Regulation 3 Designated competent authoritiesI1
England and Wales
The Secretary of State may designate a body which appears to him to fall within paragraph (2) to be a competent authority for the purposes of granting approvals under section 251U of the Act.
A body may be designated by the Secretary of State if—
it makes an application to the Secretary of State to be designated as a competent authority in accordance with the Act and these Regulations;
it provides or ensures—
the provision of debt management or debt counselling services through intermediaries, and
the provision to those intermediaries of education, training and development (including continuing education, training and development) in debt management or debt counselling services, and
it appears to the Secretary of State that it is a fit and proper body to approve individuals to act as intermediaries between a person wishing to make an application for a debt relief order and the official receiver.