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2004 No. 3219

INSURANCE

The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd's Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2004

  Made 8th December 2004 
  Laid before Parliament 8th December 2004 
  Coming into force 31st December 2004 

The Treasury, being a government department designated[1] for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972[2] regarding measures relating to authorisation or the carrying on of insurance business and the regulation of such business and its conduct, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by that section hereby make the following Regulations:



PART 1

General

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd's Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2004 and come into force on 31st December 2004.

Interpretation
    
2.  - (1) In these Regulations - 

    (2) In these Regulations any reference to the accounts required by or prepared under regulation 3 is a reference to the annual accounts, annual report and auditors' report required by or prepared under paragraph (2) of that regulation.

    (3) In these Regulations an underwriting year of account is closed - 

    (4) Other expressions used in these Regulations have the meanings ascribed to them by the 1985 Act.



PART 2

Syndicate accounts

Preparation of syndicate annual accounts
     3.  - (1) Managing agents must prepare or cause to be prepared the accounts and reports required by paragraph (2), in respect of - 

    (2) Managing agents must, for the financial year preceding 31st December, in respect of each syndicate - 

as would be required under the provisions listed in paragraph (4) below if the syndicate were an insurance company formed and registered under the 1985 Act.

    (3) The accounts required by this regulation must - 

    (4) The provisions referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) the provisions are the following provisions of the 1985 Act - 

    (5) For the purposes of the provisions listed in paragraph (4) as applied to accounts prepared under this regulation, these Regulations shall be regarded as part of the requirements of the 1985 Act.

    (6) Part 2 of the Companies Act 1989[5] (eligibility for appointment as auditors) applies to auditors appointed for the purposes of this regulation subject to any necessary modifications to take account of the fact that the syndicate is unincorporated.

    (7) The Schedule to these Regulations has effect for the purpose of modifying the provisions of the 1985 Act listed in paragraph (4), in their application to syndicates.

Preparation of syndicate underwriting year accounts
     4.  - (1) Managing agents must, in respect of each syndicate for which Regulation 3(1) requires them to ensure the preparation of accounts and reports, prepare or cause to be prepared underwriting year accounts in accordance with paragraph (2), unless - 

    (2) The underwriting year accounts must be an account which - 

    (3) The accounts required by this regulation must - 

    (4) Managing agents must cause to be prepared an auditors' report on the underwriting year accounts required by this regulation stating whether a true and fair view is given of the result of the underwriting year at closure.

    (5) Part 2 of the Companies Act 1989 (eligibility for appointment as auditors) applies to auditors appointed for the purposes of this regulation subject to any necessary modifications to take account of the fact that the syndicate is unincorporated.

Accounts to be sent to syndicate members, the Council and the Authority
    
5.  - (1) The managing agent responsible for the preparation of the accounts of a syndicate must send a copy of the accounts prepared under regulations 3 and 4 to every member of Lloyd's who participates in that syndicate and to the Council of Lloyd's, within 3 months from the end of the financial year.

    (2) The managing agent responsible for the preparation of the accounts of a syndicate must send a copy of the accounts prepared under regulations 3 and 4 to the Authority within 6 months from the end of the financial year.

    (3) References in this regulation to sending, include references to using electronic communications for sending copies of those documents to such address as may for the time being be notified to the managing agent by that person for that purpose.

Publication of syndicate accounts
    
6. Where a managing agent has sent accounts to the Council of Lloyd's under regulation 5, the Council must - 

Penalties for non-compliance
    
7.  - (1) If the managing agent of a Lloyd's syndicate fails to comply with paragraph (1) of regulation 3, within the period referred to in paragraph (3) of that regulation, the managing agent and every person who was a director or partner of it immediately before the end of that period, is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

    (2) If the managing agent of a Lloyd's syndicate fails to comply with paragraph (1) of regulation 4, within the period referred to in paragraph (3) of that regulation, the managing agent and every person who was a director or partner of it immediately before the end of that period, is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

    (3) If accounts which are supplied under regulation 5, do not comply with the requirements of regulations 3 and 4, the managing agent of the Lloyd's syndicate and every person who was a director or partner of it at the time when the accounts were first made available for inspection or supplied, is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

    (4) If a managing agent fails to comply with regulation 5(1), it and every person who was a director or partner of it at the time when the failure took place is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

    (5) If a managing agent fails to comply with regulation 5(2), it and every person who was a director or partner of it at the time when the failure took place is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

    (6) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this regulation to show that he took all reasonable steps for securing that the requirements in question would be complied with.

