Contributions
2,186 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDScience, Innovation and TechnologyThe hon. Lady also asked about the CMA being able to enforce and why private enforcers did not have the same powers. Only the CMA may impose penalties. Public enforcers may seek a…10 Jul 2023HANSARD Human-specific Medical Research TechniquesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Charles. I congratulate the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Steve McCabe) on securing this debate on human-specific…04 Jul 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Twelfth sitting)I can confirm that the letter went out yesterday morning.04 Jul 2023HANSARD Human-specific Medical Research TechniquesI have talked to the hon. Gentleman about the three Rs. Essentially, nobody wants to be using animal testing where it is absolutely not needed. If innovation, such as computer…04 Jul 2023HANSARDArtificial IntelligenceI start by conveying my appreciation to my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Matt Warman) for securing today’s debate and for speaking so powerfully in opening what…29 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Ninth sitting)I hope my voice will stand up to this level of scrutiny. Part 2 of the Bill focuses on the UK’s existing competition regime. First, I will explain that while the CMA is the…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Ninth sitting)Chapter 2 of part 2 upgrades and refines UK merger control to ensure it remains the best in class. Clause 124 and schedule 4 amend the thresholds for merger review to focus the…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Let me try to cover some of those questions. On microbusinesses and small business, this is effectively a standard definition that, yes, does exclude microbusinesses, because it…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)The final clauses in part 2 concern measures that cut across the Competition and Markets Authority’s competition tools. Clause 136 introduces schedules 8 to 10 to the Bill. The…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Part 3 of the Bill provides for two regimes for the civil enforcement of consumer protection law: a court-based regime and a direct enforcement regime for the CMA. Clause 139…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Clauses 143 and 144 set out the public and private bodies that have enforcement powers under the court-based enforcement regime, which we have touched on, and restate and update…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)As I say, we are essentially bringing across the existing law, but there is no reason why the Secretary of State cannot look at that in time. In clause 144, we are setting out the…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)If I have got this right, that goes back to the hon. Gentleman’s previous example. Let me correct my earlier comments. I talked about the fact that we are bringing existing…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Clauses 145 to 154 restate and update provisions in part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002. They empower consumer enforcers to apply for, and the civil courts to make, court orders to…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)A lot of that will be done through our relationship with Citizens Advice and trading standards. When I covered this brief a year ago and held the position currently held by the…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)As I say, the Government do a lot of work jointly with Citizens Advice to market, campaign on, and raise awareness of these regimes.27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)I will not conflate this issue with the matter of the resources for Citizens Advice’s broader work, but we already work with Citizens Advice to raise awareness of its work, and…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Let me try to cover as many of those questions as I can. The hon. Lady asked about the possibility of multiple enforcers in process at the same time. In effect, we are restating…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)It was a fair balance after looking at international regimes—a fair comparison with similar regimes around the world. Similarly, the 10% penalty is reflected in penalties across…27 Jun 2023HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Tenth sitting)Clauses 155 to 160 restate and enhance provisions in part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002 that govern the acceptance and enforcement of undertakings by enforcers and the courts.…27 Jun 2023