Companies Act 1985
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Any two or more persons associated for a lawful purpose may, by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association and otherwise complying with the requirements of this Act in respect of registration, form an incorporated company, with or without limited liability.
A company so formed may be either—
a company having the liability of its members limited by the memorandum to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by them ("a company limited by shares ");
a company having the liability of its members limited by the memorandum to such amount as the members may respectively thereby undertake to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up (" a company limited by guarantee "); or
a company not having any limit on the liability of its members (" an unlimited company ").
A " public company " is a company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital, being a company— and a " private company " is a company that is not a public company.
the memorandum of which states that it is to be a public company, and
in relation to which the provisions of this Act or the former Companies Acts as to the registration or re-registration of a company as a public company have been complied with on or after 22nd December 1980;
With effect from 22nd December 1980, a company cannot be formed as, or become, a company limited by guarantee with a share capital.
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The memorandum of every company must state—
the name of the company ;
whether the registered office of the company is to be situated in England and Wales, or in Scotland ;
the objects of the company.
Alternatively to subsection (1)(b), the memorandum may contain a statement that the company's registered office is to be situated in Wales; and a company whose registered office is situated in Wales may by special resolution alter its memorandum so as to provide that its registered office is to be so situated.
The memorandum of a company limited by shares or by guarantee must also state that the liability of its members is limited.
The memorandum of a company limited by guarantee must also state that each member undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company if it should be wound up while he is a member, or within one year after he ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the company contracted before he ceases to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves, such amount as may be required, not exceeding a specified amount.
In the case of a company having a share capital—
the memorandum must also (unless it is an unlimited company) state the amount of the share capital with which the company proposes to be registered and the division of the share capital into shares of a fixed amount;
no subscriber of the memorandum may take less than one share; and
there must be shown in the memorandum against the name of each subscriber the number of shares he takes.
The memorandum must be signed by each subscriber in the presence of at least one witness, who must attest the signature ; and that attestation is sufficient in Scotland as well as in England and Wales.
A company may not alter the conditions contained in its memorandum except in the cases, in the mode and to the extent, for which express provision is made by this Act.
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Subject to the provisions of sections 1 and 2, the form of the memorandum of association of— shall be as specified respectively for such companies by regulations made by the Secretary of State, or as near to that form as circumstances admit.
a public company, being a company limited by shares,
a public company, being a company limited by guarantee and having a share capital,
a private company limited by shares,
a private company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital,
a private company limited by guarantee and having a share capital, and
an unlimited company having a share capital,
Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
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to carry on its business more economically or more efficiently ; or
to attain its main purpose by new or improved means; or
to enlarge or change the local area of its operations; or
to carry on some business which under existing circumstances may conveniently or advantageously be combined with the business of the company ; or
to restrict or abandon any of the objects specified in the memorandum; or
to sell or dispose of the whole or any part of the undertaking of the company ; or
to amalgamate with any other company or body of persons;
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Where a company's memorandum has been altered by special resolution under section 4, application may be made to the court for the alteration to be cancelled.
Such an application may be made— but an application shall not be made by any person who has consented to or voted in favour of the alteration.
by the holders of not less in the aggregate than 15 per cent, in nominal value of the company's issued share capital or any class of it or, if the company is not limited by shares, not less than 15 per cent, of the company's members; or
by the holders of not less than 15 per cent, of the company's debentures entitling the holders to object to an alteration of its objects ;
The application must be made within 21 days after the date on which the resolution altering the company's objects was passed, and may be made on behalf of the persons entitled to make the application by such one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose.
The court may on such an application make an order confirming the alteration either wholly or in part and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, and may—
if it thinks fit, adjourn the proceedings in order that an arrangement may be made to its satisfaction for the purchase of the interests of dissentient members, and
give such directions and make such orders as it thinks expedient for facilitating or carrying into effect any such arrangement.
The court's order may (if the court thinks fit) provide for the purchase by the company of the shares of any members of the company, and for the reduction accordingly of its capital, and may make such alterations in the company's memorandum and articles as may be required in consequence of that provision.
If the court's order requires the company not to make any, or any specified, alteration in its memorandum or articles, the company does not then have power without the leave of the court to make any such alteration in breach of that requirement.
An alteration in the memorandum or articles of a company made by virtue of an order under this section, other than one made by resolution of the company, is of the same effect as if duly made by resolution; and this Act applies accordingly to the memorandum or articles as so altered.
The debentures entitling the holders to object to an alteration of a company's objects are any debentures secured by a floating charge which were issued or first issued before 1st December 1947 or form part of the same series as any debentures so issued; and a special resolution altering a company's objects requires the same notice to the holders of any such debentures as to members of the company. In the absence of provisions regulating the giving of notice to any such debenture holders, the provisions of the company's articles regulating the giving of notice to members apply.
