The Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

Financial support directions: clearance statements

42.—(1) An application may be made to the Regulator under this Article for the issue of a clearance statement within sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of paragraph (2) in relation to circumstances described in the application and relating to an occupational pension scheme.

(2) A clearance statement is a statement, made by the Regulator, that in its opinion in the circumstances described in the application—

(a) the employer in relation to the scheme would not be a service company for the purposes of Article 39,

(b) the employer in relation to the scheme would not be insufficiently resourced for the purposes of that Article, or

(c) it would not be reasonable to impose the requirements of a financial support direction, in relation to the scheme, on the applicant.

(3) Where an application is made under this Article, the Regulator—

(a) may request further information from the applicant;

(b) may invite the applicant to amend the application to modify the circumstances described.

(4) Where an application is made under this Article, the Regulator must as soon as reasonably practicable—

(a) determine whether to issue the clearance statement, and

(b) where it determines to do so, issue the statement.

(5) A clearance statement issued under this Article binds the Regulator in relation to the exercise of the power to issue a financial support direction under Article 39 in relation to the scheme to the applicant unless—

(a) the circumstances in relation to which the exercise of the power under that Article arises are not the same as the circumstances described in the application, and

(b) the difference in those circumstances is material to the exercise of the power.