assets for £126m May 21, 2021 Biffa this morning said it would buy fellow waste management firm Viridor’s collections business, as well as some recycling assets, for £126m. By buying a nationwide UK collections and recycling portfolio, the FTSE 250 firm said it was cementing its market leading position. The acquisition is yet another move by the bin firm to consolidate [...]
NHS waiting list could top 13 million, says IFS August 8, 2021 IFS modelling has confirmed Sajid Javid’s stark warning that the number of people on the NHS waiting list could reach 13 million. Last month the Health and Social Care Secretary quoted “shocking” government data which estimated waiting lists could more than double in a matter of months. Today, analysis published by the IFS reiterated that [...]
Water spending rebellion could cost households billions, says Citizens Advice October 30, 2020 Citizens Advice has waded into a row between the competition and water watchdogs over new spending rules for the country’s water companies. According to the charity, households could lose out on a combined £3.7bn across the next five years if the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sticks with its decision to back a rebellion against [...]
Open banking’s ‘spaghetti soup’ of regulators needs streamlining, says boss February 24, 2022 The boss of the UK’s open banking body has called for the “spaghetti soup” of regulators overseeing the technology to be streamlined, as fintech firms increasingly push to accelerate its roll out.
Lastminute.com will pay out £7m in refunds for cancelled holidays December 1, 2020 Holiday firm Lastminute.com has committed to paying out £7m in refunds to customers who had their trips cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this morning revealed that over 9,000 people were currently awaiting payouts from the booking site. Lastminute.com has now agreed to pay these out as soon as [...]
Recalibrating the corporate ecosystem May 4, 2021 Atapestry of reform is needed to recalibrate the corporate ecosystem. It’s not just about audit reform. It is time to recalibrate the corporate ecosystem. Prior tothe publication of the BEIS consultation, ICAS issued a paper exploring how various recommendations from the Brydon, Kingman and CMA reviews might be combined to deliver a tapestry of reform [...]
Competition watchdog requests probe into Virgin-O2 merger October 8, 2020 The UK competition watchdog has asked the EU to refer the planned tie-up between O2 and Virgin for a full investigation in Britain. O2’s owner Telefonica in May confirmed plans for a £31bn mega-merger with Virgin Media, owned by Liberty Global. The proposed deal falls under the remit of the European Commission to review, but [...]
Competition watchdog to probe Nvidia’s $40bn Arm takeover January 6, 2021 The UK competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Nvidia’s $40bn (£29bn) takeover of British chip designer Arm. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said it will look into whether the deal could lead to Arm withdraw, raising prices or reducing the quality of its services to Nvidia’s competitors. “The chip technology industry is [...]
Amazon fined by UK watchdog over late documents in Deliveroo probe September 7, 2020 Amazon has earned a slap on the wrist from UK regulators after it failed to meet a deadline for vital documents, as part of a long-running probe into its stake in Deliveroo. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today fined Amazon £55,000, after it was forced to delay its investigation of Amazon’s purchase of a [...]