Select committee: Treasury Committee
Conclusion 2
Fourth Report - The Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulation of London Capital & Finance plc
Published 24 Jun 2021
Paragraph 41
Addressed to HM Treasury
Treasury Committee The Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulation of London Capital & Finance plc All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We welcome the FCA’s approach to recruitment for some senior executive roles, which involved global searches, but we believe that the FCA was wrong not to have engaged in a fuller recruitment programme for the Executive Director for Transformation role, including the consideration of potential recruits from outside the FCA. It appears that there was a missed opportunity to consider fresh leadership for the Transformation programme. We also question whether there would have been a significant slowdown in the progress of the Transformation programme had Megan Butler not been recruited to oversee it. Another recruit might have been supported by Megan Butler for at least a period to help assist with this role, or Megan Butler might have taken on that role on a temporary basis whilst the recruitment process was conducted.
From: Treasury Committee, Fourth Report - The Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulation of London Capital & Finance plc (HC 149), paragraph 41, 24 June 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 13 September 2021 (deadline 24 August 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.HM Treasury's response says the Government has "fully considered" the Committee's recommendations, agrees with some, and does not consider a formal FCA power to recommend perimeter changes "necessary".
- On the regulatory perimeter, the Government "considers that the existing arrangements for examining and, where relevant, amending the regulatory perimeter are effective", and does not consider it "necessary" to give the FCA a formal power to recommend changes.
- On mini-bonds, the Treasury "is aiming to publish its response to the consultation and bring forward plans for legislation in the autumn", rather than by the end of September 2021 as the Committee recommended.
- On fraud, the Home Office is developing a Fraud Action Plan, to be published "after the 2021 Spending Review", which "will consider any potential legislative or regulatory change required".
- On Financial Promotion Order exemptions, the Treasury "has already commenced work with the FCA to review exemptions" for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors.