Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed a new Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee inquiry. "State Aid and Post Brexit Competition Policy" will examine a range of issues including whether competition policy in the UK has weakened over recent years, the CMA’s role and statutory duty, and how the CMA is likely to manage its enhanced responsibilities following the exit of the UK from the European Union. The inquiry is also likely to look at whether devolved nations should have a greater say in shaping the governance of the CMA.
he UK is no longer bound by EU State Aid rules. With reference to the State Aid and Subsidy Control Bill, the Committee’s inquiry will examine questions around the subsidy control framework, the lack of CMA enforcement powers on subsidies, and the main opportunities and challenges for businesses under the new UK state aid regime.
The BEIS Committee’s inquiry will also be looking at how the CMA is likely to tackle competition in digital markets and UK digital regulation in the context of approaches taken in other parts of the world, including in the EU, US and China.
The Committee’s call for evidence is issued ahead of a series of public evidence hearings likely to run into 2022. The inquiry is likely to begin in late October with an introductory session examining some of the broader issues relating to state aid and competition policy. The Committee’s first strand of work is expected to focus on subsidy control and be aligned with the Subsidy Control Bill’s passage through Parliament.
The inquiry is part of the BEIS Committee’s over-arching inquiry in this Parliament on Post-Pandemic Economic Growth.
The Committee is looking to understand the following topics and areas:
Evidence to the inquiry can be submitted here.
