Banking reform : draft secondary legislation

The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill aims to establish a more resilient, stable and competitive banking sector; to reduce the severity of a future financial crisis; and to protect taxpayers in the event of such a crisis. It is primarily an enabling Bill, which provides HM Treasury with the requisite powers to implement the policy underlying the Bill through secondary legislation. Three illustrative draft instruments were published in March 2013 in order to aid Parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill, and the Government has continued to develop those instruments. This paper invites comments on a further four statutory instruments: Ring-fenced Bodies and Core Activities Order; Excluded Activities and Prohibitions Order; Banking reform (Loss Absorbency Requirement) Order; and the Fees and Prescribed International Organisations Regulations. Further secondary legislation is planned for pensions and building societies.