Related provisions for SYSC 22.5.1
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1The FCA's approach in commenting on the proposed scope and purpose of the report will vary according to the circumstances in which the report is commissioned; it does not follow that the FCA will want to be involved in discussing the scope of a report in every situation. But if the firm anticipates that it will proactively disclose a report to the FCA in the context of an ongoing or prospective enforcement investigation, then the potential use and benefit to be derived from the
1Some themes or issues are common to any discussion about the potential use or value of a report to the FCA. These include: (1) to what extent the FCA will be able to rely on the report in any subsequent enforcement proceedings; (2) to what extent the FCA will have access to the underlying evidence or information that was relied upon in producing the report; (3) where legal privilege or other professional confidentiality is claimed over any material gathered or generated in the
1The FCA is not able to require the production of “protected items”, as defined in the Act, but it is not uncommon for there to be disagreement with firms about the scope of this protection. Arguments about whether certain documents attract privilege tend to be time- consuming and delay the progress of an investigation. If a firm decides to give a report to the FCA, then the FCA considers that the greatest mutual benefit is most likely to flow from disclosure of the report itself
1The FCA understands that the concept of a limited waiver of legal privilege is not one which is recognised in all jurisdictions; the FCA considers that English law does permit such “limited waiver” and that legal privilege could still be asserted against third parties notwithstanding disclosure of a report to the FCA. However, the FCA cannot accept any condition or stipulation which would purport to restrict its ability to use the information in the exercise of the FCA's statutory
1This does not mean that information provided to the FCA is unprotected. The FCA is subject to strict statutory restrictions on the disclosure of confidential information (as defined in section 348 of the Act), breach of which is a criminal offence (under section 352 of the Act). Reports and underlying materials provided voluntarily to the FCA by a firm, whether covered by legal privilege or not, are confidential for these purposes and benefit from the statutory protections.
1Even in circumstances where disclosure of information would be permitted under the “gateways” set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) Regulations, the FCA will consider carefully whether it would be appropriate to disclose a report provided voluntarily by a firm. The FCA appreciates that firms feel strongly about the importance of maintaining confidentiality, and that firms are more likely to volunteer information to the
(1) A firm must establish, implement and maintain appropriate and effective arrangements for the disclosure of reportable concerns by whistleblowers.(2) The arrangements in (1) must at least:(a) be able effectively to handle disclosures of reportable concerns including: (i) where the whistleblower has requested confidentiality or has chosen not to reveal their identity; and(ii) allowing for disclosures to be made through a range of communication methods; (b) ensure the effective
A firm’s training and development in line with SYSC 18.3.1R(2)(g) should include:(1) for all UK-based employees:(a) a statement that the firm takes the making of reportable concerns seriously;(b) a reference to the ability to report reportable concerns to the firm and the methods for doing so;(c) examples of events that might prompt the making of a reportable concern;(d) examples of action that might be taken by the firm after receiving a reportable concern by a whistleblower,
(1) A firm must, in the manner described in (2), communicate to its UK-based employees that they may disclose reportable concerns to the PRA or the FCA and the methods for doing so. A firm must make clear that:(a) reporting to the PRA or to the FCA is not conditional on a report first being made using the firm’s internal arrangements; (b) it is possible to report using the firm’s internal arrangements and also to the PRA or FCA; these routes may be used simultaneously or consecutively;
A firm must comply with this section where the following conditions are satisfied:(1) a borrower is required to have made at least two payments under the agreement before that time;(2) the total sum paid under the agreement by the borrower is less than the total sum required to have been paid before that time;(3) the amount of the shortfall is no less than the sum of the last two payments which the borrower is required to have made before that time;(4) the firm is not already
Where the notice is given under CONC 7.17.4R (1) the notice must also state the amount of the shortfall under the agreement which gave rise to the duty to give the notice and the firm must:(1) within 15 working days of receiving the borrower's request for further information about the shortfall which gave rise to the duty to give the notice, give the borrower in relation to each of the sums which comprise the shortfall, notice of:(a) the amount of the sums due which comprise the
Where the notice is given under CONC 7.17.4R (2) the notice must also contain the following information:(1) that part of the opening balance referred to in CONC 7.17.7R (5) which comprises any sum which the borrower has failed to pay in full when it became due under the agreement, whether or not such sums have been included in a previous notice;(2) the amount and date of any sums paid into the account by, or to the credit of, the borrower during the period to which the notice
(1) 1A firm may have concluded that an employee is unfit or has breached COCON or APER (as described in questions (E) to (F) of Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements)). The firm may later become aware of facts or matters causing it to revise its original conclusions.(2) If so, the firm may decide not to disclose in a reference its conclusion or may qualify its conclusion with supplementary
(1) A firm may have concluded that an employee is unfit or has breached COCON or APER (as described in questions (E) to (F) of Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements)). However the firm may consider that the disclosure is incomplete without including mitigating circumstances.(2) For example, if the firm is reporting a breach of COCON it may consider that the breach is very uncharacteristic
(1) If a firm has taken disciplinary action of the type referred to in question (F) in Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements) against an employee and is asked to give a reference about that employee, the firm should (if it has not already done so) consider whether the basis on which it took that action amounts to a breach of any individual conduct requirements covered by question (F).
