F1PART 12APowers exercisable in relation to parent undertakings

Failure to comply with direction or breach of rules

192KPower to impose penalty or issue censure

(1)

This section applies if a regulator is satisfied that a person who is or has been a qualifying parent undertaking (“P”) has contravened—

(a)

a requirement of a direction given to P by that regulator under section 192C, F2...

(b)

a provision of rules made by that regulator under section 192J F3or 192JB, F4or

F5(c)

a requirement imposed by a qualifying EU provision specified, or of a description specified, for the purposes of this subsection by the Treasury by order.

F6(1A)

This section also applies if a regulator is satisfied that a person (“P”) who is or has been a parent undertaking of a ring-fenced body has contravened a provision of rules made by that regulator under section 192JA.

(2)

The regulator may impose a penalty of such amount as it considers appropriate on—

(a)

P, or

(b)

any person who was knowingly concerned in the contravention.

(3)

The regulator may, instead of imposing a penalty on a person, publish a statement censuring the person.

F7(3A)

The regulator may impose, for such period as it considers appropriate, restrictions (including a temporary ban) on the exercise by any member of the management body or senior management of, or other person who works for, a qualifying parent undertaking of any functions in a PRA-authorised person, an investment firm or a qualifying parent undertaking.

(3B)

The regulator may only impose restrictions under subsection (3A) on a person who was, at any time, knowingly concerned in the contravention.

(4)

The regulator may not take action against a person under this section after the end of the limitation period unless, before the end of that period, it has given a warning notice to the person under section 192L.

(5)

“The limitation period” means the period of 3 years beginning with the first day on which the regulator knew of the contravention.

(6)

For this purpose a regulator is to be treated as knowing of a contravention if it has information from which the contravention can reasonably be inferred.

F8(7)

In this section—

“management body” means the board of directors, or if there is no such board, the equivalent body responsible for the management of the undertaking concerned;

“member of the senior management” means a person who—

(a)

exercises executive functions within a qualifying parent undertaking, and

(b)

is responsible, and directly accountable to the management body, for the day to day management of that qualifying parent undertaking.

(8)

A regulator which imposes a restriction on any person under subsection (3A) may—

(a)

vary the restriction so as to reduce the period for which it has effect or otherwise to limit its effect, or

(b)

cancel the restriction.