BoE: Trade in services under regulatory barriers – evidence from UK banking
This BoE Staff Working paper considers how regulatory barriers affect cross-border lending and deposit-taking by banks.
Last updated · 08 May 2026
Regulatory News - Financial Services & Regulation
See allHMG: The Enhancing Financial Services Bill
The Enhancing Financial Services Bill was announced in the King’s Speech and is intended to deliver key parts of the Leeds Reforms. Amongst other matters, the Bill will: enact reforms to FOS; consolidate PSR within FCA; reduce the overall burden of SM&CR by 50% with a focus on accountability of the most senior figures in financial services, and update the statutory framework underpinning the ringfencing regime in order to unlock more finance for SMEs.
FCA: Vulnerability review
FCA is reviewing how consumer investment firms support bereaved customers. It has published research which found that 47% of bereaved customers felt they received the support they needed from financial firms. The review will focus on firms that advise, manage, or administer investments (including platforms, advisers and wealth managers). FCA will examine the experience customers have from the moment the firm is told about a bereavement, through to settlement or transfer of investments and will assess how firms communicate, how they support vulnerable customers, their service standards, and how fees are handled on bereaved accounts.
PRA: Speech by Sam Woods: Clinical supervision
Text of Sam Woods’ speech of 12 May 2026 follows in which he discusses banking supervision. He concludes: “as the financial system and broader economy continue to evolve, supervisors will need to upskill across an even broader set of issues … This might in time mean a more senior and more specialised workforce”.
BoE: DLT Innovation Challenge 2025 – final report
The report describes the outcomes of the DLT Innovation Challenge and sets out how it has informed BoE’s views on DLT with regard to settlement finality, scalability, network and asset control and interoperability.
For more information
FCA: Appointments
FCA has announced the appointments of Simon Walls (executive director, markets) and Johan Sekora (COO).