On the 4th January 2023, the Subsidy Control Act (SCA) 2022, entered into full force. THE SCA (92 articles and 3 schedules plus several implementing regulations!) provide the framework for UK-wide subsidy control so as to – according to the Government – enable public authorities, including devolved administrations and local authorities, to “deliver subsidies tailored to local needs; to support government priorities such as driving economic growth and to reach net zero”. This new legislation represents one of the most extensive domestic legislative regulatory regimes in terms of control of public spending and raises fundamental questions as far as the role of public authorities, solidarity between devolved regions and central government, enforcement remedies and compliance with the international obligations of the UK .
