SUP 11.2 Purpose

Part XII of the Act (Control over authorised persons) places an obligation on the controllers and proposed controllers of those UK domestic firms not listed in SUP 11.1.1 R (1) to SUP 11.1.1 R (6) to notify the FSA of changes in control. Furthermore, those persons are required to obtain the FSA's approval before becoming a controller or increasing the level of control held (in certain circumstances). SUP 11.3 is intended to assist those persons in complying with their obligations under Part XII of the Act and also sets out the information which a controller or proposed controller must provide to the FSA before becoming a controller or increasing the level of control held.

The rules in SUP 11.4 to SUP 11.6 are aimed at ensuring that the FSA receives information it needs from firms to assist the FSA with its responsibility to monitor and, in some cases, give prior approval to firms' controllers.21

1Part XII of the Act does not place an obligation on a controller of a UK insurance intermediary to notify the FSA where it becomes or ceases to be a parent undertaking. Nevertheless, the rule in SUP 11.4.2AR (2) requires the UK insurance intermediary to notify the FSA of parent undertakings so that the FSA can monitor the firm's continuing satisfaction of the threshold conditions, which includes consideration of its controllers and parent undertakings (see COND).

As the approval of the FSA is not required under the Act for a new controller of an overseas firm, the notification rules on such firms are less prescriptive than they are for UK domestic firms. Nevertheless, the FSA still needs to monitor such an overseas firm's continuing satisfaction of the threshold conditions, which normally includes consideration of a firm's connection with any person, including its controllers and parent undertakings (see COND). The FSA therefore needs to be notified of controllers and parent undertakings of overseas firms.

As part of the FSA's function of monitoring a firm's continuing satisfaction of the threshold conditions, the FSA needs to consider the impact of any significant change in the circumstances of one or more of its controllers, for example, in their financial standing and, in respect of corporate controllers, in their governing bodies. Consequently, the FSA needs to know if there are any such changes. SUP 11.8 therefore requires a firm to tell the FSA if it becomes aware of particular matters relating to a controller.

Similarly, the FSA needs to monitor a firm's continuing satisfaction of threshold condition 3 (Close links) (see COND 2.32), which requires that a firm's close links are not likely to prevent the FSA's effective supervision of that firm. Accordingly the FSA needs to be notified of any changes in a firm's close links. This requirement is contained in SUP 11.9.2

Every firm, other than a firm listed in SUP 11.1.1 R (1) to SUP 11.1.1 R (6)2or a firm excluded from the operation of SUP 16.4 or SUP 16.5 by SUP 16.1.3 R, is required to submit an annual report on its controllers and close links as set out in SUP 16.4 and SUP 16.5.

The requirements in SUP 11 implement certain provisions relating to changes in control and close links required under the Single Market Directives.2

2An event described in SUP 11.4.2 R (1) to SUP 11.4.2 R (4)is referred to in this chapter as a "change in control".