Information on Authorisations denied - May 2022


Reference Case Number: FOI9234

Freedom of Information: Right to know request:

FTAdviser today (27/04/2022) reports "FCA: One in seven applicants do not obtain authorisation" (see online at https://www.ftadviser.com/regulation/2022/04/26/fca-one-in-seven-applicants-do-not-obtain-authorisation/).

I'd like to see a breakdown of those numbers by regime (e.g., FSMA, EMRs, PSRs, MLRs, etc) and, ideally, by portfolio within the regime however the FCA captures that information. 

Also, for clarity, distinguishing between:

  • Authorisations and registrations, and
  • Within the PSR and EMR regimes, small and "full" applications.

FCA response:

The original numbers (one in seven) considered all applications for authorisation under FSMA, EMR and PSR in calendar year 2021.  It excluded registrations under the fourth and fifth money laundering directives and registrations of Small Payment Institutions (SPI) under the PSRs and Small Electronic Money Institutions (SEMI) under the PSRs.

When these registrations are included, the rate rises from one in seven (15%) to one in five (19%).

The tables below, detail the requested breakdowns for the calendar year 2021, as originally published.

Fig 1: Breakdown by Regime

 

FSMA

FSMA (AIFM)

EMRs

PSRs

4MLD

5MLD

Overall

Approved, withdrawn by firm or rejected due to material errors

2,900

53

48

120

199

43

3,363

Withdrawn or rejected due to material errors

502

15

52

128

10

79

786

Rate

15%

22%

52%

52%

5%

65%

19%

 

Fig 2: Of those under EMRs or PSRs, breakdown by application type

 

EMRs

PSRs

 

 

Authorised E-Money

Institution (AEMI)

Small Electronic Money

Institution (SEMI)

Authorised Payment

Institution (API)

Registered Account Information

Service Provider (RAISP)

Small Payment

Institution (SPI)

Overall

Approved, withdrawn by firm or rejected due to material errors

36

12

32

13

75

168

Withdrawn or rejected due to material errors

37

15

23

4

101

180

Rate

51%

56%

42%

24%

57%

52%

 

Fig 3: Across all applications, breakdown by nominal portfolio

 

Approved, withdrawn by firm or rejected due to material errors

Withdrawn or rejected due to material errors

%

Advisers and Intermediaries

180

33

15%

Alternatives

96

41

30%

Asset Management

39

12

24%

Benchmarks

1

0

0%

Contracts for Differences (CFD) Providers

3

11

79%

Corporate Finance Firms

1

1

50%

Credit Brokers

2,203

225

9%

Credit reference agencies and providers of credit information services

4

3

43%

Crowdfunders (Investment)

0

4

100%

Cryptoasset AML

40

64

62%

Custody and Fund Services

4

0

0%

Debt Advice Firms

14

11

44%

Debt purchasers, debt collectors and debt administrators

9

6

40%

E-Money Issuer

49

44

47%

Funeral Plan Provider

1

1

50%

High-Cost Lenders

6

22

79%

Life Insurance

1

0

0%

Lloyds and London Market Intermediaries (inc Managing General Agents)

2

0

0%

Lloyds Managing Agents and London Market (Re) Insurers (inc P & I Clubs)

4

1

20%

Mainstream Consumer Credit Lenders

9

10

53%

Mortgage Intermediaries

122

25

17%

Motor Finance Providers

5

5

50%

Non-Bank Lenders

0

1

100%

Not classified

203

40

16%

Payment Services Firm

125

137

52%

Peer-to-Peer lending platforms

2

2

50%

Personal and Commercial Lines Insurance Intermediaries

129

38

23%

Platforms

3

0

0%

Principal Trading Firms

20

8

29%

Retail Bank

5

5

50%

Retail Finance Providers

46

15

25%

Retail Mortgage Lenders

0

1

100%

SIPP Operators

4

0

0%

Trade Repositories

1

0

0%

Wealth Management

12

4

25%

Wholesale Brokers

20

16

44%

Overall

3,363

786

19%