BEIS – reforming competition and consumer policy

• New powers for the CMA
• Mandatory mediation for used vehicle and home improvement sectors

BEIS (the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) has published proposed reforms to “boost competition and protect the public from being ripped off”.

The Department will consult on new powers for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to improve enforcement of consumer law so it can “wrap up investigations faster and impose stronger penalties on firms that break the law or fail to cooperate with the regulator’s work”.

For the used car and home improvement sectors, where consumers often make large, important one-off purchases, the government will make it mandatory for businesses to take part in arbitration or mediation where disputes arise over a transaction.

You can find more details in the press notice and by reading and responding to the full consultation.