Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

Variation and cancellation of Part IV permission

44 Variation etc. at request of authorised person

(1) The Authority may, on the application of an authorised person with a Part IV permission, vary the permission by—

(a) adding a regulated activity to those for which it gives permission;

(b) removing a regulated activity from those for which it gives permission;

(c) varying the description of a regulated activity for which it gives permission;

(d) cancelling a requirement imposed under section 43; or

(e) varying such a requirement.

(2) The Authority may, on the application of an authorised person with a Part IV permission, cancel the permission.

(3) The Authority may refuse an application under this section if it appears to it—

(a) that the interests of consumers, or potential consumers, would be adversely affected if the application were to be granted; and

(b) that it is desirable in the interests of consumers, or potential consumers, for the application to be refused.

(4) If, as a result of a variation of a Part IV permission under this section, there are no longer any regulated activities for which the authorised person concerned has permission, the Authority must, once it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary to keep the permission in force, cancel it.

(5) The Authority’s power to vary a Part IV permission under this section extends to including any provision in the permission as varied that could be included if a fresh permission were being given in response to an application under section 40.

45 Variation etc. on the Authority’s own initiative

(1) The Authority may exercise its power under this section in relation to an authorised person if it appears to it that—

(a) he is failing, or is likely to fail, to satisfy the threshold conditions;

(b) he has failed, during a period of at least 12 months, to carry on a regulated activity for which he has a Part IV permission; or

(c) it is desirable to exercise that power in order to protect the interests of consumers or potential consumers.

(2) The Authority’s power under this section is the power to vary a Part IV permission in any of the ways mentioned in section 44(1) or to cancel it.

(3) If, as a result of a variation of a Part IV permission under this section, there are no longer any regulated activities for which the authorised person concerned has permission, the Authority must, once it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary to keep the permission in force, cancel it.

(4) The Authority’s power to vary a Part IV permission under this section extends to including any provision in the permission as varied that could be included if a fresh permission were being given in response to an application under section 40.

(5) The Authority’s power under this section is referred to in this Part as its own-initiative power.

46 Variation of permission on acquisition of control

(1) This section applies if it appears to the Authority that—

(a) a person has acquired control over a UK authorised person who has a Part IV permission; but

(b) there are no grounds for exercising its own-initiative power.

(2) If it appears to the Authority that the likely effect of the acquisition of control on the authorised person, or on any of its activities, is uncertain the Authority may vary the authorised person’s permission by—

(a) imposing a requirement of a kind that could be imposed under section 43 on giving permission; or

(b) varying a requirement included in the authorised person’s permission under that section.

(3) Any reference to a person having acquired control is to be read in accordance with Part XII.

47 Exercise of power in support of overseas regulator

(1) The Authority’s own-initiative power may be exercised in respect of an authorised person at the request of, or for the purpose of assisting, a regulator who is—

(a) outside the United Kingdom; and

(b) of a prescribed kind.

(2) Subsection (1) applies whether or not the Authority has powers which are exercisable in relation to the authorised person by virtue of any provision of Part XIII.

(3) If a request to the Authority for the exercise of its own-initiative power has been made by a regulator who is—

(a) outside the United Kingdom,

(b) of a prescribed kind, and

(c) acting in pursuance of provisions of a prescribed kind,

the Authority must, in deciding whether or not to exercise that power in response to the request, consider whether it is necessary to do so in order to comply with a Community obligation.

(4) In deciding in any case in which the Authority does not consider that the exercise of its own-initiative power is necessary in order to comply with a Community obligation, it may take into account in particular—

(a) whether in the country or territory of the regulator concerned, corresponding assistance would be given to a United Kingdom regulatory authority;

(b) whether the case concerns the breach of a law, or other requirement, which has no close parallel in the United Kingdom or involves the assertion of a jurisdiction not recognised by the United Kingdom;

(c) the seriousness of the case and its importance to persons in the United Kingdom;

(d) whether it is otherwise appropriate in the public interest to give the assistance sought.

(5) The Authority may decide not to exercise its own-initiative power, in response to a request, unless the regulator concerned undertakes to make such contribution towards the cost of its exercise as the Authority considers appropriate.

(6) Subsection (5) does not apply if the Authority decides that it is necessary for it to exercise its own-initiative power in order to comply with a Community obligation.

(7) In subsections (4) and (5) “request” means a request of a kind mentioned in subsection (1).

48 Prohibitions and restrictions

(1) This section applies if the Authority—

(a) on giving a person a Part IV permission, imposes an assets requirement on him; or

(b) varies an authorised person’s Part IV permission so as to alter an assets requirement imposed on him or impose such a requirement on him.

(2) A person on whom an assets requirement is imposed is referred to in this section as “A”.

(3) “Assets requirement” means a requirement under section 43—

(a) prohibiting the disposal of, or other dealing with, any of A’s assets (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) or restricting such disposals or dealings; or

(b) that all or any of A’s assets, or all or any assets belonging to consumers but held by A or to his order, must be transferred to and held by a trustee approved by the Authority.

(4) If the Authority—

(a) imposes a requirement of the kind mentioned in subsection (3)(a), and

(b) gives notice of the requirement to any institution with whom A keeps an account,

the notice has the effects mentioned in subsection (5).

(5) Those effects are that—

(a) the institution does not act in breach of any contract with A if, having been instructed by A (or on his behalf) to transfer any sum or otherwise make any payment out of A’s account, it refuses to do so in the reasonably held belief that complying with the instruction would be incompatible with the requirement; and

(b) if the institution complies with such an instruction, it is liable to pay to the Authority an amount equal to the amount transferred from, or otherwise paid out of, A’s account in contravention of the requirement.

(6) If the Authority imposes a requirement of the kind mentioned in subsection (3)(b), no assets held by a person as trustee in accordance with the requirement may, while the requirement is in force, be released or dealt with except with the consent of the Authority.

(7) If, while a requirement of the kind mentioned in subsection (3)(b) is in force, A creates a charge over any assets of his held in accordance with the requirement, the charge is (to the extent that it confers security over the assets) void against the liquidator and any of A’s creditors.

(8) Assets held by a person as trustee (“T”) are to be taken to be held by T in accordance with a requirement mentioned in subsection (3)(b) only if—

(a) A has given T written notice that those assets are to be held by T in accordance with the requirement; or

(b) they are assets into which assets to which paragraph (a) applies have been transposed by T on the instructions of A.

(9) A person who contravenes subsection (6) is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(10) “Charge” includes a mortgage (or in Scotland a security over property).

(11) Subsections (6) and (8) do not affect any equitable interest or remedy in favour of a person who is a beneficiary of a trust as a result of a requirement of the kind mentioned in subsection (3)(b).