The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a Call for Input on the review of retained provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA).
The review will consider whether particular CCA provisions remain appropriate or should be modified, updated, or replaced by FCA rules or guidance in order to maintain the right degree of consumer protection for today’s market.
Christopher Woolard, the FCA’s director of strategy and competition, said: “This is a real opportunity for everyone with an interest in consumer credit to help us plan our review and to shape the regime. We are looking forward to working with consumer groups, trade bodies, firms and others to help ensure that regulation remains appropriate in a fast-changing market.”
The Call for Input seeks initial views from stakeholders on:
- Whether to prioritise particular provisions for review
- Whether provisions should be considered for earlier review
- How best to engage with stakeholders
Reasons for prioritising provisions for review might include that they provide particular benefits for consumers, or are particularly burdensome on firms without a commensurate benefit, or are particularly complex. Equally, the FCA may decide not to review substantively provisions which are working well or where there is limited flexibility or where FCA rules could not adequately replicate the existing provisions.
The Call for Input will close on 18 May 2016. The FCA will finalise the scope of the review in light of responses and publish an update on progress by Q4 2016.