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Where a company passes a resolution altering its objects, then—
if with respect to the resolution no application is made under section 5, the company shall within 15 days from the end of the period for making such an application deliver to the registrar of companies a printed copy of its memorandum as altered ; and
if such an application is made, the company shall—
forthwith give notice (in the prescribed form) of that fact to the registrar, and
within 15 days from the date of any order cancelling or confirming the alteration, deliver to the registrar an office copy of the order and, in the case of an order confirming the alteration, a printed copy of the memorandum as altered.
The court may by order at any time extend the time for the delivery of documents to the registrar under subsection (1)(b) for such period as the court may think proper.
If a company makes default in giving notice or delivering any document to the registrar of companies as required by subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The validity of an alteration of a company's memorandum with respect to the objects of the company shall not be questioned on the ground that it was not authorised by section 4, except in proceedings taken for the purpose (whether under section 5 or otherwise) before the expiration of 21 days after the date of the resolution in that behalf.
Where such proceedings are taken otherwise than under section 5, subsections (1) to (3) above apply in relation to the proceedings as if they had been taken under that section, and as if an order declaring the alteration invalid were an order cancelling it, and as if an order dismissing the proceedings were an order confirming the alteration.
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There may in the case of a company limited by shares, and there shall in the case of a company limited by guarantee or unlimited, be registered with the memorandum articles of association signed by the subscribers to the memorandum and prescribing regulations for the company.
In the case of an unlimited company having a share capital, the articles must state the amount of share capital with which the company proposes to be registered.
Articles must—
be printed,
be divided into paragraphs numbered consecutively, and
be signed by each subscriber of the memorandum in the presence of at least one witness who must attest the signature (which attestation is sufficient in Scotland as well as in England and Wales).
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Table A is as prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State ; and a company may for its articles adopt the whole or any part of that Table.
In the case of a company limited by shares, if articles are not registered or, if articles are registered, in so far as they do not exclude or modify Table A, that Table (so far as applicable, and as in force at the date of the company's registration) constitutes the company's articles, in the same manner and to the same extent as if articles in the form of that Table had been duly registered.
If in consequence of regulations under this section Table A is altered, the alteration does not affect a company registered before the alteration takes effect, or repeal as respects that company any portion of the Table.
The form of the articles of association of— shall be respectively in accordance with Table C, D or E prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State, or as near to that form as circumstances admit.
a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital,
a company limited by guarantee and having a share capital, and
an unlimited company having a share capital,
Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
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Subject to the provisions of this Act and to the conditions contained in its memorandum, a company may by special resolution alter its articles.
Alterations so made in the articles are (subject to this Act) as valid as if originally contained in them, and are subject in like manner to alteration by special resolution.
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The company's memorandum and articles (if any) shall be delivered—
to the registrar of companies for England and Wales, if the memorandum states that the registered office of the company is to be situated in England and Wales, or that it is to be situated in Wales ; and
to the registrar of companies for Scotland, if the memorandum states that the registered office of the company is to be situated in Scotland.
With the memorandum there shall be delivered a statement in the prescribed form containing the names and requisite particulars of— and the requisite particulars in each case are those set out in Schedule 1.
the person who is, or the persons who are, to be the first director or directors of the company; and
the person who is, or the persons who are, to be the first secretary or joint secretaries of the company;
The statement shall be signed by or on behalf of the subscribers of the memorandum and shall contain a consent signed by each of the persons named in it as a director, as secretary or as one of joint secretaries, to act in the relevant capacity.
Where a memorandum is delivered by a person as agent for the subscribers, the statement shall specify that fact and the person's name and address.
An appointment by any articles delivered with the memorandum of a person as director or secretary of the company is void unless he is named as a director or secretary in the statement.
There shall in the statement be specified the intended situation of the company's registered office on incorporation.
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The registrar of companies shall not register a company's memorandum delivered under section 10 unless he is satisfied that all the requirements of this Act in respect of registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with.
Subject to this, the registrar shall retain and register the memorandum and articles (if any) delivered to him under that section.
A statutory declaration in the prescribed form by— that those requirements have been complied with shall be delivered to the registrar of companies, and the registrar may accept such a declaration as sufficient evidence of compliance.
a solicitor engaged in the formation of a company, or
a person named as a director or secretary of the company in the statement delivered under section 10(2),
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On the registration of a company's memorandum, the registrar of companies shall give a certificate that the company is incorporated and, in the case of a limited company, that it is limited.
The certificate may be signed by the registrar, or authenticated by his official seal.
From the date of incorporation mentioned in the certificate, the subscribers of the memorandum, together with such other persons as may from time to time become members of the company, shall be a body corporate by the name contained in the memorandum.
