Transparency data

Terms of reference

Published 13 March 2026

Purpose 

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) purpose is to promote competition and protect consumers with a clear end goal – to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. The CMA is transforming how we engage with a greater range of stakeholders than ever before. The CMA champions consumers and protects them from harm so that they can engage confidently in markets without fear of exploitation.

The purpose of the CMA Consumer Forum (the ‘Forum’) is to bring together key senior stakeholders from consumer representative organisations to keep consumer perspectives at the heart of our work. 

Status 

The Forum will have a consultative status, providing expert knowledge and stakeholder perspectives, and offering insights and recommendations. It will not have any decision-making or implementation authority and will not bind or determine the actions or decisions of the CMA. It will not act as a substitute for, or oversight of, regular stakeholder engagement at the working expert level nor will it duplicate such engagement.

Role 

The Forum will be a cross-economy group which will:

• provide insights on the strategic issues that consumers face across the UK and offer advice and challenge to the CMA on how to engage and address those issues

• inform the CMA’s intelligence gathering and scoping of the CMA’s work in consumer facing markets

• offer insights and feedback in relation to the CMA’s delivery of its strategic objective to champion consumers

• ensure that the experiences of consumers of different backgrounds and circumstances in each of the four nations can be shared with the CMA as part of shaping its priorities

• support and facilitate collaborative working and open dialogue between consumer advocates and the CMA

• provide expert knowledge and stakeholder perspectives on how to address barriers to consumers having confidence to engage in markets

• consider how the CMA can amplify the consumer voice when providing information and advice to the UK and devolved governments, and other public authorities

• challenge the CMA to make sure it is explaining its work with clarity to the people across the UK

Membership 

Membership of the Forum shall comprise senior representatives from the following organisations:

• CMA

• Citizens Advice

• Consumer Council for Northern Ireland

• Consumer Scotland

• Money & Mental Health Policy Institute

• Citizens Advice Scotland

• Which? (The Consumers’ Association)

Associate Members may be invited to attend meetings to contribute additional insights on specific consumer issues.

The Forum will not replace the CMA’s ongoing bilateral engagement at a senior and working level with the Forum members.  

Governance

Membership

The Chair of the Forum shall be the CMA Chief Executive or their nominated designate.

Membership is on behalf of the organisation (rather than on an individual or personal basis).

Meetings

Full meetings of the Forum will be held 3 times per year in the first year of the Forum’s operation. Thereafter, the frequency of meetings shall be agreed by all members of the Forum.

Attendance should generally be at CEO and/or Chair level, with delegation of attendance to alternative senior executives in agreement with the CMA.

Up to 2 representatives of any member organisation may attend.

Meetings will be in person at the CMA’s London office, with virtual attendance also possible.

The CMA will provide an agenda 2 weeks and any supporting papers 1 week in advance of the meeting.

The CMA will prepare minutes of the meetings recording the key discussion points and recommendations on a non-attributed basis (unless otherwise agreed) and these minutes may be shared by the CMA with government or others with prior notice to all members of the Forum. The CMA will publish summary notes of the meetings on GOV.UK.

CMA staff will aim to share minutes of the meetings with the Forum members within 2 weeks after each meeting.

The Chair of the Forum may also call on further working-level topic focused meetings between members, where appropriate.

Secretariat

The CMA will provide secretariat support to the Forum.

Conflicts of interest 

The Forum members will:

• have regard to the CMA’s policy on conflicts of interest

• be asked by the Chair at each meeting to confirm any interests which may conflict with their roles as Forum members, including in relation to cases before the CMA

• not participate in any activity of the Forum in relation to which they believe they have a conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest without the prior consent of the CMA

• not discuss individual live enforcement cases at the Forum and will not be provided with any information on CMA cases in the course of the meeting which is considered to be market sensitive information or is specified information under Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002 and for which there is no permitted disclosure