(1) SYSC 22.2.2R(1) to (3) may require a full scope regulatory reference firm to disclose information that goes beyond the mandatory minimum information in Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements).(2) This may mean, for instance, that a firm should in some cases disclose a conclusion that an employee or former employee has breached COCON or APER where that conclusion was reached outside the
A firm must comply with this section where the following conditions are satisfied:(1) a borrower is required to have made at least two repayments under the agreement;(2) the last two repayments which the borrower is required to have made before that time have not been made;(3) the firm has not already been required to give a notice under CONC 7.18.3 R in relation to the agreement;(4) the lender is not already under a duty to give the borrower notice under section 86C of the CCA;
(1) The firm must, when the firm next sends a statement to the borrower, give or send the borrower a notice including the information set out in CONC 7.18.5 R.(2) A firm must accompany the notice required by (1) with a copy of the current arrears information sheet under section 86A of the CCA with the following modifications:(-a) for the heading “Arrears” substitute “Arrears – peer-to-peer lending”;1(a) for the bullet point headed “Work out how much money you owe” substitute:“Work
The notice referred to in CONC 7.18.3 R must contain the following information:(1) a form of wording to the effect that it is given in compliance with the rules because the borrower is behind with his payments under the agreement;(2) a form of wording encouraging the borrower to discuss the state of his account with the firm;(3) the date of the notice;(4) a description of the agreement sufficient to identify it;(5) (a) the name, telephone number, postal address and, where appropriate,
(1) Subject to (2), where the total amount which the borrower has failed to pay in relation to the last two payments due under the agreement prior to the date on which the firm came under a duty to give the borrower a notice under CONC 7.18.3 R is not more than £2, the notice:(a) need not include any of the information or statements referred to in CONC 7.18.4 R;(b) but, in that event, shall contain a statement in the following form:"You have failed to make two minimum paymentsFailing
When a firm first has contact with a retail client with a view to giving basic advice on a stakeholder product, it must give the retail client:1(1) the basic advice initial disclosure information (COBS 9 Annex 1), in a durable medium, together with an explanation of that information, unless:1(a) it has already done so and the basic advice initial disclosure information is likely still to be accurate and appropriate; or1(b) the contact is not face to face and is using a means of
(1) A firm may give a retail client the basic advice initial disclosure information (COBS 9 Annex 1) as part of :12(a) a services and costs disclosure document;2 or 1(b) a combined initial disclosure document if it has reasonable grounds to believe that it will provide services relating to a stakeholder product and a non-investment insurance contract, a regulated mortgage contract, an equity release transaction or a home purchase plan.1(2) If a firm provides a services and costs
For the purposes of GEN 5, a firm may not use the Key facts logo in relation to any document that is designed to comply with rules in COBS 9.6 or COBS 7 unless it is a services and costs disclosure document or a2combined initial disclosure document produced in accordance with the templates and notes in the annexes to COBS 6.122
1A firm must only recommend a stakeholder product to a retail client if:(1) it has taken reasonable steps to assess the client's answers to the scripted questions and any other facts, circumstances or information disclosed by the client during the sales process;(2) (unless the relevant product is a deposit-based stakeholder product) having done so, it has reasonable grounds for believing that the stakeholder product is suitable for the client; and(3) the firm reasonably believes
1Notwithstanding COBS 9.6.14R (2) a firm may provide the summary sheet (COBS 9.6.14R (2)) as soon as reasonably practicable after the conclusion of the contract if the client asks it to do so, or the contract will be concluded using a means of distance communication that does not enable the provision of the summary sheet in a durable medium before the conclusion of the contract, but only if the firm:(1) reads the summary sheet to the client before it concludes the contract; and(2)
(1) 1This appendix sets out how a firm should handle complaints relating to the sale of a payment protection contract by the firm which express dissatisfaction about the sale, or matters related to the sale, including where there is a rejection of claims on the grounds of ineligibility or exclusion (but not matters unrelated to the sale, such as delays in claims handling).(2) It relates to the sale of any payment protection contract whenever the sale took place and irrespective
In this appendix:(1) "historic interest" means the interest the complainant paid to the firm because a2payment protection contract was added to a loan or credit product;(2) "simple interest" means a non-compound rate of 8% per annum; and(3) "claim" means a claim by a complainant seeking to rely upon the policy under the payment protection contract that is the subject of the complaint.
