18.—(1) The Authority may, if it considers it appropriate—
(a)make arrangements (“the transitional complaints scheme”) for the investigation of complaints—
(i)arising in connection with the exercise before commencement of any functions conferred on the Authority by or under any enactment, or the failure to exercise any such functions before commencement; or
(ii)against any recognised self-regulating organisation (within the meaning of the Financial Services Act 1986) in respect of any act or omission occurring before commencement; and
(b)appoint one or more independent persons (“transitional investigators”) to be responsible for the conduct of investigations in accordance with the transitional complaints scheme.
(2) If the Authority exercises the power in paragraph (1)—
(a)sub-paragraphs (2) to (14) of paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 (arrangements for the investigation of complaints) apply—
(i)in relation to the transitional complaints scheme as they apply in relation to the complaints scheme mentioned in paragraph 7(1)(a) of Schedule 1; and
(ii)in relation to a transitional investigator as they apply in relation to the investigator mentioned in paragraph 7(1)(b) of that Schedule;
(b)the Authority may provide in the transitional complaints scheme for such provisions of paragraph 8 of that Schedule as it considers appropriate to apply in relation to that scheme;
(c)the investigator mentioned in paragraph 7(1)(b) of that Schedule may be (but need not be) appointed also as a transitional investigator; and
(d)the reference, in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) Regulations 2001(1), to the investigator appointed by the Authority in accordance with paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Act includes a person appointed as a transitional investigator in accordance with this article.
(3) The reference in paragraph 7(1)(a) of Schedule 1 to functions of the Authority does not include the functions conferred by this article.
19. If—(a) before 19th July 2001, any steps were taken in relation to a draft of the transitional complaints scheme referred to in article 18, and
(b)those steps, had they been taken after that day, would to any extent have satisfied the requirements of sub-paragraphs (5) to (7) of paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 (as applied by article 18(2)(a)),
those requirements are to that extent to be taken to have been satisfied.
20. Neither a transitional investigator nor a person appointed to conduct an investigation on his behalf under a provision of a transitional complaints scheme is to be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge, or purported discharge, of his functions in relation to the investigation of a complaint.
S.I. 2001/2188.