D: Other Regulators

D: Other Regulators

1. Office of Fair Trading

   • - enforce competition & consumer protection rules - study how markets are working - improve awareness & understanding of good market practice - license businesses that offer goods or services on credit, lend money, or involved in activities relating to credit or hire under Consumer Credit Act (CCA) - can refuse or revoke a license if decides trader is not fit - maintain Consumer Credit Public Register

2. Competition Commission

   • - work with HM Treasury & FCA to ensure competition between UK companies is fair for the benefit of business - three issues of concern are in mergers, in markets, in regulated sectors - can require mergers to stop from going ahead, require a firm to sell off part of its business, or require them to behave in a way that safeguards competition - replaced Monopolies & Mergers Commission in 1999 following Competition Act 1998

3. The Pensions Regulator

   • - took over from OPRA 6th April 2005 - protect benefits of work-based pension schemes - promote good admin - reduce risk of situations which may lead to compensation payable from Pension Protection Fund - maximise employer compliance with employer duties - can prohibit a person from being a trustee, suspend, appoint, fine any individual (£5k) or company (£50k) for breach of law, wind-up a scheme - can obtain court injunction to prevent any misuse of assets of occupational pension scheme

4. Information Commissioner's Office

   • - UK independent body set up to maintain information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals - oversee the working of the Data Protection Act - oversee Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulation, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations