Glossary
This section explains key parliamentary and government terms.
Care Quality Commission
Abbreviation: CQC
The independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
Charity Commission for England and Wales
Abbreviation: Charity Commission
The regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales.
Civil Aviation Authority
Abbreviation: CAA
The UK regulator for civil aviation.
Competition and Markets Authority
Abbreviation: CMA
The UK regulator responsible for competition and consumer protection enforcement.
Electoral Commission
Abbreviation: Electoral Commission
The independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance in the UK.
Environment Agency
Abbreviation: EA
The public body responsible for environmental regulation and protection in England.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Abbreviation: EHRC
The equality and human rights regulator for Great Britain.
Financial Conduct Authority
Abbreviation: FCA
The regulator for financial services firms and financial markets in the UK.
Food Standards Agency
Abbreviation: FSA
The public body responsible for food safety and food standards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Health and Safety Executive
Abbreviation: HSE
The regulator responsible for workplace health and safety in Great Britain.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Abbreviation: ICO
The UK regulator for data protection and freedom of information.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Abbreviation: MHRA
The UK regulator responsible for medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion.
Office for Environmental Protection
Abbreviation: OEP
The body that scrutinises and enforces environmental law in England and Northern Ireland.
Office for Product Safety and Standards
Abbreviation: OPSS
The public body responsible for product safety and standards policy and enforcement support.
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
Abbreviation: Ofsted
The body that inspects and regulates education, children’s services and skills provision in England.
Office for Students
Abbreviation: OfS
The independent regulator for higher education in England.
Office of Communications
Abbreviation: Ofcom
The UK regulator for communications services, broadcasting, postal services, spectrum and online services.
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
Abbreviation: Ofgem
The energy regulator for Great Britain.
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation
Abbreviation: Ofqual
The regulator of qualifications, exams and assessments in England.
Office of Rail and Road
Abbreviation: ORR
The regulator for rail safety, rail performance and parts of the strategic road network.
Payment Systems Regulator
Abbreviation: PSR
The regulator for payment systems in the UK.
Prudential Regulation Authority
Abbreviation: PRA
The Bank of England body responsible for prudential regulation of banks, insurers and major investment firms.
The Pensions Regulator
Abbreviation: TPR
The UK regulator for workplace pension schemes.
Water Services Regulation Authority
Abbreviation: Ofwat
The economic regulator for the water and wastewater sector in England and Wales.