Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of allowing a private equity firm to use public funds to impose a lower value bid on UK retail shareholders on confidence in the London market and promoting wider share ownership.

It is not for the Government to comment on the investment strategies of individual firms. These activities are undertaken within a regulatory framework that provides safeguards for both market integrity and investor protection.

Private equity managers in the UK are primarily regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Regulations (AIFMR). Private equity investment is also shaped by broader UK legislative and regulatory regimes, including the National Security and Investment Act, Competition and Markets Authority oversight, and the Takeover Code.

More broadly, UK public markets operate within a comprehensive regulatory framework overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority, including rules designed to protect investors and support confidence in UK capital markets.