The firm should consider all of its sales of payment protection contracts to the complainant in respect of re-financed loans that were rolled up into the loan covered by the payment protection contract that is the subject of the complaint. The firm should consider the cumulative financial impact on the complainant of any previous breaches or failings in those sales.
Other relevant parts of HandbookNote: Other parts of the Handbook that may also be relevant to persons to whom the disclosure requirements and the disclosure guidance5 apply include DEPP (Decision Procedure and Penalties Manual)3 and 3Chapter 9 of SUP (the Supervision manual).The following Regulatory Guides are also relevant:31. The Enforcement Guide (EG)32. [intentionally blank]3Note: A list of regulated markets can be found on the FCA website.33
1SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements) has two purposes:(1) to set out what information a full scope regulatory reference firm should disclose under SYSC 22.2.2R(4); and(2) to provide a template that a full scope regulatory reference firm should use when giving a reference under this chapter.
(1) A full scope regulatory reference firm must use the template in Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements) when giving a reference under this chapter to another firm (A). (2) A firm may make minor changes to the format of the template in Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R when giving a reference under this chapter, provided that the reference includes all the information required by SYSC 22 Annex
1If an issuer is required to notify information to a RIS at a time when a RIS is not open for business, it may distribute the information as soon as possible to:(1) not less than two national newspapers in the United Kingdom;(2) two newswire services operating in the United Kingdom; and(3) a RIS for release as soon as it opens.
(1) Firms may use the following wording, or alternative wording which has substantively the same meaning, in any settlement agreement:“For the avoidance of doubt, nothing precludes [name of worker] from making a “protected disclosure” within the meaning of Part 4A (Protected Disclosures) of the Employment Rights Act 1996. This includes protected disclosures made about matters previously disclosed to another recipient.”(2) Compliance with (1) may be relied on as tending to establish
(1) Firms must not request that workers enter into warranties which require them to disclose to the firm that:(a) they have made a protected disclosure; or(b) they know of no information which could form the basis of a protected disclosure.(2) Firms must not use measures intended to prevent workers from making protected disclosures.
1Where an issuer has not disclosed its Home State as defined by the second indent of article 2.1(i)(i) of the TD or article 2.1(i)(ii) of the TD in accordance with DTR 6.4.2R and DTR 6.4.3R within a period of three months from the date the issuer’s securities are first admitted to trading on a regulated market, the Home State shall be:(1) the EEA State where the issuer’s securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market; or (2) where the issuer’s securities are admitted
(1) A firm must regard information as proprietary information if sharing that information with the public would undermine its competitive position.(2) Proprietary information may include information on products or systems which, if shared with competitors, would render a firm's investments therein less valuable.[Note: BCD Annex XII Part 1 point 2]
A firm which is a significant subsidiary of:(1) an EEA parent institution; or(2) an EEA parent financial holding company;1 or2(3) an EEA parent mixed financial holding company;2must disclose the information specified in BIPRU 11.5.3 R to BIPRU 11.5.4 R on an individual or sub-consolidated basis.[Note: BCD Annex XII Part 1 point 5]
A firm calculating risk weighted exposure amounts in accordance with the IRB approach must disclose the following information:(1) the scope of the firm'sIRB permission;(2) an explanation and review of:(a) the structure of internal rating systems and relation between internal and external ratings;(b) the use of internal estimates other than for calculating risk weighted exposure amounts in accordance with the IRB approach;(c) the process for managing and recognising credit risk
For the purposes of BIPRU 11.6.1 R (4), where a firm uses its own estimates of LGDs or conversion factors for the calculation of risk weighted exposure amounts for exposures falling into the sovereign, institution and corporate IRB exposure class1, the firm must disclose those exposures separately from exposures for which it does not use such estimates.[Note: BCD Annex XII Part 3 point 1 (part)]
For the purposes of BIPRU 11.6.1 R (9), where appropriate, a firm must further decompose the information to provide analysis of PD and, for a firm using own estimates of LGDs and/or conversion factors, LGD and conversion factor outcomes against estimates provided in the quantitative risk assessment disclosures under BIPRU 11.6.1 R to BIPRU 11.6.4 R.[Note: BCD Annex XII Part 3 point 1 (part)]
