Insurance Companies Act 1982 (repealed)

8 (1) Where the transferor is a UK or non-EC company and any policy included in the proposed transfer evidences a contract of direct insurance, the Secretary of State shall not approve the transfer unless—

(a) he is satisfied that the transferee is, or will be immediately after the approval—

(i) authorised under section 3 or 4 above to carry on, or

(ii) authorised in accordance with Article 6 of the first general insurance Directive to carry on in an EEA State other than the United Kingdom,

general business of the class or classes to be transferred by the instrument;

(b) he is also satisfied that every policy included in the transfer evidences a contract which was entered into before the date of the application;

(c) the relevant authority certifies that the transferee possesses the necessary margin of solvency after taking the proposed transfer into account; F2 . . .

(d) where the transferor is a UK company and the establishment from which the policies are to be transferred is situated in a member State other than the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State is satisfied

(i) that the supervisory authority in that member State has been consulted about the proposed transfer; and

(ii) either that the authority has responded or that the period of three months beginning with the consultation has elapsed.

[F3 (e) in the opinion of the Secretary of State the circumstances of the case justify the giving of his approval]

(2) Where sub-paragraph (1) above applies and, as regards any policy (other than an EFTA policy) which is included in the proposed transfer and evidences a contract of direct insurance, the risk is situated in a member State other than the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State shall not approve the transfer unless he is satisfied—

(a) that the supervisory authority in that member State has been notified of the proposed transfer;

(b) either that the authority has consented to the transfer or that the authority has not refused its consent to the transfer within the period of three months beginning with the notification.

(3) Where sub-paragraph (1) above applies, the establishment of the transferee to which the policies are to be transferred is situated in the United Kingdom and, as regards any EFTA policy included in the proposed transfer, an EEA State other than the United Kingdom is the State in which the risk is situated, the Secretary of State shall not approve the transfer unless he is satisfied that—

(a) the transferee either fulfils the conditions in Articles 13 to 16 of the second general insurance Directive in that EEA State or will be participating, by virtue of the transfer of that policy, in a Community co-insurance operation otherwise than as the leading insurer; and

(b) the supervisory authority in that EEA State agrees to the transfer.

(4) Where sub-paragraph (1) above applies, the establishment of the transferee to which the policies are to be transferred is situated in an EEA State other than the United Kingdom and, as regards any EFTA policy included in the proposed transfer, an EEA State F4 . . . is the State in which the risk is situated, the Secretary of State shall not approve the transfer unless—

(a) where the EEA State in which the establishment is situated is also the State in which the risk is situated, he is satisfied that the supervisory authority in that EEA State agrees to the transfer;

[F5 (b) where the United Kingdom is the State in which the risk is situated, he is satisfied that—

(i) the transferee is not precluded by Schedule 2F to this Act from covering the risk; and

(ii) the supervisory authority in the EEA State in which the establishment is situated agrees to the transfer;]

(c) where an EEA State other than the United Kingdom or the EEA State in which the establishment is situated is the State in which the risk is situated, he is satisfied that—

(i) the transferee either fulfils the conditions in Articles 13 to 16 of the second general insurance Directive in the EEA State in which the risk is situated or will be participating, by virtue of the transfer of that policy, in a Community co-insurance operation otherwise than as the leading insurer;

(ii) the law of that State provides for the possibility of such a transfer; and

(iii) the supervisory authority in that State agrees to the transfer.

(5) Where the transferor company is not a UK or non-EC company or any policy included in the proposed transfer evidences a contract of reinsurance, the Secretary of State shall not approve the transfer on an application under paragraph 6 above unless he is satisfied that —

[F6 (a) the transferee is, or will be immediately after the approval—

(i) authorised under section 3 or 4 above to carry on; or

(ii) an EC company which is not precluded by Part I of Schedule 2F to this Act from carrying on,

general business of the class or classes to be transferred by the instrument; and

(b) every policy included in the transfer evidences a contract which was entered into before the date of the application,

and in his opinion the transferee’s financial resources and the other circumstances of the case justify the giving of his approval.]

(6) Where the Secretary of State determines an application under paragraph 6 above, he shall—

(a) publish a notice of his decision in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes and in such other manner as he may think fit, and

(b) send a copy of that notice to the transferor, the transferee and every person who made representations in accordance with the notice referred to in paragraph 7(1) above;

and if he refuses the application he shall inform the transferor and the transferee in writing of the reasons for his refusal.

(7) In this paragraph “the relevant authority" means—

(a) if the transferee is a UK company, the Secretary of State;

(b) if the transferee is an EC company, the supervisory authority in its home State;

(c) if the transferee is a non-EC company whose head office is in an EFTA State, the supervisory authority in that EFTA State;

(d) if the transferee is a Swiss general insurance company, the supervisory authority in Switzerland;

(e) if the transferee does not fall within paragraphs (a) to (d) above, the Secretary of State or other authority which, in accordance with Article 25 or 26 of the first general insurance Directive, is responsible for supervising the transferee’s margin of solvency.

(8) Where the transferor is a UK or non-EC company and the transferee is an incorporated friendly society or registered friendly society authorised under Part IV of the Friendly Societies Act 1992—

(a) sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (5)(a) above shall have effect as if the reference to section 3 or 4 above were a reference to that Part of that Act; and

(b) sub-paragraph (1)(c) above shall have effect as if the relevant authority for the purposes of this paragraph were the Friendly Societies Commission.

Textual Amendments

F2 Word in Sch. 2C before para. 8(1)(d) omitted (30.12.1994) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3132, reg. 7(4)

F3 Sch. 2C para. 8(1)(e) inserted (30.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/3132, reg. 7(4)

F4 Words in Sch. 2C para. 8(4) omitted (30.12.1994) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3132, reg. 7(5)

F5 Sch. 2C para. 8(4)(b) substituted (30.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/3132, reg. 7(5)

F6 In Sch. 2C para. 8(5) words and paragraphs (a)(b) substituted (30.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/3132, reg. 7(6)