Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

342 Information given by auditor or actuary to [F1 a regulator]. U.K.

(1) This section applies to a person who is, or has been, an auditor of an authorised person [F2 or recognised investment exchange,] appointed under or as a result of a statutory provision.

(2) This section also applies to a person who is, or has been, an actuary acting for an authorised person and appointed under or as a result of a statutory provision.

(3) An auditor or actuary does not contravene any duty to which he is subject merely because he gives to [F3 a regulator]—

(a) information on a matter of which he has, or had, become aware in his capacity as auditor of, or actuary acting for, the authorised person [F4 or recognised investment exchange], or

(b) his opinion on such a matter,

if he is acting in good faith and he reasonably believes that the information or opinion is relevant to any functions of [F5 that regulator].

(4) Subsection (3) applies whether or not the auditor or actuary is responding to a request from the [F6 regulator].

(5) The Treasury may make regulations prescribing circumstances in which an auditor or actuary must communicate matters to [F7 a regulator] as mentioned in subsection (3).

(6) It is the duty of an auditor or actuary to whom any such regulations apply to communicate a matter to [F7 a regulator] in the circumstances prescribed by the regulations.

[F8 (6A) If the authorised person concerned is a credit institution or an investment firm, and an auditor or actuary communicates a matter to a regulator in accordance with the regulations, the matter must be disclosed simultaneously to the management body of the authorised person, unless there are compelling reasons not to do so.]

(7) The matters to be communicated to [F7 a regulator] in accordance with the regulations may include matters relating to persons other than the authorised person [F9 or recognised investment exchange] concerned.

[F10 (8) In subsection (6A) [F11 “investment firm” has] the same meaning as in Article 4(1) of the capital requirements regulation.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 342 heading substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(6) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F2 Words in s. 342(1) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(2) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F3 Words in s. 342(3) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(3)(a) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F4 Words in s. 342(3) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(3)(b) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F5 Words in s. 342(3) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(3)(c) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F6 Word in s. 342(4) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(4) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F7 Words in s. 342 substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(6) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F8 S. 342(6A) inserted (1.1.2014) by The Capital Requirements Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/3115), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 20(2)

F9 Words in s. 342(7) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 13 para. 4(5) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.

F10 S. 342(8) inserted (1.1.2014) by The Capital Requirements Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/3115), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 20(3)

F11 Words in s. 342(8) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/632), regs. 1(3), 67; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 341-346 applied (with modifications) (1.11.2009) by The Payment Services Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/209), regs. 1(2)(c), 95, Sch. 5 para. 4 (with reg. 3)

C2 S. 342 applied (with modifications) (3.1.2018) by The Data Reporting Services Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/699), regs. 1(2)(b), 34

C3 Ss. 341-346 applied (with modifications) (13.1.2018) by The Payment Services Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/752), reg. 1(6), Sch. 6 para. 7 (with reg. 3)

C4 S. 342 applied (with modifications) (27.2.2018) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Benchmarks) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/135), regs. 1(2), 20

C5 S. 342 applied (with modifications) (10.6.2019) by The Proxy Advisors (Shareholders Rights) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/926), regs. 1, 20, 23

C6 S. 342 applied (with modifications) (5.4.2024) by The Data Reporting Services Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/107), regs. 1(2), 20; S.I. 2023/1382, reg. 4(c)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 342 wholly in force at 1.12.2001; s. 342 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 431(2); s. 342(5) in force at 25.2.2001 by S.I. 2001/516, art. 2(a), Sch. Pt. 1; s. 342 in force in so far as not already in force at 1.12.2001 by S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)