Transparency data

CMA board meeting minutes: 12 December 2023

Published 24 January 2024

Meeting date: 12 December 2023 

Venue: In the Cabot, London, and by video conference  

Members present

• Marcus Bokkerink (Chair) 
• Kirstin Baker  
• Sarah Cardell (CEO) 
• Martin Coleman^{[footnote 1]}  
• Cynthia Dubin 
• Amelia Fletcher 
• Michael Grenfell  
• Murdoch MacLennan 
• Erik Wilson (COO)

Advisors present 

• Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer 
• Chris Prevett, Interim General Counsel 
• Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser 

Apologies 

Lucy Robbins, Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture (PCC)

CMA staff present 

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

Teams 

The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including the DMU, Markets, Consumer and PCC teams.

Minutes

Introduction

1. Introduction 

The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting, noting that this will be Amelia Fletcher’s last meeting as a Non-Executive member of the CMA Board. 

The Board approved the minutes from the meetings of the Board on 22 November 2023, with no changes. 

Major developments in the external environment in which we operate 

2. CEO and Chair comments 

The Board discussed recent external engagement and recommended that a new international and broader external engagement strategy be set and reviewed annually.  

Strategy, Portfolio and Risk Management

3. CEO update including Resource, Portfolio and Pipeline Committee update 

The Board was updated on and discussed recent developments in the CMA’s 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.   

4. Digital Markets Unit 

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: 

• Decision-making in the Digital Markets Regime: Board and Board Committee decisions    

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’s roles in the different decisions and provided steers on putting these into practice.  

• Monthly update  

The Board was updated on the latest developments in preparing the CMA for the new regime.  

• Digital Markets competition regime implementation: Conduct Requirements  

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.  

• Overview of the CMA’s proposed approach to implementing the Digital Markets competition regime  

The Board provided steers on the messages and content of a draft public communication document setting out the CMA’s approach to this regime. 

Policy and cases 

5. Accommodation

The Board considered two programmes of CMA work in the accommodation sector: 

• Housebuilding market study  

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. 

• Accommodation Consumer update  

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. 

6. CEO update 

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

People 

7. CEO update  

The CEO updated the Board on opportunities, challenges and initiatives relating to the CMA’s people.  

8. Annual people survey – Initial highlight analysis  

The Board provided reflections on the results from the recent staff survey.  

9. Governance update  

• New Board member induction  

The Board discussed how best to induct new Board members, providing steers in anticipation of welcoming new members in 2024. 

• Committee membership changes  

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 December 2023.   

10. AOB 

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 – and through the wider CMA – 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.

1. Martin Coleman left the meeting after item 4. ↩