DC-M01: Number of data requests and time given to firms to respond with breakdown
Description
Number of data requests and time given to firms to respond with breakdown (Mean and 95th percentile in days)
(RegData is our data collection platform for gathering regulatory data from firms, firms use the system to provide us with data that we collect at regular intervals to support our supervisory work, from balance sheets to information on whether firms hold client money.)
2024/25 Values
| Type of request (Ad-hoc and RegData) | No. of templates | Mean time given to respond (days) | 95th percentile time given to respond (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off and other | 109 | 40 | 95 |
| Weekly | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monthly | 30 | 19 | 22 |
| Quarterly | 89 | 32 | 43 |
| Half-yearly | 46 | 42 | 46 |
| Annual | 56 | 69 | 120 |
| Total | 330 | 46 | 90 |
| Firm type | Number of firms | Total number of data requests | Average number of requests per firm | Average number of days to respond | 95th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | 263 | 14,679 | 58 | 41 | 115 |
| Flexible | 38,234 | 586,407 | 15 | 46 | 90 |
| Other | 2,249 | 7,543 | 3 | 36 | 90 |
| Total | 40,746 | 608,629 |
Source: FCA Data
2023/24 Values
| Type of request (Ad-hoc and RegData) | No. of templates | Mean time given to respond (days) | 95th percentile time given to respond (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off and other | 82 | 42 | 67 |
| Weekly | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Monthly | 33 | 20 | 36 |
| Quarterly | 81 | 35 | 44 |
| Half-yearly | 46 | 43 | 47 |
| Annual | 60 | 70 | 121 |
| Total | 303 | 49 | 93 |
| Firm type | Number of firms | Total number of data requests | Average number of requests per firm | Average number of days to respond | 95th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | 299 | 15,343 | 51 | 42 | 102 |
| Flexible | 40,031 | 554,911 | 14 | 49 | 93 |
| Other | 3,776 | 13,447 | 4 | 34 | 60 |
Source: FCA data
The tables above show data collected using RegData[1] (our platform for gathering regulatory data from firms) and, ad-hoc data and information requests.
- RegData returns are based on requirements from our rulebook and use standard templates that firms are expected to fill in and return to us at a set frequency throughout the year.
- Ad-hoc requests are usually one-off voluntary requests, or requests made using our information gathering powers, sent to a sample of firms to enable us to quickly monitor emerging issues and risks, or where our need for the data is time limited.
For simplicity, in the first table, RegData returns and Ad-hoc surveys are both referred to as templates in this metric. For example, FIN074[2], a RegData report for firms liable to pay the Economic Crime Levy, would be counted as one template in the ‘annual’ row of the first table. An ad-hoc request asking a sample of consumer finance firms to provide detail on the number of customers impacted by an emerging issue would be counted as one template in the ‘one-off and other’ row.
While most ad-hoc requests are one-off, some are repeat requests sent to firms, so not all ad-hoc requests are categorised as one-off templates. And the same template might be sent at different frequencies to different firms - for example a template that firms are usually expected to return quarterly might be requested on a 6-month basis from smaller firms. The same template would then be included in both the quarterly and half-yearly rows. As a result, the total templates figure is not an exact count of the different types of templates we have used in the reporting period.
The second table shows the volume of data requests sent out in the period. Most of our data requests are made using RegData, following a consistent schedule that is predictable for both firms and supervisors. Ad hoc requests make up less than 3% of all requests by volume.
The ‘number of fixed firms’ figure was calculated using firm reference numbers (FRNs). If a fixed firm holds multiple FRNs, then it will be counted multiple times in this figure. For example, a large firm made up of multiple authorised legal entities holding different regulatory permissions will have different reporting requirements for each relevant legal entity. ‘Other’ firms include registered firms such as exchanges and payments/e-money firms as well as firms whose status has changed since submitting their data.
The tables above do not include Product Sales Data (PSD) submissions as firms can make multiple PSD submissions throughout a reporting period, making mean response times less representative. Around 1,300 firms report transaction-level data of their sales of products including mortgages and retail investments. We will start collecting PSD on consumer credit lending, with 305 larger firms beginning to report in Q3 2025 and 185 smaller firms in 2026.
The tables include data requests that FCA collects along with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), including 12,000 submissions which FCA collected on behalf of the PRA, which the PRA will report on separately. For consistency, we have included these submissions in the figures for this year and last year.
In completing our analysis of these metrics, we identified a data quality issue with last year’s figures, which resulted in understating the total number of submissions by 8%. This was due to repeat ad hoc requests only being counted once. This meant that while the number of templates in the first table is accurate, the true figure for the total number of requests in the second table in last year’s metric is in fact 631,883. Our analysis of what the metrics tell us is based on the corrected figures.