Select committee: Treasury Committee
Recommendation 6
Second Report - Edinburgh Reforms One Year On: Has Anything Changed?
Published 8 Dec 2023
Paragraph 35
Addressed to HM Treasury
Treasury Committee The Edinburgh Reforms All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Sub-Committee remains sceptical that a government-approved monopoly for providing data to market participants through a consolidated tape is good for competition. Once a monopoly were granted, the incumbent would have little incentive to reduce costs or to innovate. Given the claimed benefits that a consolidated tape would provide to market participants, and the widespread consensus within the market that these benefits do exist, it is not unreasonable to expect the financial markets of the UK to be able to create their own conditions for such a tape to emerge without the regulator granting a monopoly. The Sub-Committee’s preference would Edinburgh Reforms One Year On: Has Anything Changed? 27 have been that market forces created a consolidated tape, therefore the Government and regulators should continue to monitor the impact on market forces of the new tape.
From: Treasury Committee, Second Report - Edinburgh Reforms One Year On: Has Anything Changed? (HC 221), paragraph 35, 8 December 2023
Government response
Fourth Special Report - Edinburgh Reforms One Year On: Has Anything Changed?: Further Government Response to the Committees Second Report Fourth
The government responded to the whole report on 26 April 2024 (deadline 8 February 2024).
Second Special Report - Edinburgh Reforms One Year On: Has Anything Changed? Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report
Published 21 February 2024.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government disagrees with "a number of the Report's conclusions" and says it is "squarely focused on delivery" of the Edinburgh Reforms.
- The Economic Secretary "particularly" rejects any suggestion that the reforms will not have a substantial impact on the UK economy and financial services competitiveness, or that they could be "responsibly delivered any faster".
- It "strongly agree[s]" with the Committee that reform should be evidence-based and involve consultation, and says the Treasury is "striving to balance" pace with "appropriate time for consultation and implementation".
- It states that, as of 6 October, 21 of the 31 Edinburgh Reforms commitments "have been delivered", and lists further progress since the report, including the Digital Securities Sandbox Regulations laid on 18 December 2023.
- No new dated commitments are made; the Economic Secretary says he "remain[s] focused on delivering these reforms" and expresses confidence that they are promoting growth and competitiveness.