
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Penalties) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 3rd April 2000.
(2) In these Regulations—
 “Audited Accounts Regulations” means the Occupational Pension Schemes (Requirement to obtain Audited Accounts and a Statement from the Auditor) Regulations 1996; and
 “Register Regulations” means the Register of Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes Regulations 1997.
2.  
For paragraph (3) of regulation 2 of the Audited Accounts Regulations there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—“
(3) Where the trustees or managers of a scheme have failed without reasonable excuse to take all such steps as are necessary to secure compliance with either the requirement to obtain accounts audited by the auditor of the scheme or the requirement to obtain an auditor’s statement about contributions to the scheme in accordance with paragraph (1)(a) or (b), they shall be liable to pay to the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority, within 28 days from the date of its imposition, a penalty not exceeding—
(a) £5,000 in the case of an individual; and
(b) £50,000 in any other case.
(4) Section 3 of the Pensions Act 1995 shall apply to a trustee of a scheme in respect of any failure by that trustee to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1)(a) or (b).”.
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(1) In regulation 7(1) of the Register Regulations, for the words “fails to comply with any duty imposed under regulation 4(1), 5, 8(2) or (3)” there shall be substituted the words “fails to comply with the duty imposed under regulation 8(2)”.
(2) In regulation 7(2) of the Register Regulations, before the words “fails to comply with the condition specified in regulation 6(5)” there shall be inserted the words “fails to comply with any duty imposed under regulation 4(1), 5 or 8(3) or”.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Jeff Rooker
Minister of State,
Department of Social Security
20th March 2000