Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will list areas of competence where the UK Competition and Markets Authority will be obliged to refer matters for decision by the European Commission under the terms of the draft Withdrawal Agreement.

Under the terms of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, the Commission will continue its current role enforcing EU State aid and competition rules in the UK during the implementation period.

Thereafter, in the event of the backstop entering into force the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for enforcing competition rules and assessing mergers in the UK.

The CMA would also be responsible for regulating State aid in the UK, with the exception of measures affecting trade in goods between Northern Ireland and the EU, which the Commission would continue to regulate. The CMA would be required to consult the Commission on draft State aid decisions, but crucially the Commission’s opinion would not be binding on the CMA.