    (7) Section 731 of the 1985 Act applies to any offence under this regulation.



PART 3

Aggregate accounts

Preparation of aggregate accounts by Council of Lloyd's
    
8.  - (1) The members of the Council of Lloyd's must prepare aggregate accounts in respect of each financial year by cumulating all the syndicate annual accounts prepared in accordance with regulation 3 for that year.

    (2) The aggregate accounts must consist of - 

Those accounts are referred to in these Regulations as the "aggregate accounts".

    (3) The aggregate accounts must - 

    (4) The aggregate accounts must comply with the provisions of Schedule 9A to the 1985 Act as to the form and content of the aggregate balance sheet and aggregate profit and loss account, and additional information to be provided by way of notes to the accounts, apart from the provisions set out in paragraph (5).

    (5) The provisions are the following - 

Approval and signing of aggregate accounts
    
9.  - (1) The aggregate accounts must be approved by the Council of Lloyd's and signed on behalf of the Council by a member of the Council.

    (2) The signature must be on the aggregate balance sheet.

    (3) Every copy of the aggregate balance sheet which is circulated, published or issued must state the name of the person who signed it on behalf of the Council.

    (4) The copy of the aggregate balance sheet which is delivered to the Authority must be signed on behalf of the Council by a member of the Council.

Preparation of annual report by the Council of Lloyd's
    
10.  - (1) The members of the Council of Lloyd's must prepare an annual report on the insurance business carried on by the members of Lloyd's containing - 

    (2) The business review in the Council of Lloyd's' annual report must include, to the extent necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of the insurance business of the members of Lloyd's - 

    (3) The review must, where appropriate, include references to and additional explanations of amounts included in the aggregate accounts.

    (4) In this regulation "key performance indicators" means factors by reference to which the development, performance or position of the insurance business of the members of Lloyd's can be measured most effectively.

Approval and signing of annual report
    
11.  - (1) The annual report prepared under regulation 10 above must be approved by the Council of Lloyd's and signed on behalf of the Council by a member of the Council.

    (2) Every copy of the annual report which is circulated, published or issued, must state the name of the person who signed it on behalf of the Council.

    (3) The copy of the annual report which is delivered to the Authority must be signed on behalf of the Council by a member of the Council.

Auditors' report
    
12.  - (1) The members of the Council of Lloyd's must obtain an auditors' report on the aggregate accounts.

    (2) The auditors' report shall include - 

    (3) The auditors' report - 

    (4) The auditors' report must state whether, in their opinion, the annual report of the Council of Lloyd's - 

Signature of auditors' report
    
13.  - (1) The auditors' report must state the names of the auditors and be signed and dated by them.

    (2) Every copy of the auditors' report which is circulated, published or issued must state the names of the auditors.

    (3) The copy of the auditors' report which is delivered to the Authority must state the names of the auditors and be signed and dated by them.

    (4) References in this regulation to signature by the auditors are, where the office of auditor is held by a body corporate or partnership, to signature in the name of the body corporate or partnership by a person authorised to sign on its behalf.

Appointment of and duties of auditors
    
14.  - (1) Part 2 of the Companies Act 1989 (eligibility for appointment as auditors) applies to auditors appointed by the Council of Lloyd's to report on the aggregate accounts.

    (2) The auditors of the aggregate accounts must, in preparing their report, carry out such investigations as will enable them to form an opinion as to whether the aggregate accounts are properly prepared and a correct aggregation of the syndicate accounts which have been cumulated to prepare them.

    (3) If those auditors are of the opinion that the aggregate accounts are not properly prepared or not a correct aggregation of the syndicate accounts which have been cumulated to prepare them, the auditors must state that fact in their report.

    (4) If those auditors fail to obtain all the information and explanations which, to the best of their knowledge and belief, are necessary for the purposes of their report, they must state that fact in their report.

Aggregate accounts and annual report of Council to be delivered to the Authority and published
    
15.  - (1) The Council of Lloyd's must deliver to the Authority a copy of the aggregate accounts and its annual report on each financial year within a period of 6 months from the end of that year.

    (2) The Council of Lloyd's must - 



PART 4

Regulation by the Financial Services Authority

Functions of the Financial Services Authority
    
16.  - (1) The Authority has responsibility for administering the system of regulation of Lloyd's syndicates and the Council of Lloyd's provided for by these Regulations.

