CMA board meeting minutes: 12 December 2023
Published 24 January 2024
Meeting date: 12 December 2023聽
Venue: In the Cabot, London, and by video conference听听
Members present
- Marcus Bokkerink (Chair)聽
- Kirstin Baker听听
- Sarah Cardell (CEO)聽
- Martin Coleman[footnote 1]听听
- Cynthia Dubin聽
- Amelia Fletcher聽
- Michael Grenfell听听
- Murdoch MacLennan聽
- Erik Wilson (COO)
Advisors present聽
- Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer聽
- Chris Prevett, Interim General Counsel聽
- Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser聽
础辫辞濒辞驳颈别蝉听
Lucy Robbins, Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture (PCC)
CMA staff present聽
- Kate Bridge, Director of Executive Office, Security, and Property听听
- Assistant Legal Directors, Governance聽
- Board Secretary (minutes)聽
罢别补尘蝉听
The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including the DMU, Markets, Consumer and PCC teams.
Minutes
Introduction
1. Introduction聽
The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting, noting that this will be Amelia Fletcher鈥檚 last meeting as a Non-Executive member of the CMA Board.聽
The Board approved the minutes from the meetings of the Board on 22 November 2023, with no changes.聽
Major developments in the external environment in which we operate聽
2. CEO and Chair comments聽
The Board discussed recent external engagement and recommended that a new international and broader external engagement strategy be set and reviewed annually.听听
Strategy, Portfolio and Risk Management
3. CEO update including Resource, Portfolio and Pipeline Committee update聽
The Board was updated on and discussed recent developments in the CMA鈥檚 portfolio and risk profile and the outcomes from the recent RPPC meeting of 11 December. The Board also reviewed the corporate risk register, the external guidance tracker and the monthly Finance update.听听聽
4. Digital Markets Unit聽
The Board discussed four elements of the implementation and governance of the Digital Markets competition regime envisioned by the draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill:聽
- Decision-making in the Digital Markets Regime: Board and Board Committee decisions鈥€€�
The Board considered the options and plans for decision-making by the Board under the new regime, in light of the draft DMCC Bill. It aligned on specific proposals for the Board and Board Committee鈥檚 roles in the different decisions and provided steers on putting these into practice.听听
- Monthly update鈥�
The Board was updated on the latest developments in preparing the CMA for the new regime.听听
- Digital Markets competition regime implementation: Conduct Requirements鈥�
The Board considered principles and approaches for setting conduct requirements on designated firms with Strategic Market Status, evaluating the potential impacts, and guided on the approach to be adopted.听听
- Overview of the CMA鈥檚 proposed approach to implementing the Digital Markets competition regime鈥�
The Board provided steers on the messages and content of a draft public communication document setting out the CMA鈥檚 approach to this regime.聽
Policy and cases聽
5. Accommodation
The Board considered two programmes of CMA work in the accommodation sector:聽
- Housebuilding market study鈥�
The Board reviewed the progress of this study, noting that there will be an extraordinary Board in February at which the Board will review and decide on a final draft report.聽
- Accommodation Consumer update鈥�
The Board reviewed the work of the consumer team in the accommodation sector, noting its particular areas of focus and providing steers on the next steps.聽
6. CEO update聽
The CEO updated the Board on recent developments in the CMA鈥檚 case and policy work.聽
笔别辞辫濒别听
7. CEO update听听
The CEO updated the Board on opportunities, challenges and initiatives relating to the CMA鈥檚 people.听听
8. Annual people survey 鈥� Initial highlight analysis鈥�
The Board provided reflections on the results from the recent staff survey.听听
9. Governance update鈥�
- New Board member induction鈥�
The Board discussed how best to induct new Board members, providing steers in anticipation of welcoming new members in 2024.聽
- Committee membership changes鈥�
The Board noted that Cynthia Dubin will become the new Senior Independent Director, and that Martin Coleman will temporarily chair the Remuneration Committee, when Amelia Fletcher retires from the Board on 31鈥疍ecember 2023.听听聽
10. AOB聽
The Chair thanked Amelia Fletcher for her hugely positive contribution to the CMA both externally and internally and reflected on her championship at the Board 鈥� and through the wider CMA 鈥� of excellence in economics, competition in digital markets, and inclusion, diversity and equality in how the CMA operates.
The Chair then reviewed the meeting and thanked the Board, wishing all members and staff a very happy festive period.
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Martin Coleman left the meeting after item 4.聽鈫