Financial Services Act 1986

53 Indemnity rules

(1) The Secretary of State may make rules concerning indemnity against any claim in respect of any description of civil liability incurred by an authorised person in connection with his investment business.

(2) Rules under this section shall not apply to a member of a recognised self-regulating organisation or a person certified by a recognised professional body in respect of investment business in the carrying on of which he is subject to the rules of the organisation or body unless that organisation or body has requested that rules under this section should apply to him; and any such request shall not be capable of being withdrawn after rules giving effect to it have been made but without prejudice to the power of the Secretary of State to revoke the rules if he thinks fit.

(3) For the purpose of providing indemnity the rules—

(a) may authorise the Secretary of State to establish and maintain a fund or funds ;

(b) may authorise the Secretary of State to take out and maintain insurance with insurers authorised to carry on insurance business under the law of the United Kingdom or any other member State ;

(c) may require any person to whom the rules apply to take out and maintain insurance with any such insurer.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, the rules may—

(a) specify the terms and conditions on which, and the extent to which, indemnity is to be available and any circumstances in which the right to it is to be excluded or modified;

(b) provide for the management, administration and protection of any fund maintained by virtue of subsection (3) (a) above and require persons to whom the rules apply to make payments to any such fund ;

(c) require persons to whom the rules apply to make payments by way of premium on any insurance policy maintained by the Secretary of State by virtue of subsection (3)(b) above;

(d) prescribe the conditions which an insurance policy must satisfy for the purposes of subsection (3)(c) above ;

(e) authorise the Secretary of State to determine the amount which the rules require to be paid to him or an insurer, subject to such limits or in accordance with such provisions as may be prescribed by the rules;

(f) specify circumstances in which, where sums are paid by the Secretary of State or an insurer in satisfaction of claims against a person subject to the rules, proceedings may be taken against that person by the Secretary of State or the insurer ;

(g) specify circumstances in which persons are exempt from the rules;

(h) empower the Secretary of State to take such steps as he considers necessary or expedient to ascertain whether or not the rules are being complied with ; and

(i) contain incidental or supplementary provisions.