Financial Services Act 1986

Intervention, information and investigations

23 (1) The powers conferred by Chapter VI of Part I of this Act shall not be exercisable in relation to a regulated friendly society or the appointed representative of such a society by the Secretary of State but instead shall be exercisable by the Registrar ; and accordingly references in that Chapter to the Secretary of State shall as respects the exercise of powers in relation to a regulated friendly society or such a representative be taken as references to the Registrar.

(2) Section 64 of this Act shall not apply to the exercise of those powers by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) above but those powers shall only be exercisable by the Registrar if it appears to him—

(a) that the exercise of the powers is desirable in the interests of members or potential members of the regulated friendly society; or

(b) that the society is not a fit person to carry on regulated business of a particular kind or to the extent to which it is carrying it on or proposing to carry it on ; or

(c) that the society has contravened any provision of this Act or of any rules or regulations made under it or in purported compliance with any such provision has furnished him with false, inaccurate or misleading information or has contravened any prohibition or requirement imposed under this Act.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(b) above the Registrar may take into account any matters that could be taken into account in deciding whether to withdraw or suspend an authorisation under Chapter III of Part I of this Act.

(4) The powers conferred by this paragraph shall not be exercisable in relation—

(a) to a member society which is subject to the rules of a recognised self-regulating organisation for friendly societies in carrying on all the investment business carried on by it; or

(b) to an appointed representative of a member society if that member society, and each other member society which is his principal, is subject to the rules of such an organisation in carrying on the investment business in respect of which it has accepted responsibility for his activities;

except that the powers conferred by virtue of section 67(1)(6) of this Act may on any of the grounds mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) above be exercised in relation to a member society or appointed representative at the request of the organisation in relation to which the society or, as the case may be, the society which is the representative's principal is a member society.

24 (1) The Registrar may by notice in writing require any regulated friendly society (other than a member society) or any self-regulating organisation for friendly societies to furnish him with such information as he may reasonably require for the exercise of his functions under this Act.

(2) The Registrar may require any information which he requires under this paragraph to be furnished within such reasonable time and verified in such manner as he may specify.

25 (1) Where a notice or copy of a notice is served on any person under section 60 or section 70 of this Act as they apply by virtue of paragraph 21(2) or 23 above, Chapter IX of Part I of this Act (other than section 96) shall, subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, have effect—

(a) with the substitution for the references to the Secretary of State of references to the Registrar; and

(b) as if for the references in section 98(4) to sections 28, 33 and 60 of this Act there were substituted references to paragraphs 21, 23, 24, 26 and 27 of this Schedule.

(2) Where the friendly society in question is an authorised person by virtue of section 25 of this Act the provisions mentioned in subparagraph (1) above shall have effect as if the references substituted by that sub-paragraph had effect in addition to rather than in substitution for the references for which they are there substituted.

(3) Where the Tribunal reports that the appropriate decision is to take action under paragraph 26 or 27 of this Schedule the Registrar shall take the report into account but shall not be bound to act on it.