That body corporate is then capable forthwith of exercising all the functions of an incorporated company, but with such liability on the part of its members to contribute to its assets in the event of its being wound up as is provided by this Act. This is subject, in the case of a public company, to section 117 (additional certificate as to amount of allotted share capital).
The persons named in the statement under section 10 as directors, secretary or joint secretaries are, on the company's incorporation, deemed to have been respectively appointed as its first directors, secretary or joint secretaries.
Where the registrar registers an association's memorandum which states that the association is to be a public company, the certificate of incorporation shall contain a statement that the company is a public company.
A certificate of incorporation given in respect of an association is conclusive evidence—
that the requirements of this Act in respect of registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with, and that the association is a company authorised to be registered, and is duly registered, under this Act, and
if the certificate contains a statement that the company is a public company, that the company is such a company.
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Subject to the provisions of this Act, the memorandum and articles, when registered, bind the company and its members to the same extent as if they respectively had been signed and sealed by each member, and contained covenants on the part of each member to observe all the provisions of the memorandum and of the articles.
Money payable by a member to the company under the memorandum or articles is a debt due from him to the company, and in England and Wales is of the nature of a specialty debt.
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In the case of a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital, every provision in the memorandum or articles, or in any resolution of the company purporting to give any person a right to participate in the divisible profits of the company otherwise than as a member, is void.
For purposes of provisions of this Act relating to the memorandum of a company limited by guarantee, and for those of section 1(4) and this section, every provision in the memorandum or articles, or in any resolution, of a company so limited purporting to divide the company's undertaking into shares or interests is to be treated as a provision for a share capital, notwithstanding that the nominal amount or number of the shares or interests is not specified by the provision.
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A member of a company is not bound by an alteration made in the memorandum or articles after the date on which he became a member, if and so far as the alteration—
requires him to take or subscribe for more shares than the number held by him at the date on which the alteration is made; or
in any way increases his liability as at that date to contribute to the company's share capital or otherwise to pay money to the company.
Subsection (1) operates notwithstanding anything in the memorandum or articles; but it does not apply in a case where the member agrees in writing, either before or after the alteration is made, to be bound by the alteration.
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A condition contained in a company's memorandum which could lawfully have been contained in articles of association instead of in the memorandum may be altered by the company by special resolution ; but if an application is made to the court for the alteration to be cancelled, the alteration does not have effect except in so far as it is confirmed by the court.
This section—
is subject to section 16, and also to Part XVII (court order protecting minority), and
does not apply where the memorandum itself provides for or prohibits the alteration of all or any of the conditions above referred to, and does not authorise any variation or abrogation of the special rights of any class of members.
Section 5 (except subsections (2)(b) and (8)) and section 6(1) to (3) apply in relation to any alteration and to any application made under this section as they apply in relation to alterations and applications under sections 4 to 6.
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Where an alteration is made in a company's memorandum or articles by any statutory provision, whether contained in an Act of Parliament or in an instrument made under an Act, a printed copy of the Act or instrument shall, not later than 15 days after that provision comes into force, be forwarded to the registrar of companies and recorded by him.
Where a company is required (by this section or otherwise) to send to the registrar any document making or evidencing an alteration in the company's memorandum or articles (other than a special resolution under section 4), the company shall send with it a printed copy of the memorandum or articles as altered.
If a company fails to comply with this section, the company and any officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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A company shall, on being so required by any member, send to him a copy of the memorandum and of the articles (if any), and a copy of any Act of Parliament which alters the memorandum, subject to payment—
in the case of a copy of the memorandum and of the articles, of 5 pence or such less sum as the company may prescribe, and
in the case of a copy of an Act, of such sum not exceeding its published price as the company may require.
If a company makes default in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable for each offence to a fine.
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Where an alteration is made in a company's memorandum, every copy of the memorandum issued after the date of the alteration shall be in accordance with the alteration.
If, where any such alteration has been made, the company at any time after the date of the alteration issues any copies of the memorandum which are not in accordance with the alteration, it is liable to a fine, and so too is every officer of the company who is in default.
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Where a company is to be registered with a memorandum stating that its registered office is to be situated in Wales, the memorandum and articles to be delivered for registration under section 10 may be in Welsh; but, if they are, they shall be accompanied by a certified translation into English.
Where a company whose registered office is situated in Wales has altered its memorandum as allowed by section 2(2), it may deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a certified translation into Welsh of its memorandum and articles.
A company whose memorandum states that its registered office is to be situated in Wales may comply with any provision of this Act requiring it to deliver any document to the registrar of companies by delivering to him that document in Welsh (or, if it consists of a prescribed form, completed in Welsh), together with a certified translation into English. But any document making or evidencing an alteration in the company's memorandum or articles, and any copy of a company's memorandum or articles as altered, shall be in the same language as the memorandum and articles originally registered and, if that language is Welsh, shall be accompanied by a certified translation into English.
