(1)For the purposes of this Act insurance business is divided into long term business and general business; and—
“long term business” means insurance business of any of the classes specified in Schedule 1 to this Act, and
“general business” means insurance business of any of the classes specified in Part I of Schedule 2 to this Act.
(2)For the purposes of this Act the effecting and carrying out of a contract whose principal object is within one class of insurance business, but which contains related and subsidiary provisions within another class or classes, shall be taken to constitute the carrying on of insurance business of the first-mentioned class, and no other, if subsection (3) or (4) below applies to the contract.
(3)This subsection applies to a contract whose principal object is within any class of long term business but which contains subsidiary provisions within general business class 1 or 2 if the insurer is authorised under section 3 or 4 below to carry on long term business class I.
(4)This subsection applies to a contract whose principal object is within one of the classes of general business but which contains subsidiary provisions within another of those classes, not being class 14 or 15 [F1or (except as mentioned in subsection (4A) below) class 17.]
[F2(4A)Subsection (4) applies to a contract whose principal object is within one of the classes of general business but which contains subsidiary provisions within general business class 17 if—
(a)the principal object of the contract is the provision of assistance for persons who get into difficulties while travelling, while away from home or while away from their permanent residence, or
(b)those subsidiary provisions concern disputes or risks arising out of, or in connection with, the use of sea-going vessels]
Textual Amendments
F1Words inserted by S.I. 1990/1159, reg. 10(2)
F2S. 1(4A) inserted by S.I. 1990/1159, reg. 10(3)
(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, no person shall carry on any insurance business in the United Kingdom unless authorised to do so under section 3 or 4 below.
[F3(1A)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to insurance business carried on by anEC company through a branch in respect of which such of the requirements of Part I of Schedule 2F to this Act as are applicable have been complied with.]
(2)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to insurance business (other than industrial assurance business) carried on—
(a)by a member of Lloyd’s, or
(b)by a body registered under the enactments relating to friendly societies; or
(c)by a trade union or employers’ association where the insurance business carried on by the union or association is limited to the provision for its members of provident benefits or strike benefits.
In this subsection “trade union” and “employers’ association” have (throughout the United Kingdom) the meanings [F4respectively assigned by section 1 and section 122(1) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992].
(3)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to industrial assurance business carried on by a friendly society registered under the enactments relating to such societies.
(4)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to general business of class 14, 15, 16 [F5, 17 or 18] if it is carried on solely in the course of carrying on, and for the purposes of, banking business.
(5)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to general business consisting in the effecting and carrying out, by an insurance company that carries on no other insurance business, of contracts of such descriptions as may be prescribed, being contracts under which the benefits provided by the insurer are exclusively or primarily benefits in kind.
[F6(6)In this Act 'EC company’ means an insurance company—
(a)which is incorporated in or formed under the law of a member State other than the United Kingdom;
(b)whose head office is in that member State; and
(c)which is authorised in accordance with Article 6 of the first general insurance Directive or Article 6 of the first long term insurance Directive.]
[F7(7)In relation to any time before it becomes a member State, each of the following, namely, [F8Iceland, Liechtenstein andNorway], shall be treated as if it were a member State for all purposes of this Act.
F9(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
Textual Amendments
F3S. 2(1A) inserted (1.7.1994) by S.I. 1994/1696, reg. 4(1)
F4Words in s. 2(2) substituted (16.10.1992) by Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52), ss. 300(2), 302, Sch. 2 para. 31
F5Words substituted by S.I. 1987/2130, reg. 2(a)
F6S. 2(6) inserted (1.7.1994) by S.I. 1994/1696, reg. 4(2)
F7S. 2(7)(8) inserted (30.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/3131, reg. 3(1)
F8Words in s. 2(7) substituted (30.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/944, reg. 3
F9S. 2(8) repealed (30.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/944, reg. 4(1)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 2 restricted (1.1.1993) by S.I. 1992/3218, reg. 5(1)(d)