Social Services

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees the Market Oversight Scheme (MOS), which was established under Section 53 of the Care Act 2014 as an independent scheme with the aim of ensuring continuity of care services. The MOS was launched in 2015 and monitors the financial sustainability of the largest and most difficult to replace providers of adult social care.

The scheme enables the CQC to give impacted local authorities advance notification in discharging their Care Act obligations to temporarily ensure continuity of care for all people receiving services. The CQC also notifies the Department, which will then activate its Operational Contingency Plan and convene national partners in order to monitor local efforts to ensure continuity of care.

There are no current plans to expand the public interest considerations under the Enterprise Act 2002 beyond matters relating to financial stability, media plurality, and public health emergencies. The Government is committed to ensuring our policy making is informed by the best available evidence.

Merger investigations on competition grounds are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which operates independently of the Government. The CMA determines which transactions to review based on statutory thresholds and whether there is a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition. The Government keeps the merger control regime under regular review to ensure it remains fit for purpose and works effectively within the current regulatory environment.