Where a company has under subsection (2) delivered a translation into Welsh of its memorandum and articles, it may, when delivering to the registrar of companies a document making or evidencing an alteration in the memorandum or articles or a copy of the memorandum or articles as altered, deliver with it a certified translation into Welsh.
In this section " certified translation " means a translation certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation ; and a reference to delivering a document includes sending, forwarding, producing or (in the case of a notice) giving it.
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The subscribers of a company's memorandum are deemed to have agreed to become members of the company, and on its registration shall be entered as such in its register of members.
Every other person who agrees to become a member of a company, and whose name is entered in its register of members, is a member of the company.
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Except in the cases mentioned below in this section, a body corporate cannot be a member of a company which is its holding company ; and any allotment or transfer of shares in a company to its subsidiary is void.
This does not prevent a subsidiary which was, on 1st July 1948, a member of its holding company, from continuing to be a member; but (subject to subsection (4)) the subsidiary has no right to vote at meetings of the holding company or any class of its members.
Subject as follows, subsections (1) and (2) apply in relation to a nominee for a body corporate which is a subsidiary, as if references to such a body corporate included a nominee for it.
Nothing in this section applies where the subsidiary is concerned as personal representative, or where it is concerned as trustee, unless the holding company or a subsidiary of it is beneficially interested under the trust and is not so interested only by way of security for the purposes of a transaction entered into by it in the ordinary course of a business which includes the lending of money. Schedule 2 has effect for the interpretation of the reference in this subsection to a company or its subsidiary being beneficially interested.
In relation to a company limited by guarantee or unlimited which is a holding company, the reference in subsection (1) to shares (whether or not the company has a share capital) includes the interest of its members as such, whatever the form of that interest
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is a member of the company, and
knows that it is carrying on business with only one member,
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The name of a public company must end with the words " public limited company " or, if the memorandum states that the company's registered office is to be situated in Wales, those words or their equivalent in Welsh ("cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus "); and those words or that equivalent may not be preceded by the word " limited " or its equivalent in Welsh (" cyfyngedig ").
In the case of a company limited by shares or by guarantee (not being a public company), the name must have " limited " as its last word, except that—
this is subject to section 30 (exempting, in certain circumstances, a company from the requirement to have " limited " as part of the name), and
if the company is to be registered with a memorandum stating that its registered office is to be situated in Wales, the name may have " cyfyngedig " as its last word.
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A company shall not be registered under this Act by a name—
which includes, otherwise than at the end of the name, any of the following words or expressions, that is to say, " limited ", " unlimited " or " public limited company " or their Welsh equivalents (" cyfyngedig ". " anghyfyngedig " and " cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus" respectively) ;
which includes, otherwise than at the end of the name, an abbreviation of any of those words or expressions;
which is the same as a name appearing in the registrar's index of company names;
the use of which by the company would in the opinion of the Secretary of State constitute a criminal offence; or
which in the opinion of the Secretary of State is offensive.
Except with the approval of the Secretary of State, a company shall not be registered under this Act by a name which— " Local authority " means any local authority within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1972 or the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the Common Council of the City of London or the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
in the opinion of the Secretary of State would be likely to give the impression that the company is connected in any way with Her Majesty's Government or with any local authority; or
includes any word or expression for the time being specified in regulations under section 29.
In determining for purposes of subsection (1)(c) whether one name is the same as another, there are to be disregarded— and " and " and " & " are to be taken as the same.
the definite article, where it is the first word of the name;
the following words and expressions where they appear at the end of the name, that is to say—
" company " or its Welsh equivalent (" cwmni "), " and company" or its Welsh equivalent (" a'r cwmni"),
18. Extraordinary charges
Where the amount repayable on any debt owed by a company is greater than the value of the consideration received in the transaction giving rise to the debt, the amount of the difference may be treated as an asset. Where any such amount is so treated— Assets included at a fixed amount
" limited " or its Welsh equivalent (" cyfyngedig "), " unlimited " or its Welsh equivalent (" anghyfyngedig "), and
—Subject as provided below, the statement under section 10(2) shall contain the following particulars with respect to each person named as director—
in the case of an individual, his present name, any former name, his usual residential address, his nationality, his business occupation (if any), particulars of any other directorships held by him, or which have been held by him and his date of birth;
in the case of a corporation or Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office.
It is not necessary for the statement to contain particulars of a directorship— For these purposes, “company” includes any body corporate incorporated in Great Britain; and—
The statement shall contain the following particulars with respect to the person named as secretary or, where there are to be joint secretaries, with respect to each person named as one of them— However, if all the partners in a firm are joint secretaries, the name and principal office of the firm may be stated instead of the particulars otherwise required by this paragraph.
