Transparency data

29 January 2026

Published 27 February 2026

Meeting date: 28 January 2025

Venue: In the Cabot, London, and by online

CMA attendees

• Sarah Cardell (Chair), Chief Executive Officer

• Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer

• Joel Bamford, Executive Director, Mergers, CMA

• Chris Prevett, General Counsel, CMA

• Jenny Haydock, Interim Chief Economist, CMA

External attendees

• Jordan Cummins (Deputising for Rain Newton-Smith), Director, UK Competitiveness, Confederation of Business Industry

• Kate Shoesmith (Deputising for Shevaun Haviland), Director of Policy and Insights, British Chambers of Commerce

• Dom Hallas (online), Executive Director, Startup Coalition   

• Irene Graham, CEO, ScaleUp Institute

• Helen Dickinson (online), CEO, British Retail Consortium 

• Martin McTague, Chair, Federation of Small Businesses 

• Michael Moore (online), CEO, British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

• Sarah Boon (Deputising for Bob Wigley), Managing Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Policy, UK Finance

• Julian David, CEO, techUK 

• Julia Hoggett, CEO, London Stock Exchange

• Carolyn Dawson, CEO, Founders Forum Group 

CMA observers

• Anthony Wright, Senior Director of Engagement and Communications, CMA

• Vlada Aikman, Director of Stakeholder Engagement, CMA

Apologies

• Doug Gurr, Interim Chair, CMA 

Agenda

Agenda item 1: Welcome, introductions, and opening remarks by the Chair 

The Chair welcomed attendees and outlined the agenda. 

The Chair noted that this was the first meeting of the Council in 2026 and expressed continued desire by the CMA to engage openly and collaboratively with the Council members. 

Agenda item 2: Legislative reform 

The CMA provided a summary of the proposed legislative reform of the competition regime, noting that they build on the CMA’s own programme of transformation to drive greater pace, predictability, proportionality and improved engagement through our processes. 

There was broad welcome for the proposals and commentary that it would bring the CMA more in line with how decisions are taken by regulators and in other jurisdictions. The Council welcomed the CMA’s efforts to engage more with business leaders directly, as well as in house counsel.  

The Council reflected that the CMA’s approach to competition and consumer protection should be reflected by other regulators. The CMA stated that it presented its approach at the recent government regulators roundtable and was well received.  

Agenda item 3: CMA Annual Plan 2026 to 2027  

The CMA introduced its draft Annual Plan, highlighting that it is the first detailed implementation plan under the CMA’s new Strategy. 

The Council commended the clarity of the draft draft Annual Plan. The discussion focused on the IS-8 sectors and noting the CMA’s work on the Civil Engineering Market Study and how it contributes to the IS. The Council members offered their support to the CMA’s work in other IS-8 sectors. In particular, the Council discussed the importance of having access to robust UK data for use by policy makers, regulators, local authorities and the public, where appropriate. The Council agreed that the CMA has a powerful voice to advocate for the importance of such data and its Microeconomics Unit can play a role in identifying what data is most needed. The Council suggested that the CMA does a deep dive on the work of the Microeconomics Unit at a future Council meeting. 

The Council discussed the importance of public procurement, describing it as one of the major levers of investment. The Council agreed that there is a role that the CMA can play in the public procurement debate. The CMA acknowledged the importance of public procurement and proposed to bring it as a topic for a deep dive discussion at the next meeting of the Council. 

The Council also discussed whether there is a role for the CMA to be part of the sovereignty debate, which relates to resilience and how competition can support that. The Council encouraged the CMA to help the government define the landscape on sovereignty. 

The Council agreed that there has been a step change in the way the CMA engages with stakeholders. When it comes to responding to the CMA consultations, the Council noted that longer consultation periods of 12 weeks give stakeholders an opportunity to provide better quality responses. 

Agenda item 4: Reducing regulatory burden  

KPIs 

The CMA updated on progress in developing KPIs and metrics to support these. In particular, the CMA welcomed views on its initial metrics for the KPI related to speed and efficiency.  

The Council discussed the importance of having operational KPIs that change behaviour. Crucial part of this is communicating the impact of metrics and why they matter. In other words, there needs to be a “and therefore” element in internal and external communication.  

The Council discussed that for businesses certainty is key and that outcomes of CMA work need to be known timescales as short as possible. Metrics can help with that. 

The Council encouraged the CMA to be a convenor of a cross regulators group where KPIs are discussed and regulators share their experience and best practice when it comes to enforcement. In particular, the Council noted that the CMA should share with other regulators its work to: develop guidance tailored to specific issues regularly raised by businesses; provide individual advice as much as possible within resources; ensure guidance is clear as can be. 

Reducing regulatory burden 

The CMA outlined its work in helping reduce regulatory burden, including its work on the Civil Engineering Market Study and the work of the Subsidy Advice Unit. 

The Council observed that while discussions of regulation can sometimes be academic, enforcement is practical and the CMA needs to look at how regulations are enforced. 

The Council encouraged the CMA to continue promoting its 4Ps programme to a wide audience because there are stakeholders who would not be familiar with it yet. 

The Council further encouraged the CMA to convene stakeholders working on reducing regulatory burden to agree on common themes, share best practices, and define what effective regulation looks like. 

Agenda item 5: Mergers efficiency consultation  

The CMA provided an update on its review of the CMA approach to assessing mergers efficiencies, which was launched with the call for evidence seeking views on: the CMA’s analytical approach to rivalry-enhancing efficiencies and the CMA’s process for assessing these efficiencies. 

The Council welcomed the CMA’s call for evidence. The Council discussed how the current CMA approach to the assessment of merger efficiencies can take account of rapid changes in market dynamics. The Council also asked whether the review could consider the question of scale for viability as a factor in the CMA’s assessment of merger efficiencies.  

Summary and closing remarks 

The Chair thanked everyone for the discussion and summarised key takeaways, including the need to have a deep dive session on public procurement at the next G&I Council meeting. 

The Chair closed the meeting.