FINAL NOTICE

MOTOR CHOICE (N.I.) LIMITED
185 Kempestones Road
Dundonald
Belfast
BT161UF
UNITED KINGDOM

ACTION

1. By an application dated 1 November 2022 (“the Application”), MOTOR CHOICE

(N.I.) LIMITED (“Motor Choice (N.I)” or “the Applicant”) applied under section 55A
of the Act for Part 4A permission to carry on the regulated activities of:

a.
agreeing to carry on a regulated activity;

b.
Limited permission Credit Broking

c.
Not for Profit and Debt Counselling

d.
Not for Profit and Debt Adjusting

2. The Application is incomplete.

3. The Authority has decided to refuse the Application.

SUMMARY OF REASONS

4. Motor Choice (N.I) has failed to respond to requests for the provision of information

considered by the Authority to be necessary to allow the Application to be
determined. The last request included a statement to the effect that Motor Choice
(N.I) must contact the Authority within 10 business days, or the Authority would
issue Motor Choice (N.I) with a Warning Notice. No response was received.

5. By its Warning Notice dated 20 February 2023, the Authority gave notice to the

Applicant that it proposed to refuse the Application and that Motor Choice (N.I) was
entitled to make representations to the Authority about that proposed action. No
response was received.

6. As no representations have been received by the Authority from Motor

Choice (N.I) within the time allowed by the Warning Notice, the default
procedures in paragraph 2.3.2 of the Authority’s Decision Procedure
and Penalties Manual apply, permitting the Authority to treat the
matters referred to in its Warning Notice as undisputed and,
accordingly, to give a Decision Notice.

7. By its Decision Notice dated 16 March 2023 (“The Decision Notice”),

the Authority gave Motor Choice (N.I) notice that it had decided to take
the action described above.

8. Motor Choice (N.I) had 28 days from the date the Decision Notice was

given to refer the matter to the Upper Tribunal (formerly known as
the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal). No referral was made
to the Upper Tribunal within this period of time or to date.

9. Under section 390 (1) of the Act, the Authority having decided to

refuse the Application and there having been no reference of that
decision to the Tribunal, must give Motor Choice (N.I) Final Notice of its
refusal.

10.
The Authority decided to refuse the Application and to give this

Final notice as Motor Choice (N.I) has failed to provide the information
required by the Authority and, in the absence of the information
sought, the Authority cannot ensure that Motor Choice (N.I) will satisfy,
and continue to satisfy, the threshold conditions set out in Schedule
6 of the Act, specifically:

a) That the firm can be effectively supervised by the Authority as

required by threshold condition 2C;

b) That the firm has appropriate human resources, given Motor Choice

(N.I)’s failure to provide the Authority with the requested


information as required by threshold condition 2D; and

c) That the firm will conduct its business with integrity and in


compliance with proper standards as required by threshold

condition 2E.

DEFINITIONS

11. The definitions below are used in this Decision Notice.

“Motor Choice (N.I)” means MOTOR CHOICE (N.I.) LIMITED


“the Act” means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;

“the Application” means the application referred to in paragraph 1 above;

“the Authority” means the body corporate previously known as the Financial
Services Authority and renamed on 1 April 2013 as the Financial Conduct Authority;

“the Executive Decision Maker” means the member of the Authority’s staff acting
under executive procedures as described in Chapter 4 of the Decision Procedure
and Penalties Manual in the Authority’s Handbook.

“SUP” means the Supervision section of the Authority’s handbook;

“SYSC” means the Senior Management Arrangements, Systems and Controls
section of the Authority’s handbook; and

“the Tribunal” means the Upper Tribunal (Tax & Chancery Chamber).

“the Warning Notice” means the warning notice dated 20 February 2023 given to
the applicant by the Authority.

FACTS AND MATTERS

12. The Application was received by the Authority on 1 November 2022.

13. Further information was requested from Motor Choice (N.I) under section 55U(5)

of the Act.

