Legislation to enhance the competitiveness of the UK financial services sector and unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment across the UK economy has been introduced to Parliament today.
The Financial Services and Markets Bill repeals hundreds of pieces of EU retained law to deliver a comprehensive model of regulation for the UK – establishing a coherent, agile and internationally respected approach to financial services regulation that works in the interests of British people and businesses.
The Bill will implement the government’s vision for the sector that is open, green, technologically advanced and globally competitive – while maintaining high levels of consumer protection.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi said: “Through the introduction of this Bill, we are repealing hundreds of pieces of burdensome EU regulations and seizing on the benefits of Brexit to ensure the financial sector works in the interests of British people and businesses.”
The Bill implements the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, giving the financial regulators greater responsibility for setting the requirements for UK financial services, and for the first time, a new secondary objective to promote the growth and competitiveness of the UK economy including the financial services sector. This will complement the regulators’ existing objectives of ensuring the safety and soundness of firms, protecting and enhancing the integrity of the UK financial system, promoting competition in the interests of consumers, and ensuring that consumers receive an appropriate degree of protection.
The Bill also includes enhanced mechanisms for engagement with stakeholders and accountability, scrutiny and oversight of the regulators by Parliament and the Treasury. This includes a new ‘rule review’ power which will enable the government to direct the regulators to review their rules where it is in the public interest.
