The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched 'Live & Local', a regional programme which will include a series of events, workshops and roundtables, taking place across 12 regions in the UK. The programme will help firms in the investment, mortgages and general insurance sectors engage with their regulators and bring them greater clarity on their regulatory requirements.
Jonathan Davidson, Director of Supervision, Retail and Authorisations at the FCA, said:
'We know how much firms value face-to-face contact with the FCA - the success of our Positive Compliance workshops showed that.
'So Live & Local builds on that and takes the FCA out on the road to meet firms on their own ground. The programme gives us the opportunity to hear from firms at first hand and gives them the chance to raise any questions or concerns directly with us.'
About the programme
The events will start on 1 March 2016 and run until March 2017, over a four week period in each region.
Firms can search on the interactive map[1] on the FCA’s website to check when the FCA will next be visiting their region and the events available to them.
Week 1 - The FCA will run ‘Positive Compliance sessions’ for firms in the investment and home finance sectors and will focus on the advice process. Delegate capacity has now been increased from 40 to 140, following high demands for last year’s sessions. The General Insurance sector will have their own sessions called ‘Culture & Governance: GI Focus’.
Week 2 - The FCA will run a ‘surgery programme’, where firms will discuss issues of concern relevant to their own business models during a 45 minutes meeting.
Week 3 - The FCA will host a ‘round table event’, for approximately 25 firms. The panel will comprise senior FCA and industry representatives.
Week 4 - The FCA will host a Chairman’s lunch with around 15 firms where John Griffith-Jones, the FCA’s Chairman, will invite firms to talk about what is happening in their region, what emerging risks they see, what other issues they are concerned about and share his own perspective.
We will also be hosting Supervision workshops for around 40 firms in the Investment sector focussing on Professional Governance and in the General Insurance sector focussing on delivering fair customer outcomes. The events will be attended by FCA specialists and senior managers.
Programme Calendar
| 2016 | South West | March |
| Northern Ireland | April | |
| North East | May | |
| East Midlands | June | |
| Wales | July | |
| No event | August | |
| Scotland | September | |
| East Anglia | October | |
| West Midlands | November | |
| London | December | |
| 2017 | Yorkshire & Humber | January |
| South East | February | |
| North West | March |
Notes for editors
- Explore the Live & Local Interactive Map[1].
- Read more about the Live & Local programme[2] and watch an introductory video.
- On 1 April 2013 the FCA became responsible for the conduct supervision of all regulated financial firms and the prudential supervision of those not supervised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
- The FCA has an overarching strategic objective of ensuring the relevant markets function well. To support this it has three operational objectives: to secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers; to protect and enhance the integrity of the UK financial system; and to promote effective competition in the interests of consumers.
- Find out more information about the FCA[3].
Enquiries
Mélodie Laroche-Gray (Press) 020 7066 3254
Outside office hours: 07795 351 956
FCA Consumer Helpline (Public) 0800 1116 768 (freephone)
Website: www.fca.org.uk[4]