14. The Authority requested additional information surrounding the Applicant’s financial

resources, the permissions sought by the Applicant and information pertaining to
the Senior Management Function (SMF) applicant for Motor Choice (N.I). This
information was sought on four occasions across a period of 4 weeks.

15. Motor Choice (N.I) failed to provide the outstanding information by the deadlines

set by the Authority.

16. On 20 December 2022, the Authority sent a letter to Motor Choice (N.I) by way of

email. The same letter was also sent a day later on 21 December 2022 by recorded
delivery. The letter noted the lack of response to its requests for information and
informed the Applicant that a failure to provide the information would result in the
Application being determined based upon the information received to date and that
this might result in the Authority issuing Motor Choice (N.I) with a Warning Notice
proposing to refuse the Application. Motor Choice (N.I) failed to provide the
outstanding information by the stated deadlines.

IMPACT ON THRESHOLD CONDITIONS

17. Motor Choice (N.I) has failed to respond to 4 separate requests for the provision of

information considered by the Authority to be necessary to allow the Application to
be determined. The final request gave Motor Choice (N.I) 10 business days to
respond, and included a statement to the effect that Motor Choice (N.I) must
contact the Authority, or the Authority would issue Motor Choice (N.I) with a
Warning Notice.

18. By its Warning Notice dated 20 February 2023, the Authority gave notice to the

Applicant that it proposed to refuse the Application and that Motor Choice (N.I) was
entitled to make representations to the Authority about that proposed action. No
response was received.

19. The Authority must therefore determine the Application based upon the information

received to date, in circumstances where its requests for information have not been
met. Having reviewed that information, the Authority cannot ensure that Motor
Choice (N.I) satisfies, and will continue to satisfy, the threshold conditions.

20. Authorised firms (and those seeking authorisation) are expected to engage with

the Authority in an open and cooperative way. The failure to provide the requested
information raises concerns that Motor Choice (N.I) would fail to do so if the
Application were to be granted and accordingly has decided to refuse the
application.

21. The failure to provide the information raises concerns as to whether Motor Choice

(N.I):

a. can be effectively supervised by the Authority as required by threshold

condition 2C;

b. has appropriate human resources, given Motor Choice (N.I)’s failure to

provide the Authority with the requested information as required by
threshold condition 2D; and

c. will conduct its business with integrity and in compliance with proper

standards as required by threshold condition 2E.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

Important Notices


22. This Final Notice is given under section 390 (1) of the Act.

23. Sections 391(4), 391(6) and 391(7) of the Act apply to the publication of

information about the matter to which this Notice relates. Under those provisions,
the Authority must publish such information about the matter to which this Notice
relates as the Authority considers appropriate. The information may be published
in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate. However, the Authority may
not publish information if such publication would, in the opinion of the Authority,
be unfair to you or prejudicial to the interests of consumers or detrimental to the
stability of the UK financial system.

24. The Authority intends to publish such information about the matter to which this

Final Notice relates as it considers appropriate.

Executive Decision Maker

ANNEX A – REGULATORY PROVISIONS RELEVANT TO THIS FINAL NOTICE

1. Section 55A(1) of the Act provides for an application for permission to carry on one

or more regulated activities to be made to the appropriate regulator. Section
55A(2) defines the “appropriate regulator” for different applications.

2. Section 55B(3) of the Act provides that, in giving or varying permission, imposing

or varying a requirement, or giving consent, under any provision of Part 4A of the
Act, each regulator must ensure that the person concerned will satisfy, and
continue to satisfy, in relation to all of the regulated activities for which the person
has or will have permission, the threshold conditions for which that regulator is
responsible.

3. The threshold conditions are set out in schedule 6 of the Act. In brief, the threshold

conditions relate to:

(1)
Threshold condition 2B: Location of offices

(2)
Threshold condition 2C: Effective supervision

(3)
Threshold condition 2D: Appropriate resources

(4)
Threshold condition 2E: Suitability

(5)
Threshold condition 2F: Business model

Relevant provisions of the Authority’s Handbook

4. In exercising its powers in relation to the granting of a Part 4A permission, the

Authority must have regard to guidance published in the Authority’s Handbook,
including the part entitled Threshold Conditions (“COND”). The main considerations
in relation to the action specified are set out below.

