http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/41/section/40ZECompetition Act 1998An Act to make provision about competition and the abuse of a dominant position in the market; to confer powers in relation to investigations conducted in connection with Article 85 or 86 of the treaty establishing the European Community; to amend the Fair Trading Act 1973 in relation to information which may be required in connection with investigations under that Act; to make provision with respect to the meaning of “supply of services” in the Fair Trading Act 1973; and for connected purposes.1998-11-09texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-09-02Expert Participation2026-01-27 Competition Act 1998s. 31G-31L and cross-headingThe Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (expired—not approved)reg. 3reg. 1(1)Competition Act 1998s. 46(3)(ha)(hb)The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (expired—not approved)reg. 5reg. 1(1)Competition Act 1998s. 47(1)(ca)The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (expired—not approved)reg. 6reg. 1(1)Competition Act 1998Sch. 6A para. 1AThe Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (expired—not approved)reg. 7reg. 1(1)Competition Act 1998Sch. 6A Pt. 3The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (expired—not approved)reg. 7reg. 1(1)Competition Act 1998s. 60A(10)Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023s. 6(10)s. 22(3)Competition Act 1998Blanket AmendmentConstitutional Reform Act 2005Sch. 11 para. 5s. 148(1)art. 2(d)Competition Act 1998Sch. 3 para. 1(2)(c) and wordPlanning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026Deddf Cynllunio (Darpariaethau Canlyniadol) (Cymru) 2026Sch. 2 para. 318(b)Sch. 5 Pt. 1s. 5(2) Part IChapter III40ZE1The CMA may impose a penalty on a person in accordance with section 40A where the CMA considers that—athe person has, without reasonable excuse, failed to comply with a requirement imposed on the person by section 25B or under section 26, 26A, 27, 28, 28A or 40ZD;bthe person has, without reasonable excuse, obstructed an officer acting in the exercise of the officer’s powers under section 27 or under a warrant issued under section 28 or 28A;cthe person, having been required to produce a document under section 26, 27, 28 or 28A, has, without reasonable excuse—idestroyed or otherwise disposed of, falsified or concealed the document, oriicaused or permitted the document’s destruction, disposal, falsification or concealment;dthe person has, without reasonable excuse, provided information that was false or misleading in a material particular to the CMA in connection with any function of the CMA under this Part;ethe person has, without reasonable excuse, provided information that was false or misleading in a material particular to another person knowing that the information was to be used for the purpose of providing information to the CMA in connection with any function of the CMA under this Part.2But the CMA may not proceed against a person under this section in relation to an act or omission which constitutes an offence under any of sections 42 to 44 if the person has, by reason of that act or omission, been found guilty of that offence.3In deciding whether and, if so, how to proceed under subsection (1) the CMA must have regard to the statement of policy which was most recently published under section 40B at the time when the act or omission concerned occurred.4In this section—athe reference to the production of a document includes a reference to the production of a legible and intelligible copy of information recorded otherwise than in legible form;bthe reference to concealing a document includes a reference to destroying the means of reproducing information recorded otherwise than in legible form.5Sections 112 to 115 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (supplementary provisions about penalties) apply in relation to a penalty imposed under subsection (1) as they apply in relation to a penalty imposed under section 110(1) or (1A) of that Act, with the following modifications—aany reference in those provisions to the appropriate authority is to be read as a reference to the CMA only;bsection 114(5A) is to be read as if the words “In the case of a penalty imposed on a person by the CMA or OFCOM,” were omitted;csection 114(12) is to be read as if, for paragraph (b), there were substituted—b“relevant guidance” means the statement of policy which was most recently published under section 40B of the 1998 Act at the time when the act or omission concerned occurred.Pt. 1: certain functions made exercisable concurrently (26.11.1998 for certain purposes and prosp. otherwise) by 1984 c. 12, s. 50(3) (as substituted by 1998 c. 41, s. 66(5), Sch. 10 Pt. II para. 2(6) (with s. 73); S.I. 1998/2750, art. 2)Pt. 1 (except ss. 38(1)-(6), 51) amended (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, ss. 86(1)(3), 89 (with ss. 105(2)(d)(5), 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. 