What is the main scope of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)?

• A. Prudential regulation of firms that manage significant risk on their balance sheets, including deposit-taking institutions and insurers.
• B. Day-to-day regulation of consumer complaints.
• C. Regulation of market conduct.
• D. Setting monetary policy.

Answer: (A)

The PRA’s remit is prudential regulation of major financial firms. It focuses on ensuring that banks, building societies (deposit-taking institutions), and insurers hold enough capital, manage risk effectively, and maintain sound governance so that their failures can’t threaten the stability of the financial system. This balance-sheet risk focus is what sets its role apart from other regulators. It doesn’t handle consumer complaints or market conduct (that’s the FCA's area), and it doesn’t set monetary policy (that’s the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee).