FINAL NOTICE

To:

Apparel Craft Equipment (ACE) Ltd

ACTION

1.
For the reasons set out in this Final Notice, the Authority hereby takes the
following action against ACE.

2.
The Authority issued to ACE the Decision Notice which notified it that for the
reasons given below and pursuant to section 55J of the Act, the Authority had
decided to cancel ACE’s Part 4A permission.

3.
ACE has not referred the matter to the Tribunal within 28 days of the date on
which the Decision Notice was issued to it.

4.
Accordingly, the Authority has today cancelled ACE’s Part 4A permission.

DEFINITIONS

5.
The definitions below are used in this Final Notice:

“ACE” means Apparel Craft Equipment (ACE) Ltd;

“ACE’s Part 4A permission” means the permission granted by the Authority to ACE
pursuant to Part 4A of the Act;

“the Act” means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;

“the Authority” means the Financial Conduct Authority;

Apparel Craft Equipment (ACE) Ltd

8 January 2018

“the Decision Notice” means the Decision Notice issued to ACE dated 21
November 2017;

“the Overdue Balance” means the amount owed by ACE to the Authority of £545,
comprising: an invoice dated 9 September 2016 for £295 in respect of fees and
levies, which was due for payment by 9 October 2016; and an invoice dated 5
January 2017 for £250, in respect of an administrative fee for non-submission of
the Return, which was due for payment by 4 February 2017;



“the Principles” means the Authority’s Principles for Businesses;

“the Return” means the CCR007 (key data) return for the period ended 30
September 2016, which ACE was due to submit to the Authority by 11 November
2016;

“the suitability Threshold Condition” means the threshold condition stated in
Paragraph 2E of Schedule 6 to the Act;

“SUP” means the Authority’s Supervision Manual, part of the Handbook;

“the Threshold Conditions” means the threshold conditions set out in Schedule 6
to the Act;

“the Tribunal” means the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber); and

“the Warning Notice” means the Warning Notice issued to ACE dated 19 October
2017.

REASONS FOR ACTION

6.
On the basis of the facts and matters and conclusions described in the Warning
Notice and in the Decision Notice, it appears to the Authority that ACE is failing to
satisfy the suitability Threshold Condition, in that the Authority is not satisfied
that ACE is a fit and proper person having regard to all the circumstances,
including whether ACE managed its business in such a way as to ensure that its
affairs were conducted in a sound and prudent manner.

7.
This is because ACE has failed to comply with the regulatory requirements to
submit the Return and pay the Overdue Balance. ACE has not been open and co-
operative in all its dealings with the Authority, in that it has failed to respond
adequately to the Authority's repeated requests for it to submit the Return and
pay the Overdue Balance, and has thereby failed to comply with Principle 11 of
the Authority's Principles for Businesses and to satisfy the Authority that it is
ready, willing and organised to comply with the requirements and standards
under the regulatory system.

8.
These failures, which are significant in the context of ACE’s suitability, lead the
Authority to conclude that ACE has failed to manage its business in such a way as
to ensure that its affairs are conducted in a sound and prudent manner, that it is
not a fit and proper person, and that it is therefore failing to satisfy the Threshold
Conditions in relation to the regulated activities for which ACE has had a
permission.

Apparel Craft Equipment (ACE) Ltd

8 January 2018

DECISION MAKER

9.
The decision which gave rise to the obligation to give this Final Notice was made
by the Regulatory Decisions Committee.

IMPORTANT

10.
This Final Notice is given to ACE in accordance with section 390(1) of the Act.

11.
The Authority must publish such information about the matter to which this Final
Notice relates as the Authority considers appropriate. The information may be
published in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate. However, the
Authority may not publish information if such publication would, in the opinion of
the Authority, be unfair to ACE or prejudicial to the interest of consumers.

12.
The Authority intends to publish such information about the matter to which this
Final Notice relates as it considers appropriate.

13.
For more information concerning this matter generally, please contact Shahida
Choudhury at the Authority (direct line: 020 7066 9546).

Enforcement and Market Oversight Division