For newspaper mergers and certain references in the telecommunications, water and electricity sectors, the group will include members drawn from specialist panels. The group is chosen to achieve a balance of experience relevant to the inquiry. Care is also taken to avoid conflicts of interest. The group is supported by a team of staff which includes such specialists as are needed. The Competition Commission may contract out areas of activity in a particular inquiry, and for this purpose the Commission has entered into framework arrangements with a number of consultancy firms providing services such as accountancy, economic, market research, technical, management and surveying skills.
Great care is taken to avoid conflicts of interest.
The periods for reporting can be extended in certain circumstances. The timescale for reporting is demanding, and means that the Competition Commission must carry out its investigation with expedition. It is not in practice possible to investigate sequentially all the different issues involved in a reference - it is necessary to investigate many matters simultaneously, and quite often the Competition Commission must process and take into account evidence received at a late stage of the investigation. At the beginning of an inquiry the Competition Commission identifies parties which are likely to have an interest in the matter, such as the companies most directly involved, customers and consumer bodies. It will then approach these parties for evidence.