WPA POOL / GETTy IMAGES News Brexit: not half-in, half-out Prime Minister Theresa May has revealed that Britain will leave the EU single market, in a long-awaited Brexit speech at Lancaster House on 17 January. May said she wants to pursue a free-trade agreement that gives Britain the greatest possible access to the single market on a full reciprocal basis. She made it clear that staying in was not an option, because it meant accepting the so-called four freedoms of goods, capital, services and people, without having a vote on the regulations that implement these freedoms. In all, 12 objectives were summarised. May said: I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead. I want us to be a truly global Britain the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe, too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike. May spoke of removing barriers to trade and in a point pertinent to trading standards said that, after Brexit, existing EU laws will become British laws, and will only be changed after full scrutiny and proper parliamentary debate. The European Court of Justice will no longer have jurisdiction in the UK. Laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and those laws will be interpreted by judges, not in Luxembourg, but in courts across this country, said May. MPs and peers will get to vote on the final deal agreed between theUK and the EU, although May said that no deal is better than a baddeal. She added: When future generations look back at this time, they will judge us not only by the decision that we made, but by what we made of that decision. CMA investigates ticket-tout sites scrutiny from MPs over the inflated prices being charged for tickets. Less than two hours after tickets for the musical Hamilton went on sale in January, secondary sites were selling them for more than 2,500. Vickie Sheriff, director of campaigns and communications at consumer champion Which?, said: This is yet another example of tickets being sold on resale sites almost as soon as they go on sale. Consumers run the risk of missing out on their dream event or paying over the odds, without knowing key information about the ticket. On numerous occasions we have found tickets being sold unlawfully on secondary sites, so the competition authorities must take strong action against those who arent playing by the rules. AvDE / SHuTTErSTOCk The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an enforcement investigation into suspected breaches of consumer protection law in the online secondary tickets market. It follows an investigation of the four main secondary ticketing websites, which revealed concerns about information provision and compliance with consumer protection law, and increasing Water industry takes the plunge into deregulation From 1 April, deregulation of the water industry will allow small and medium-sized businesses in England to switch water supplier bringing them on a par with Scotland in the biggest shake-up to the sector for almost 30 years. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs saidthechange could deliver 200m in benefits to customers and theUK economy. Around 1.2m businesses, charities and public sector organisations are expected to enjoy greater choice, with retailers who operate in several areas able to receive just one bill for all their water. A new national awareness campaign is being launched to show the benefits of being able to choose supplier, and it is expected the changes will eventually be rolled out to domestic consumers. Since privatisation of the water industry in 1989, domestic customers and small and medium-sized enterprises have only been able to buy water from their local supplier. Ofwat released figures last year claiming that deregulation of the industry could be worth 2.9bn over 30 years. However, this amounts to just 8 per customer. So far 14 water companies have applied to become licensed retailers, selling their services to business-only consumers, with more set to follow. There are no plans to introduce the changes in Northern Ireland or Wales. Ofwat has warned it would be closely watching water retailers and would take immediate action if it sees misconduct. Senior director Richard Khaldisaid: We want to ensure this market operates well and protection is in place to build customer trust and confidence. And we will not hesitate to take action right from the start if we see customers being mis-sold to or mislead. Have your say Surrey proposes 15 per cent council tax hike Surrey County Council has proposed a council tax rise of 15 per cent in the next financial year, blaming government cuts. The councils annual grant has been reduced by 170m since 2010, leaving a huge budget gap. David Hodge, leader of the Conservative-led council, said: We have to set a budget that will protect vital services for Surrey residents. Demand for adult social care, learning disabilities and childrens services is increasing every year. So, I regret, despite us finding 450m worth of savings from our annual budget, we have no choice but to propose this increase in council tax. The news follows Liverpool Councils proposed referendum to see whether residents would be willing to pay up to 10 per cent more council tax, otherwise the local authority could face a 50 per cent cut to all its services. Any authority wanting to increase council tax by more than two per cent must put the plans to a vote, which would take place on 4 May, alongside local elections. Ofwat is inviting responses to a consultation about how it monitors the market and ensures customers are protected. The consultation closes on 10 February. Car industry may have to hit the road for emissions tests The car industry could face changes to regulations for emissions testing, following the US probe into Fiat Chrysler diesel emissions software and the investigation by French authorities into suspected cheating on tests by Renault. The Department for Transport has asked the US authorities for details of the Chrysler probe after the car manufacturer was accused of not telling authorities about software that could allow excess diesel emissions. Professor Christian Stadler, from Warwick Business School, said: With Fiat Chrysler it seems the software is designed to optimise the engine rather than to cheat the test. But one thing that is becoming clear with this latest investigation, and the Renault probe, is that there is likely to be changes on regulations for the car industry, so cars are not just tested in laboratory conditions, but out on the road. Both Chrysler and Renault have denied any wrongdoing. Volkswagen recently pleaded guilty to three criminal charges in the US over its emissions-rigging scandal that affected almost 600,000 diesel vehicles.