To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications by investment businesses for authorisation under the Financial Services Act have been rejected to date; and how many of those applications were made to each of the self-regulatory organisations and to the Securities and Investments Board, respectively.

This is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board and the self-regulatory organisations, but I understand that the figures are not available because of difficulties of definition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many investment businesses are trading with interim authorisation under the Financial Services Act at the latest available date; and if he will provide an analysis of these showing (a) those subject to the appeals procedure, (b) those awaiting a memorandum of understanding with an overseas country and (c) any others; and a further analysis showing how many of these applications were made to each of the self-regulatory organisations and to the Securities and Investments Board, respectively.

At 21 March, a total of 98 businesses held interim authorisation:

	Interim authorisations
AFBD	7
FIMBRA	48
IMRO	7
TSA	34
SIB	2

The number subject to appeal is not available. Of the total, 10 applications to FIMBRA and 22 applicants to TSA are businesses incorporated abroad on which a decision is postponed awaiting entry into satisfactory arrangements with the regulatory authorities in the country of incorporation.