inform SOUTH WEST BUSINESS NEWS


CMA calls for South West to expose cartels


The CMA is calling for more whistle-blowers to expose business cartels with the launch of a national awareness campaign. It comes as new research shows many firms in the South West


don’t know enough about how to comply with competition law. The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) latest cartel awareness campaign aims to educate businesses about which practices are illegal and urges people to come forward if they suspect a business has taken part in cartel behaviour, such as fixing prices or rigging contracts. Research released by the CMA to coincide with the campaign


shows that of companies surveyed in the South West: • Over half either didn’t know or thought it was legal to discuss prices with competing bidders when quoting for new work (26% said ‘don’t know’, and 29% thought it was legal).


• Nearly half either didn’t know or thought it was legal to fix prices (18% said ‘don’t know’ and 22% thought it was legal).


• Significantly more than half (61%) didn’t know or thought that dividing up and sharing customers with rivals was legal (30% said ‘don’t know’ and 31% thought it was legal).


In 2017, the CMA found that a group of Somerset estate agents based in Burnham-on-Sea were in a price fixing cartel. They agreed to fix the


‘Five of the estate agents involved were fined a total of over


£370,000’


The CMA’s latest campaign is targeting the sectors most suseptible to cartels


minimum prices of their commission rates for the sale of residential properties. This meant that local home owners were denied the opportunity of getting the best possible deal when selling their property. Five of the estate agents involved were fined a total


of over £370,000. The sixth estate agent was not fined as it was the first business to confess its participation. Juliette Enser, a director at the CMA and regional


champion for the South West, said: “Businesses in the South West may need to do more to make sure they stay on the right side of the law. It’s illegal to collude with rivals in order to reduce the


pressure of competition – this cheats customers out of a fair deal.” The campaign is targeting industries identified as being particularly susceptible to cartels, including construction, manufacturing, recruitment, estate agents and property management and maintenance.


Visit: www.gov.uk/stopcartels Creating new houses for the homeless


Two former shipping containers have been transformed into homes by staff in the Bristol office of real estate services company Colliers International. The donated metal containers


have been converted into modern dwellings with a lounge/kitchen, fully fitted bathroom and separate bedroom. Each one will be used by social enterprise Help Bristol’s Homeless to provide accommodation for a rough sleeper for an entire year. The 40-foot by eight-foot containers are currently based at Malago Road in Bedminster and will be moved to a new site in nearby Spring Street in April, after which they will become occupied. Tim Davies, head of South West


and Wales at Colliers International, said: “Staff in the Bristol office have always rolled up their sleeves and got involved in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. “This ambitious project takes


that to a new level, as by helping to transform former shipping


6 insight MARCH/APRIL 2019


L-R: Colliers staff Tim Davies, Amy Bracey, Tony Horrell, chief executive officer UK and Ireland and Nick Williams, director, visit the containers


containers into temporary homes Colliers staff will also be helping to transform the lives of homeless people in Bristol.” The team from Colliers in Bristol,


led by senior surveyor Amy Bracey and director Nick Williams – in collaboration with Longcroft Building Services and Bracey Interiors – was supported in converting the containers by Screwfix, Artistic Blinds, Britannia Windows, Howdens, Little Greene Paints and Mandarin Stone. The container homes project


was initiated by Jasper Thompson, a restaurant owner and the founder of Help Bristol’s Homeless. He said: “The ethos of Help


Bristol’s Homeless is that the priority for helping people off the streets should be getting them into comfortable accommodation. “Everyone accommodated here


are given support in seeking the help they need, and also given opportunities to develop skills by helping in the conversion of the containers into homes.”


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