In paragraphs 1(a) and 3(1)(a) above—
“name” means a person’s Christian name (or other forename) and surname, except that in the case of a peer, or an individual usually known by a title, the title may be stated instead of his Christian name (or other forename) and surname or in addition to either or both of them; and
the reference to a former name does not include—
in the case of a peer, or an individual normally known by a British title, the name by which he was known previous to the adoption of or succession to the title, or
in the case of any person, a former name which was changed or disused before he attained the age of 18 years or which has been changed or disused for 20 years or more, or
in the case of a married woman, the name by which she was known previous to the marriage.
the reference to a former Christian name or surname does not include—
in the case of a peer or a person usually known by a British tide different from his surname, the name by which he was known previous to the adoption of or succession to the tide, or
in the case of any person, a former Christian name or surname where that name or surname was changed or disused before the person bearing the name attained the age of 18 or has been changed or disused for a period of not less than 20 years, or
in the case of a married woman, the name or surname by which she was known previous to the marriage.
Where a confidentiality order made under section 723B is in force in respect of any individual named as a director or secretary, paragraphs 1(a) and 3(1)(a) have effect as if the references to the usual residential address of the individual were references to the address for the time being notified by him under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F to any companies or oversea companies of which he is a director, secretary or permanent representative, or, if he is not such a director, secretary or permanent representative either the address specified in his application for a confidentiality order under regulations made under section 723B or the address last notified by him under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F as the case may be.
Where shares in a company are held on trust for the purposes of a pension scheme or an employees’ share scheme, there is to be disregarded any residual interest which has not vested in possession, being an interest of the company or, as this paragraph applies for the purposes of section 23(2), . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of any subsidiary of the company. In this paragraph, “a residual interest” means a right of the company or subsidiary in question (“the residual beneficiary”) to receive any of the trust property in the event of— In sub-paragraph (2), references to a right include a right dependent on the exercise of a discretion vested by the scheme in the trustee or any other person; and references to liabilities arising under a scheme include liabilities that have resulted or may result from the exercise of any such discretion. For purposes of this paragraph, a residual interest vests in possession— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The following has effect as regards the operation of sections . . . 144, 145 and 146 to 149 in cases where a residual interest vests in possession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where by virtue of paragraph 1 of this Schedule any shares are exempt from section 144 or 145 at the time when they are issued or acquired but the residual interest in question vests in possession before they are disposed of or fully paid up, those sections apply to the shares as if they had been issued or acquired on the date on which that interest vests in possession. Where by virtue of paragraph 1 any shares are exempt from sections 146 to 149 at the time when they are acquired but the residual interest in question vests in possession before they are disposed of, those sections apply to the shares as if they had been acquired on the date on which that interest vests in possession. The above sub-paragraphs apply irrespective of the date on which the residual interest vests or vested in possession; but where the date on which it vested was before 26th July 1983 (the passing of the Companies (Beneficial Interests) Act 1983), they have effect as if the vesting had occurred on that date.
Where shares in a company are held on trust, there are to be disregarded— The rights referred to are— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where shares in an undertaking are held on trust for the purposes of a pension scheme or an employees’ share scheme, there shall be disregarded any residual interest which has not vested in possession, being an interest of the undertaking or any of its subsidiary undertakings. In this paragraph a “residual interest” means a right of the undertaking in question (the “residual beneficiary”) to receive any of the trust property in the event of— In sub-paragraph (2) references to a right include a right dependent on the exercise of a discretion vested by the scheme in the trustee or any other person; and references to liabilities arising under a scheme include liabilities that have resulted or may result from the exercise of any such discretion. For the purposes of this paragraph a residual interest vests in possession— in a case within sub-paragraph (2)(b) or (c), when the residual beneficiary becomes entitled to require the trustee to transfer to that beneficiary any of the property receivable pursuant to that right.
Where shares in an undertaking are held on trust, there shall be disregarded— being rights of the undertaking or any of its subsidiary undertakings. The rights referred to are—
Where an undertaking is a trustee, there shall be disregarded any rights which the undertaking has in its capacity as trustee including, in particular, any right to recover its expenses or be remunerated out of the trust property and any right to be idemnified out of that property for any liability incurred by reason of any act or omission of the undertaking in the performance of its duties as trustee.
The following applies for the interpretation of this Part of this Schedule. “Undertaking”, and “shares” in relation to an undertaking, have the same meaning as in Part VII. This Part of this Schedule applies in relation to debentures as it applies in relation to shares. “Pension scheme” means any scheme for the provision of benefits consisting of or including relevant benefits for or in respect of employees or former employees; and “relevant benefits” means any pension, lump sum, gratuity or other like benefit given or to be given on retirement or on death or in anticipation of retirement or, in connection with past service, after retirement or death. In sub-paragraph (4) of this paragraph and in paragraph 7(2) “employee” and “employer” shall be read as if a director of an undertaking were employed by it.