5. COND 1.3.2G(2) states that, in relation to threshold conditions 2D to 2F, the

Authority will consider whether a firm is ready, willing and organised to comply on
a continuing basis with the requirements and standards under the regulatory
system which will apply to the firm if it is granted Part 4A permission.

6. COND 1.3.3AG provides that, in determining the weight to be given to any relevant

matter, the Authority will consider its significance in relation to the regulated
activities for which the firm has, or will have, permission in the context of its ability
to supervise the firm adequately, having regard to the Authority’s statutory
objectives. In this context, a series of matters may be significant when taken
together, even though each of them in isolation might not give serious cause for
concern.

7. COND 1.3.3BG provides that, in determining whether the firm will satisfy, and

continue to satisfy, the Authority threshold conditions, the Authority will have
regard to all relevant matters, whether arising in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Threshold Condition 2C: Effective Supervision

8. COND 2.3.3G states that, in assessing the threshold condition set out in paragraph

2C of Schedule 6 to the Act, factors which the Authority will take into consideration
include, among other things, whether it is likely that the Authority will receive
adequate information from the firm to determine whether it is complying with the
requirements and standards under the regulatory system for which the Authority
is responsible and to identify and assess the impact on its statutory objectives; this
will include consideration of whether the firm is ready, willing and organised to
comply with Principle 11 (Relations with regulators) and the rules in SUP on the
provision of information to the Authority.

Threshold condition 2D: Appropriate Resources

9. COND 2.4.2G(2) states that the Authority will interpret the term 'appropriate' as

meaning sufficient in terms of quantity, quality and availability, and 'resources' as
including all financial resources (though only in the case of firms not carrying on,
or seeking to carry on, a PRA-regulated activity), non-financial resources and
means of managing its resources; for example, capital, provisions against liabilities,
holdings of or access to cash and other liquid assets, human resources and effective
means by which to manage risks.


10. COND 2.4.2G(2A) provides that, ‘non-financial resources’ of the firm include human

resources it has available.


11. COND 2.4.2G (3) states that high level systems and control requirements are in

SYSC. The Authority will consider whether the firm is ready, willing and organised
to comply with these and other applicable systems and controls requirements when
assessing if it has appropriate non-financial resources for the purpose of the
threshold conditions set out in threshold condition 2D.

Threshold condition 2E: Suitability

12. COND 2.5.2G(2) states that the Authority will also take into consideration anything

that could influence a firm's continuing ability to satisfy the threshold conditions
set out in paragraphs 2E and 3D of Schedule 6 to the Act. Examples include the
firm's position within a UK or international group, information provided by overseas
regulators about the firm, and the firm's plans to seek to vary its Part 4A permission
to carry on additional regulated activities once it has been granted that permission.

13. COND 2.5.4G(2)(c)G states that examples of the kind of general considerations to

which the Authority may have regard when assessing whether a firm will satisfy,
and continue to satisfy, threshold condition 2E include, but are not limited to,
whether the firm can demonstrate that it conducts, or will conduct, its business
with integrity and in compliance with proper standards.

14. COND 2.5.6G provides that examples of the kind of particular considerations to

which the Authority may have regard when assessing whether a firm will satisfy,
and continue to satisfy, this threshold condition include, but are not limited to,
whether the firm has been open and co-operative in all its dealings with the
Authority and any other regulatory body (see Principle 11 (Relations with
regulators)) and is ready, willing and organised to comply with the requirements
and standards under the regulatory system (such as the detailed requirements of
SYSC and, in relation to a firm not carrying on, or seeking to carry on, a PRA-
regulated activity only, the Prudential Standards part of the Authority’s

Handbook)in addition to other legal, regulatory and professional obligations; the
relevant requirements and standards will depend on the circumstances of each
case, including the regulated activities which the firm has permission, or is seeking
permission, to carry on.