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Statutory Instruments

2001 No. 2507

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Variation of Threshold Conditions) Order 2001

Made

12th July 2001

Laid before Parliament

13th July 2001

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(1)

The Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred upon them by paragraphs 8 and 9 of Schedule 6 to, and section 428(3) of, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000(1), hereby make the following Order:

Citation, commencement and interpretationU.K.

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Variation of Threshold Conditions) Order 2001 and comes into force on the day on which paragraphs 1 to 7 of Schedule 6 come into force.

(2) In this Order—

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1Art. 1 in force at 3.9.2001 in accordance with art. 1(1)

[F3[F4Non-UK] insurers: specified regulatorU.K.

2A.  The PRA is specified for the purposes of paragraph 8(2)(b) of Schedule 6 to the Act.]

Textual Amendments

[F5Non-UK] insurersU.K.

3.—(1) If paragraph 8 of Schedule 6 (additional conditions applying to [F6non-UK] insurers) applies to the person concerned, it must, for the purposes of [F7section 55B(3) of the Act], satisfy the following additional conditions—

(a)it must have a representative who is resident in the United Kingdom and who has authority to bind it in its relations with third parties and to represent it in its relations with [F8the PRA] and the courts in the United Kingdom;

(b)subject to paragraph (2), if the person concerned is not a Swiss general insurance company—

(i)it must be a body corporate entitled under the law of the place where its head office is situated to effect and carry out contracts of insurance;

(ii)it must have in the United Kingdom assets of such value as may be specified;

(iii)unless the regulated activity in question relates solely to reinsurance, it must have made a deposit (of money or securities, as may be specified) of such an amount and with such a person as may be specified, and on such terms and subject to such other provisions as may be specified.

F9(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F10(3) The conditions set out in [F11paragraphs 3D and 4E (suitability) and paragraph 4D (business to be conducted in a prudent manner) (in so far as it relates to appropriate financial resources) of Schedule 6 do not apply] in relation to a Swiss general insurance company.]

(4) In this article, “specified” means specified in rules.

[F12(5) The additional conditions specified in this article are relevant to the discharge by the PRA of its functions under the Act in relation to the person concerned.

(6) Any agreement made for the purpose of paragraph (2) by the Financial Services Authority before 1st April 2013, and in effect immediately before that date, is to be treated for the purposes of this article as if it had been made by the PRA.]

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I2Art. 3 in force at 3.9.2001 in accordance with art. 1(1)

[F13Swiss general insurance companiesU.K.

4.—(1) A Swiss general insurance company must, for the purposes of [F14section 55B(3) of the Act], satisfy the following additional conditions—

(a)the value of the assets of the business carried on by it in the United Kingdom must not fall below the amount of the liabilities of that business, that value and amount being determined in such manner as may be specified;

(b)such assets must be maintained in such places as may be specified and must be of such a nature as may be specified as being appropriate in relation to the currency in which the liabilities of the company are or may be required to be met; and

(c)when applying to the [F15PRA] for permission to carry on a regulated activity it must submit to the [F15PRA] a statement from the supervisory authorities in Switzerland—

(i)stating the classes of insurance business which the company is authorised to carry on in Switzerland,

(ii)specifying the risks covered there,

(iii)declaring that the company is constituted in Switzerland in a form permitted by Annex 3 of the Agreement signed on 10th October 1989 between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation on direct insurance other than life assurance,

(iv)confirming that the company limits its business activities to insurance and to operations directly arising therefrom to the exclusion of all other commercial business, and

(v)declaring that the company has the required solvency margin or minimum guarantee fund.

(2) In this article, “specified” means specified in rules.

[F16(3) The additional conditions specified in this article are relevant to the discharge by the PRA of its functions under the Act in relation to the person concerned.]]

Textual Amendments

Nick Ainger

Tony McNulty

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order varies the threshold conditions in Schedule 6 to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, which authorised persons, and applicants for authorisation, under that Act must satisfy.

Article 2 varies the condition set out in paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 6 with the effect that limited liability partnerships, a new form of legal entity created by the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 (c. 12), are not eligible to obtain permission to effect or carry out contracts of insurance.

Article 3(1) sets out additional threshold conditions which must be satisfied by insurers having their head office outside the European Economic Area. Conversely, article 3(3) provides that the conditions set out in paragraphs 3 to 5 of Schedule 6 (relating to the supervision of persons who have close links with other persons; adequacy of resources; and fitness and properness) do not apply to Swiss general insurance companies (as defined in article 1(2)).

(2)

Annexed to Council Decision 91/370/EEC, O.J. No. L205, 27.07.1991, p. 2.