Where a company is a trustee . . . , there are to be disregarded any rights which the company has in its capacity as trustee including, in particular, any right to recover its expenses or be remunerated out of the trust property and any right to be indemnified out of that property for any liability incurred by reason of any act or omission of the company in the performance of its duties as trustee. As this paragraph applies for the purposes of section 23(2) . . . , sub-paragraph (1) has effect as if references to a company included any body corporate which is a subsidiary of a company. As respects sections 145, 146 and 148, sub-paragraph (1) above applies where a company is a personal representative as it applies where a company is a trustee.
The following applies for the interpretation of this Part of this Schedule. “Pension scheme” means any scheme for the provision of benefits consisting of or including relevant benefits for or in respect of employees or former employees; and “relevant benefits” means any pension, lump sum, gratuity or other like benefit given or to be given on retirement or on death or in anticipation of retirement or, in connection with past service, after retirement or death. In sub-paragraph (2) of this paragraph, and in paragraph 3(2)(a), “employer” and “employee” are to be read as if a director of a company were employed by it.
Section 56, et passim in Part III.
The prospectus must state— As this paragraph applies for the purposes of section 72(3), sub-paragraph (1)(b) is to be read with the substitution for the reference to the company’s articles of a reference to its constitution. Sub-paragraphs (1)(b) and (1)(c) do not apply in the case of a prospectus issued more than 2 years after the date at which the company is entitled to commence business.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the minimum amount which, in the opinion of the directors, must be raised by the issue of those shares in order to provide the sums (or, if any part of them is to be defrayed in any other manner, the balance of the sums) required to be provided in respect of each of the following—
the purchase price of any property purchased or to be purchased which is to be defrayed in whole or in part out of the proceeds of the issue,
any preliminary expenses payable by the company, and any commission so payable to any person in consideration of his agreeing to subscribe for, or of his procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions for, any shares in the company,
the repayment of any money borrowed by the company in respect of any of the foregoing matters,
working capital, and
the amounts to be provided in respect of the matters above mentioned otherwise than out of the proceeds of the issue and the sources out of which those amounts are to be provided.
The prospectus must state— In the case of a second or subsequent offer of shares, there must also be stated the amount offered for subscription on each previous allotment made within the 2 preceding years, the amount actually allotted and the amount (if any) paid on the shares so allotted, including the amount (if any) paid by way of premium.
There must be stated the number, description and amount of any shares in or debentures of the company which any person has, or is entitled to be given, an option to subscribe for. The following particulars of the option must be given— References in this paragraph to subscribing for shares or debentures include acquiring them from a person to whom they have been allotted or agreed to be allotted with a view to his offering them for sale.
The prospectus must state the number and amount of shares and debentures which within the 2 preceding years have been issued, or agreed to be issued, as fully or partly paid up otherwise than in cash; and—
in the latter case the extent to which they are so paid up, and
in either case the consideration for which those shares or debentures have been issued or are proposed or intended to be issued.
For purposes of the following two paragraphs, “relevant property” is property purchased or acquired by the company, or proposed so to be purchased or acquired, But those two paragraphs do not apply to property—
As respects any relevant property, the prospectus must state—
the names and addresses of the vendors,
the amount payable in cash, shares or debentures to the vendor and, where there is more than one separate vendor, or the company is a sub-purchaser, the amount so payable to each vendor,
short particulars of any transaction relating to the property completed within the 2 preceding years in which any vendor of the property to the company or any person who is, or was at the time of the transaction, a promoter or a director or proposed director of the company had any interest direct or indirect.
There must be stated the amount (if any) paid or payable as purchase money in cash, shares or debentures for any relevant property, specifying the amount (if any) payable for goodwill.
The following applies for the interpretation of paragraphs 6, 7 and 8. Every person is deemed a vendor who has entered into any contract (absolute or conditional) for the sale or purchase, or for any option of purchase, of any property to be acquired by the company, in any case where— Where any property to be acquired by the company is to be taken on lease, paragraphs 6, 7 and 8 apply as if “vendor” included the lessor, “purchase money” included the consideration for the lease, and “sub-purchaser” included a sub-lessee. For purposes of paragraph 7, where the vendors or any of them are a firm, the members of the firm are not to be treated as separate vendors.
The prospectus must state— Sub-paragraph (1)(b) above, so far as it relates to preliminary expenses, does not apply in the case of a prospectus issued more than 2 years after the date at which the company is entitled to commence business.
The prospectus must give the dates of, parties to and general nature of every material contract. This does not apply to a contract entered into in the ordinary course of the business carried on or intended to be carried on by the company, or a contract entered into more than 2 years before the date of issue of the prospectus.
The prospectus must state the names and addresses of the company’s auditors (if any).
