We would like to make you aware that the FSA has hired a research company to gather information from/about the OFT’s licensed population to inform its development of the new credit regime.

The following wording has been placed on the OFT website with a view to confirming that this is ‘legitimate’ and not some form of scam.

SURVEY OF CONSUMER CREDIT LICENSEES

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is currently conducting some research into consumer credit licensees’ activities in order to assist them in developing a new regulatory regime for consumer credit when responsibility passes from the OFT to the Financial Conduct Authority (the body that will replace the FSA) a few years from now.  The research is being undertaken for the FSA by a company called Critical Research.

You are, of course, free not to take part in this survey if you so wish but we hope that you will be able to help as the more responses received, the more useful the research will be in developing and designing the new credit regime.

Your answers will not be attributed to your business, unless you explicitly agree to this, and the information will be used only for the purpose of designing the new regime and associated policy development.

This notice can be viewed online here: www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/credit-licensing/