Transparency data

CMA board meeting minutes: 22 November 2023

Published 27 December 2023

© Crown copyright 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-board-meeting-minutes-22-november-2023/cma-board-meeting-minutes-22-november-2023

Meeting date: 22 November 2023

Venue: In The Boardroom, Chamber Space, Manchester and by videoconference

Members present:

  • Marcus Bokkerink (Chair)
  • Kirstin Baker
  • Sarah Cardell (CEO)
  • Martin Coleman
  • Cynthia Dubin
  • Amelia Fletcher
  • Michael Grenfell
  • Erik Wilson (COO)

Advisors present

  • Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer
  • Chris Prevett, Interim General Counsel
  • Lucy Robbins, Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture
  • Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser

Apologies

Murdoch MacLennan

CMA staff present

  • Kate Bridge,Director of Executive Office, Security, and Property
  • Chief of Staff, Executive Office
  • Assistant Legal Director, Governance
  • Board Secretary (minutes)

Teams

The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including the Strategy, Policy and HR teams.

Observers

This Board meeting was observed by colleagues from Campbell Tickell, who are currently evaluating the CMA Board.[footnote 1]

Introduction

1. Introduction

The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting.

Minutes

The Board approved the minutes from the meetings of the Board on 16 and 31 October 2023, with no changes. The Board acknowledged the committee minutes received.

Major developments in the external environment in which we operate

2. CEO and Chair comments

The Board discussed recent external engagement.

3. Reflections on stakeholder engagement

The Board reflected on its programme of direct engagement with consumers, businesses, entrepreneurs, research institutes, experts and officials which was held alongside this meeting. It reinforced the value of holding Board meetings in the regions and nations and meeting local stakeholders.

People

4. People update

  • CEO’s update: The CEO and Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture updated the Board on opportunities, challenges and initiatives relating to the CMA’s people

  • Remuneration Committee update: The Chair of RemCo updated the Board on its decisions and steers from its meeting of 2 November 2023

5. Diversity Representation Targets at the CMA

The Board provided steers on the proposed targets to improve diversity in the CMA. It highlighted the value of improving diversity to the CMA being representative of the UK population that it serves, to strengthen the quality and impact of the CMA’s decisions, and to attract and retain strong talent.

6. Office attendance expectations

The Board considered the CMA’s approach to office attendance expectation in light of the recent government guidance that civil servants based in offices should spend a minimum of 60% of their working time working in offices.

Strategy, Portfolio and Risk Management

7. CEO update

The CEO updated the Board on recent developments in the CMA’s portfolio and risk profile. The Board also reviewed the corporate risk register, the external guidance tracker and the monthly Finance update. 

8. Resource, Portfolio and Pipeline Committee update

The Board was updated on the outcomes from the recent RPPC meeting of 14 November.

9. CMA Draft Annual Plan for 2024 to 2025

The Board reviewed and approved the draft Annual Plan for consultation, agreeing the updates made to the Plan following the Board discussion on CMA strategy on 31 October. It noted that the team aims to publish the draft Annual Plan in mid-December, with the consultation remaining open for six weeks.

Policy and Cases

10. CEO update

The CEO updated the Board on recent developments in the CMA’s case and policy work.

1 1. Panel update

The Chair of the CMA Competition Panel updated the Board on key messages from the work of the Panel.

12. Key Messages for House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee Inquiry

The Board gave its perspectives on the draft briefing for the CMA’s Chair planned appearance at the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee inquiry on “UK Regulators” on 29 November.

13. Remedies delivery update

The Board discussed this update on the CMA’s ongoing capability development in remedies, providing a steer to the team on its approach to some of the remedies in the CMA’s portfolio.

14. AOB

The Chair reviewed the meeting and thanked the Board.

  1. This external review is being conducted in line with the CMA Board Rules of Procedure and the Corporate governance in central government departments: Code of good practice. ↩

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