The prospectus must give full particulars of— With the particulars under sub-paragraph (1)(b) must be provided a statement of all sums paid or agreed to be paid to the director or the firm in cash or shares or otherwise by any person either to induce him to become, or to qualify him as, a director, or otherwise for services rendered by him or the firm in connection with the promotion or formation of the company. This paragraph does not apply in the case of a prospectus issued more than 2 years after the date at which the company is entitled to commence business.
If the prospectus invites the public to subscribe for shares in the company and the company’s share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the prospectus must state the right of voting at meetings of the company conferred by, and the rights in respect of capital and dividends attached to, the several classes of shares respectively.
In the case of a company which has been carrying on business, or of a business which has been carried on for less than 3 years, the prospectus must state the length of time during which the business of the company (or the business to be aquired, as the case may be) has been carried on.
The prospectus shall set out a report by the company’s auditors with respect to— If no accounts have been made up in respect of any part of the 5 years ending on a date 3 months before the issue of the prospectus, the report shall contain a statement of that fact. If the company has no subsidiary undertakings, the report shall— If the company has subsidiary undertakings, the report shall—
If the proceeds of the issue of the shares or debentures are to be applied directly or indirectly in the purchase of any business, or any part of the proceeds of the issue is to be so applied, there shall be set out in the prospectus a report made by accountants upon—
the profits or losses of the business in respect of each of the 5 financial years immediately preceding the issue of the prospectus, and
the assets and liabilities of the business at the last date to which the accounts of the business were made up.
The following provisions apply if— There shall be set out in the prospectus a report made by accountants upon— The report shall— In this paragraph “undertaking” and “shares”, in relation to an undertaking, have the same meaning as in Part VII.
If in the case of a company which has been carrying on business, or of a business which has been carried on for less than 5 years, the accounts of the company or business have only been made up in respect of 4 years, 3 years, 2 years or one year, the preceding paragraphs of this Part have effect as if references to 4 years, 3 years, 2 years or one year (as the case may be) were substituted for references to 5 years.
The expression “financial year” in this Part means the year in respect of which the accounts of the company or of the business (as the case may be) are made up; and where by reason of any alteration of the date on which the financial year of the company or business terminates the accounts have been made up for a period greater or less than one year, that greater or less period is for purposes of this Part deemed to be a financial year.
Any report required by this Part shall either indicate by way of note any adjustments as respects the figures of any profits or losses or assets and liabilities dealt with by the report which appear to the persons making the report necessary, or shall make those adjustments and indicate that adjustments have been made.
A report required by paragraph 17 or 18 shall be made by accountants qualified under this Act for appointment as auditors of a company. Such a report shall not be made by an accountant who is an officer or servant, or a partner of or in the employment of an officer or servant, of— The accountants making any report required for purposes of paragraph 17 or 18 shall be named in the prospectus.
Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule— in either case in the order and under the headings and sub-headings given in the format adopted. Sub-paragraph (1) above is not to be read as requiring the heading or sub-heading for any item to be distinguished by any letter or number assigned to that item in the format adopted.
Where in accordance with paragraph 1 a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account for any financial year has been prepared by reference to one of the formats set out in section B below, the directors of the company shall adopt the same format in preparing the accounts for subsequent financial years of the company unless in their opinion there are special reasons for a change. Particulars of any change in the format adopted in preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be disclosed, and the reasons for the change shall be explained, in a note to the accounts in which the new format is first adopted.
Any item required in accordance with paragraph 1 to be shown in a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may be shown in greater detail than required by the format adopted. A company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may include an item representing or covering the amount of any asset or liability, income or expenditure not otherwise covered by any of the items listed in the format adopted, but the following shall not be treated as assets in any company’s balance sheet— In preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account the directors of the company shall adapt the arrangement and headings and sub-headings otherwise required by paragraph 1 in respect of items to which an Arabic number is assigned in the format adopted, in any case where the special nature of the company’s business requires such adaptation. Items to which Arabic numbers are assigned in any of the formats set out in section B below may be combined in a company’s accounts for any financial year if either— but in a case within paragraph (b) the individual amounts of any items so combined shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Subject to paragraph 4(3) below, a heading or sub-heading corresponding to an item listed in the format adopted in preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account shall not be included if there is no amount to be shown for that item in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates. Every profit and loss account of a company shall show the amount of the company’s profit or loss on ordinary activities before taxation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In respect of every item shown in a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates shall also be shown. Where that corresponding amount is not comparable with the amount to be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, the former amount may be adjusted and particulars of the non-comparability and of any adjustment shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Paragraph 3(5) does not apply in any case where an amount can be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, and that amount shall be shown under the heading or sub-heading required by paragraph 1 for that item.
Amounts in respect of items representing assets or income may not be set off against amounts in respect of items representing liabilities or expenditure (as the case may be), or vice versa.