1Pt. 1 (except ss. 38(1)-(6), 51, 52(6) and (8) and 54) amended (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 86(4)(b)(5) (with ss. 105(2)(d)(5), 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. 1Pt. 1 (except ss. 38(1)-(6), 51) amended (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 86(7)(b) (with ss. 105(2)(d)(5), 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. 1Pt. 1 modified (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 in so far as not already in force) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 371(3), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/1900, arts. 1(2), 2(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 3) (as amended by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 1(3)); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(2) (with art. 11)Pt. 1 restricted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), regs. 1(a), 9(2)Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by 1986 c. 44, s. 36A(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 1(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by 1989 c. 29, s. 43(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 3(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by 1991 c. 56, s. 31(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 4(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1) art. 46(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 5(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by 1998 c. 41, s. 67(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 6(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by S.I. 1996/275 (N.I. 2), art. 23(3) (as substituted (1.5.2004) by The Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1261), reg. 1(a), Sch. 2 para. 9(2)(a))Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2007) by The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3336), arts. 1(2), 29(3) (with arts. 8(8), 121(3), 307); S.R. 2007/194, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. 2 (with Sch. 2)Pt. 1 modified (1.4.2007) by The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3336), arts. 1(2), 29(5) (with arts. 8(8), 121(3), 307); S.R. 2007/194, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. 2 (with Sch. 2)Pt. 1 modified (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 72(3), 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)Pt. 1 functions made exercisable concurrently (6.4.2013) by Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19), ss. 62(1)-(3), 110(1) (with s. 77(1)-(3), Sch. 10 paras. 12, 17); S.I. 2013/589, art. 2(1)-(3)Pt. 1 modified in part (6.4.2013) by Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19), ss. 62(4), 110(1) (with ss. 62(5), 77(1)-(3), Sch. 10 paras. 12, 17); S.I. 2013/589, art. 2(1)-(3)Ss. 40A, 40B and cross-heading inserted (25.4.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2014 in so far as not already in force) by Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), ss. 40(2), 103(1)(i)(3); S.I. 2014/416, art. 2(1)(b) (with Sch.)Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently (1.11.2014 for specified purposes, 1.4.2015 so far as not already in force) by Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (c. 33), ss. 61(2), 148(5); S.I. 2014/2458, arts. 2(a)(i), 3(b)(ii)Pt. 1 certain functions made exercisable concurrently by 2000 c. 8, s. 234J (as inserted (1.11.2014 for specified purposes, 1.4.2015 so far as not already in force) by Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (c. 33), s. 148(5), Sch. 8 para. 3; S.I. 2014/2458, arts. 2(b)(aa)(i), 3(b)(v))Pt. 1 Ch. 3 applied in part (31.10.2023) by The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/80), arts. 1(3), 22Pt. 1: certain functions made exercisable concurrently (26.12.2023) by Energy Act 2023 (c. 52), ss. 37, 334(3)(a) (with s. 38)S. 40A cross-heading substituted (1.1.2025) by Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), s. 339(1), Sch. 10 para. 7; S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(14)S. 40ZE inserted (1.1.2025) by Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), s. 339(1), Sch. 10 para. 8; S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(14) (with Sch. paras. 13(1)(2), 20)Words in s. 40ZE(1)(a) inserted (1.1.2025) by Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), ss. 121(3), 339(1); S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(2)Pt. 1: certain functions made exercisable concurrently (E.W.S.) (27.1.2026 for specified purposes) by The Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/269), regs. 1(4)(5), 46(2)(a)Pt. 1 modified (27.1.2026 for specified purposes) (E.W.S.) by The Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/269), regs. 1(4)(5), 46(3)(a)