A firm applying credit risk mitigation techniques must disclose the following information:(1) the policies and processes for, and an indication of the extent to which the firm makes use of, on- and off-balance sheet netting;(2) the policies and processes for collateral valuation and management;(3) a description of the main types of collateral taken by the firm;(4) the main types of guarantor and credit derivative counterparty and their creditworthiness;(5) information about market
A1sponsor must in relation to a sponsor service:11(1) referred to in 3LR 8.2.1R (1) to (4), LR 8.2.1R (11), LR 8.2.1A R and, where relevant LR 8.2.1R (5)3, 1provide assurance to the FCA when required that the responsibilities of the company with or applying for a premium listing of its equity shares3 under the listing rules have been met;3(1A) 3provide to the FCA any explanation or confirmation in such form and within such time limit as the FCA reasonably requires for the purposes
Where, in relation to a sponsor service,1 a sponsor gives any guidance or advice to a listed company or applicant on 1 the application or interpretation of the listing rules or disclosure requirements7 and transparency rules2, the sponsor must take reasonable steps to satisfy itself that the director or directors of the listed company understand their responsibilities and obligations 1under the listing rules and disclosure requirements7 and transparency rules.21112112
1If, in connection with the provision of a3sponsor service, a sponsor becomes aware that it, or a company with or applying for a premium listing of its equity shares is failing or has failed to comply with its obligations under3 the listing rules3, the3disclosure requirements7 or the transparency rules, the sponsor must promptly notify the FCA2.323
A firm must ensure that information:(1) includes the name of the firm;(2) is accurate and in particular does not emphasise any potential benefits of relevant business or a relevant investment without also giving a fair and prominent indication of any relevant risks;(3) is sufficient for, and presented in a way that is likely to be understood by, the average member of the group to whom it is directed, or by whom it is likely to be received; and(4) does not disguise, diminish or
In deciding whether, and how, to communicate information to a particular target audience, a firm should take into account the nature of the product or business, the risks involved, the client's commitment, the likely information needs of the average recipient, and the role of the information in the sales process.
The appropriate regulator may ask the auditor to attend meetings and to supply it with information about the firm. In complying with SUP 3.8.2 R, the auditor should attend such meetings as the appropriate regulator requests and supply it with any information the appropriate regulator may reasonably request about the firm to enable the appropriate regulator to discharge its functions under the Act.
Within the legal constraints that apply, the appropriate regulator may pass on to an auditor any information which it considers relevant to his function. An auditor is bound by the confidentiality provisions set out in Part XXIII of the Act (Public record, disclosure of information and cooperation) in respect of confidential information he receives from the appropriate regulator. An auditor may not pass on such confidential information without lawful authority, for example if
(1) Auditors are subject to regulations made by the Treasury under sections 342(5) and 343(5) of the Act (Information given by auditor or actuary to a regulator). Section 343 and the regulations also apply to an auditor of an authorised person in his capacity as an auditor of a person who has close links with the authorised person.3(2) These regulations oblige auditors to report certain matters to the appropriate regulator. Sections 342(3) and 343(3) of the Act provide that an
(1) 1A full scope regulatory reference firm must arrange for orderly records to be created and kept that are sufficient to enable it to comply with the requirements of this chapter.(2) This rule only applies to records in relation to the following questions in Part One of SYSC 22 Annex 1R (Template for regulatory references given by relevant authorised persons and disclosure requirements): (a) question (E) (fit and proper); and (b) question (F) (disciplinary action).
(1) SYSC 22.9.1R applies to keeping records created before the date this chapter came into force as well as ones created afterwards.(2) A full scope regulatory reference firm does not breach the requirements of this chapter by failing to include something in a reference because it destroyed the relevant records before the date this chapter came into force in accordance with the record keeping requirements applicable to it at the time of destruction.
Where article 20(3) of the Market Abuse Regulation requires a disclosure of the proportions of all investment recommendations published that are “buy”, “hold”, “sell” or equivalent terms, the FCA considers it important for these equivalent terms to be consistent and meaningful to the recipients in terms of the course of actions being recommended, particularly for non-equity material.22