Memorandum of Understanding: governance of the Digital Markets Unit between DSIT and DBT

Department for Business and Trade · 2026-07-07 · UK · verified record

Themes: Consumer protection · Online marketplaces · Online platforms · Search services

Memorandum of Understanding: governance of the Digital Markets Unit between DSIT and DBT This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department for Science and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) sets out the role of DSIT in the sponsorship arrangements of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the digital markets regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024. Documents Details This MoU should be read alongside other material relating to the CMA, HM Treasury, DBT and DSIT, including: - the DMCC Act 2024 - the governmen

Memorandum of Understanding on the governance of the Digital Markets Unit between the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade Published 7 July 2026 Purpose 1. The government established a Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to oversee and enforce Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024. 2. This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets out the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s role in the sponsorship arrangements of the CMA and the digital markets regime under the DMCC Act 2024. It is not intended to have legal effect and will be reviewed once every three years by DBT and DSIT. 3. This MoU is to be read alongside other material concerning the relations between the CMA, HM Treasury (HMT), DBT and DSIT, including: - the DMCC Act 2024 - the government’s Strategic Steer to the Competition and Markets Authority - the Framework Document between DBT and the CMA - HM Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money - any relevant statute MoU scope 4. DBT and HMT will continue in their roles as sponsor departments of the CMA, and this MoU does not change existing responsibilities. This MoU provides DSIT with a specific role in the sponsorship arrangement, in areas of governance related to the DMU and the digital markets regime. MoU term 5. This MoU shall take effect on the day it is signed by both parties. It will be reviewed once every three years by DBT and DSIT or sooner if both parties agree. Roles and responsibilities Role of the CMA 6. The CMA was established on 1 April 2014 by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (ERRA 2013). It is an independent non-ministerial government department and is the UK’s principal competition and consumer authority. 7. As an administrative unit of the CMA, the DMU is subject to the CMA’s governance, oversight and decision-making structures, notably including those set out in the DMCC Act 2024 in relation to the digital markets regime. Role of DBT and HMT 8. DBT is the CMA’s ministerial sponsor government department, and it sets the wider framework for competition and consumer policy to deliver the government’s objectives. DBT’s governance responsibilities include: 8.1.…