Hanson UK warned over Cement Data Order breach

Hanson (HeidelbergCement group) has been warned by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for inadvertently releasing sensiitve market information when it made a payment to its trade association, the Mineral Products Association.

Sharing information about the cement volumes produced in the last year contravenes the Cement Data Order of 2016, which protects the industry from anti-competitive collusion.

Alistair Thompson, CMA director for remedies, business and financial analysis, has written to Hanson UK's commercial director this week, saying: "The CMA finds that Hanson has breached Article 3.2 of the Order by disclosing Individual Cement Market Data to the MPA."

However, the CMA is persuaded that nothing untoward was going on and Hanson has voluntarily put in place systems to ensure that it will not happen again.