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Competition and Markets Authority: Powers

Asked by Jim ShannonDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 22 May 2026UIN 134

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement powers of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Answered by Kate Dearden

The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) is a non-ministerial department and is accountable to Parliament. As the UK’s independent competition authority, the CMA has discretion to use its enforcement powers according to its own prioritisation principles.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 strengthened the CMA’s enforcement powers and the government keeps competition law and policy under review to ensure it is fit for purpose.

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