Uber, Airbnb and Amazon UK execs to give evidence to Lords about 'sharing economy'

High-ranking executives from Amazon, Uber and Airbnb will appear in front of the Lords to answer questions about the new "sharing economy" as part of an inquiry into online platforms and the possible need for regulation.

Innovation and investment charity Nesta will also be represented in the meeting, by its Innovation Lab director Helen Goulden. Airbnb head of public policy EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) & Canada Patrick Robinson, and EMEA public policy chief at Uber Mark MacGann will be representing their companies at 4.25pm on Monday (7 December).

Goulden, MacGann and Robinson will be asked questions such as "Why are collaborative economy platforms growing so quickly," and "What are their implications for employment law and health and safety regulation?" Consumer protection laws and customer rating issues will also be discussed.

At 5.25pm, Paul Misener, Amazon's vice-president of public policy, will appear in front of the Lords. The enquiry is being carried out by the House of Lords EU Internal Market Sub-Committee. Misener will have to answer questions about Amazon's power and the effects of possible regulation.

"Issues such as the regulation of the collaborative economy, how traditional sellers can compete with online ones, and the balance of power between platforms and suppliers will be investigated," the Lords said in a statement.

The house said it wants to know more about the growing powers of online sharing platforms and wants to find out about the business, consumer and employee rights involved. You can watch the executives answer questions live on Parliament TV via this link.