    (2) Proceedings for an offence under these Regulations may be instituted only - 

    (3) In exercising its power to institute proceedings for an offence under these Regulations, the Authority must comply with any conditions or restrictions imposed in writing by the Treasury.

    (4) The Authority may increase any fee which it charges managing agents under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000[
6] to take account of the expenses incurred in carrying out its functions under these Regulations.



PART 5

Transitional and Consequential Provisions

Transitional provisions
     17.  - (1) The managing agent of a syndicate need not prepare accounts in accordance with regulations 3 and 4 with respect to a financial year of the syndicate commencing on or before 31st December 2004.

    (2) Where advantage is taken of paragraph (1), regulation 7 does not apply to the managing agent.

    (3) The members of the Council of Lloyd's need not - 

with respect to a financial year commencing on or before 31st December 2004.

    (4) Nothing in this regulation exempts a managing agent or the Council of Lloyd's from any requirement to include corresponding amounts from previous financial years in syndicate or aggregate accounts prepared in accordance with these Regulations.

Consequential provisions
    
18.  - (1) Regulations 4, 5(2), 6(1)(b), 6(2)(b) and 6(3)(b) of the Insurance Accounts Directive (Miscellaneous Insurance Undertakings) Regulations 1993[7] are revoked.

    (2) In regulations 6(1) and 6(3) of those regulations the following words are deleted - 

    (3) In regulation 6(2) of those regulations the following words are deleted - 


Joan Ryan

Nick Ainger
Two of the Lords Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury

8th December 2004



SCHEDULE
Regulation 3


Modification of Part 7 of the 1985 Act for syndicate accounts


     1. The accounts prepared under regulation 3 must comply with the provisions of the 1985 Act set out in paragraph (4) of that regulation subject to any necessary modifications to take account of the fact that syndicates are unincorporated.

     2. Where any of the provisions of the 1985 Act set out in regulation 3(4) impose a duty on the directors of a company, that provision shall, in the case of a syndicate, impose the same duty upon the managing agent of the syndicate.

     3. The following sections of the 1985 Act are modified in their application to syndicates as follows.

     4. Section 226[
8] (duty to prepare individual accounts) is modified as follows - 

     5. Section 231[9] (disclosure required in notes to accounts: related undertakings) is modified so that subsection (7) is omitted.

     6.  - (1) Section 232[10] (disclosure required in notes to accounts: emoluments and other benefits of directors and others) is modified as follows -

    (2) In this paragraph - 

     7. Section 233[11] (approval and signing of accounts) is modified as follows - 

     8. Section 234[12] (duty to prepare directors' report) is modified as follows - 

     9. Section 234A[13] (approval and signing of directors' report) is modified as follows - 

     10. Section 235[14] (auditors' report) is modified so that subsection (1) is substituted as follows - 

     11. Section 236[15] (signature of auditors report) is modified as follows - 

     12. Section 240[16] (requirements in connections with publication of accounts) is modified as follows - 

     13. Schedule 9A[17] (form and content of accounts of insurance companies and groups) is modified by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph 72 - 



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations implement Directive 2003/51/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 78/660/EC, 83/349/EEC, 86/635/EEC and 91/674/EEC as regards modernising the annual and consolidated accounts of certain types of companies, banks, other financial institutions and insurance undertakings to bring the preparation of those accounts more into line with international accounting standards (OJ L 178, 17/07/2003, p.16 - 22) ("the Modernisation Directive"), in relation to Lloyd's of London.

The Modernisation Directive amends Directive 91/674/EEC ("the Insurance Accounts Directive") by deleting the annex to that directive which contained special provisions relating to the accounts prepared by syndicates in the Lloyd's of London market and by the Council of Lloyd's for the market as a whole. The effect of that amendment and the amendment to article 4 of the Insurance Accounts Directive is that syndicates at Lloyd's are now required to prepare annual accounts using the same basic format for their balance sheet, profit and loss account and the notes to their accounts as other insurance undertakings. The majority of the provisions in the Insurance Accounts Directive now apply to syndicate accounts whereas previously they did not. The accounts which must be prepared for the market as a whole, are not required to be consolidated accounts but are instead to be aggregated accounts prepared by cumulating all syndicate accounts.

Regulation 3 requires managing agents of syndicates to prepare annual accounts for each syndicate for which they are responsible on 31st December for the preceding financial year. The accounts that they are required to prepare must comply with the provisions in the Companies Act 1985 which govern the accounts of insurance companies, which are specified in that regulation. The provisions which are specified in the Companies Act are in Part 7 of the Act and Schedule 9A to the Act. Regulation 3 also requires managing agents to ensure the preparation of a directors' report and an auditors' report. Some of the provisions of the Companies Act with which the syndicate annual accounts and reports must comply, are modified in their application to syndicates by the Schedule to these Regulations.

Regulation 4 requires the preparation of a separate set of accounts which are to be separately audited. The accounts required by regulation 4 are to be prepared on an underwriting year basis in respect of any underwriting year which is being closed by way of reinsurance to close. Such underwriting year accounts must give a true and fair view of the result of the closing year of account at closure. There are two exceptions to the requirement to produce underwriting year accounts set out in regulation 4.

Regulation 5 requires managing agents of a syndicate to send copies of the accounts prepared under regulations 3 and 4 to the members of the syndicate, the Council of Lloyd's and the Financial Services Authority. Regulation 6 requires the Council of Lloyd's to make copies of syndicate accounts that it receives, available to the public on reasonable notice.

Regulation 7 makes it a summary offence for managing agents to fail to comply with regulations 3, 4 and 5, punishable by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale. By applying section 731 of the Companies Act 1985 to these new offences, the time limit for laying an information relating to these offences is extended.

Regulation 8 requires the Council of Lloyd's to prepare aggregate accounts in respect of each financial year. These accounts are to be an aggregation of all the annual syndicate accounts prepared under regulation 3 for that year and are to comply with the provisions of Schedule 9A of the Companies Act 1985 apart from the provisions specified in paragraph (4).

Regulation 10 requires the Council of Lloyd's to prepare an annual report containing a fair review of the business carried on by the members of Lloyd's and an assessment of the risks facing the Lloyd's market. Regulation 12 requires the Council of Lloyd's to obtain an auditors' report on the aggregate accounts.

Regulations 13 and 14 deal with signature of the auditors' report and the duties of the auditors. Regulation 15 requires the Council of Lloyd's to deliver the aggregate accounts and its annual report to the Financial Services Authority. Those accounts and report must also be available for public inspection on reasonable notice.

Regulation 16 imposes certain statutory functions on the Financial Services Authority in relation to overseeing the preparation and delivery of accounts by Lloyd's syndicates and the Council of Lloyd's.

Regulation 17 makes transitional provisions and regulation 18 revokes certain provisions in the Insurance Accounts Directive (Miscellaneous Insurance Undertakings) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 3245/1993) which had previously imposed requirements on Lloyd's to prepare and publish accounts.

The Schedule to the Regulations modifies several of the provisions of the Companies Act 1985 which are applied to syndicate accounts in order to make allowance for the differences between syndicates and insurance companies. Paragraph 12 of the Schedule imposes a new requirement in relation to the notes to syndicate accounts. This requires syndicate annual accounts to include a description in general terms of the requirements to hold funds at Lloyd's, which members are subject to.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared in relation to these Regulations as has a transposition note showing how the main provisions of the Directive, as it applies to Lloyd's, are being transposed into UK law. A copy of both documents can be obtained from the Capital Markets and Governance Team, HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Both documents are also available on the Treasury website (
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk) and copies have been placed in the library of both Houses of Parliament.


Notes:

[1] S.I. 1997/2781.back

[2] 1972 c. 68.back

[3] 1985 c. 6.back

[4] sections 226, 235, 236 and 240 were amended by and section 226A was inserted by the Companies Act 1985 (International Accounting Standards and Other Accounting Amendments) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2947)back

[5] 1989 c. 40.back

[6] 2000 c. 8.back

[7] S.I. 1993/3245.back

[8] Section 226 was substituted by S.I. 2004/2947back

[9] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by S.I. 1993/1820 and S.I. 1996/189.back

[10] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by S.I. 2002/1986back

[11] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989.back

[12] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (2004 c. ) and S.I. 1996/189.back

[13] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989.back

[14] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by S.I. 2002/1986 and S.I. 2004/2947.back

[15] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by S.I. 2004/2947.back

[16] Inserted by the Companies Act 1989 and amended by S.I. 1994/1935 and S.I. 2004/2947.back

[17] As substituted by SI 1993/3246 and amended by S.I. 2004/2947.back



ISBN 0 11 050859 9


  © Crown copyright 2004

Prepared 14 December 2004


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