The directors of a company must, in determining how amounts are presented within items in the profit and loss account and balance sheet, have regard to the substance of the reported transaction or arrangement, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice
References in this Part of this Schedule to the items listed in any of the formats set out below are to those items read together with any of the notes following the formats which apply to any of those items, and the requirement imposed by paragraph 1 to show the items listed in any such format in the order adopted in the format is subject to any provision in those notes for alternative positions for any particular items.
A number in brackets following any item in any of the formats set out below is a reference to the note of that number in the notes following the formats.
In the notes following the formats—
the heading of each note gives the required heading or sub-heading for the item to which it applies and a reference to any letters and numbers assigned to that item in the formats set out below (taking a reference in the case of Format 2 of the balance sheet formats to the item listed under “Assets” or under “Liabilities” as the case may require); and
references to a numbered format are to the balance sheet format or (as the case may require) to the profit and loss account format of that number set out below.
“associated undertaking” has the meaning given by paragraph 20 of Schedule 4A; and
The purchase price of an asset shall be determined by adding to the actual price paid any expenses incidental to its acquisition. The production cost of an asset shall be determined by adding to the purchase price of the raw materials and consumables used the amount of the costs incurred by the company which are directly attributable to the production of that asset. In addition, there may be included in the production cost of an asset— provided, however, in a case within paragraph (b) above, that the inclusion of the interest in determining the cost of that asset and the amount of the interest so included is disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of current assets distribution costs may not be included in production costs.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Particulars shall be given of any special circumstances which affect liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for the financial year or liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for succeeding financial years. The following amounts shall be stated— These amounts shall be stated separately in respect of each of the amounts which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown under the following items in the profit and loss account, that is to say “tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities” and “tax on extraordinary profit or loss”. Particulars of turnover
Where any amount relating to any preceding financial year is included in any item in the profit and loss account, the effect shall be stated. Particulars shall be given of any extraordinary income or charges arising in the financial year. The effect shall be stated of any transactions that are exceptional by virtue of size or incidence though they fall within the ordinary activities of the company. General
Staff costs
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
Other administrative expenses
The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation—
Subject to paragraph 15 below, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 10 to 14.
The company shall be presumed to be carrying on business as a going concern.
Accounting policies shall be applied consistently within the same accounts and from one financial year to the next.
The amount of any item shall be determined on a prudent basis, and in particular—
only profits realised at the balance sheet date shall be included in the profit and loss account; and
all liabilities . . . which have arisen. . . in respect of the financial year to which the accounts relate or a previous financial year shall be taken into account, including those which only become apparent between the balance sheet date and the date on which it is signed on behalf of the board of directors in pursuance of section 233 of this Act.
All income and charges relating to the financial year to which the accounts relate shall be taken into account, without regard to the date of receipt or payment.
In determining the aggregate amount of any item the amount of each individual asset or liability that falls to be taken into account shall be determined separately.
If it appears to the directors of a company that there are special reasons for departing from any of the principles stated above in preparing the company’s accounts in respect of any financial year they may do so, but particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
Subject to sections C and D of this Part of this Schedule, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the rules set out in paragraphs 17 to 28.
Subject to paragraph 23, the amount to be included in respect of any current asset shall be its purchase price or production cost.
If the net realisable value of any current asset is lower than its purchase price or production cost the amount to be included in respect of that asset shall be the net realisable value. Where the reasons for which any provision for diminution in value was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary.
This is subject to the following provisions of this section.
Where there is no record of the purchase price or production cost of any asset of a company or of any price, expenses or costs relevant for determining its purchase price or production cost in accordance with paragraph 26, or any such record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, its purchase price or production cost shall be taken for the purposes of paragraphs 17 to 23 to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition or production by the company.
Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, each of the amounts mentioned below shall be stated. The amount of the interest on or any similar charges in respect of— This sub-paragraph does not apply to interest or charges on loans to the company from group undertakings, but, with that exception, it applies to interest or charges on all loans, whether made on the security of debentures or not. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Income from equity shares [and other variable-yield securities]
Income from participating interests
Income from shares in group undertakings
In this section “the relevant accounting reference period” means the accounting reference period by reference to which the financial year for the accounts in question was determined.
The rules set out in section B are referred to below in this Schedule as the historical cost accounting rules. Those rules, with the omission of paragraphs 16, 21 and 25 to 28, are referred to below in this Part of this Schedule as the depreciation rules; and references below in this Schedule to the historical cost accounting rules do not include the depreciation rules as they apply by virtue of paragraph 32.
Subject to paragraphs 32 to 34, the amounts to be included in respect of assets of any description mentioned in paragraph 31 may be determined on any basis so mentioned.
Intangible fixed assets, other than goodwill, may be included at their current cost. Tangible fixed assets may be included at a market value determined as at the date of their last valuation or at their current cost. Investments of any description falling to be included under item B.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule may be included either— but in the latter case particulars of the method of valuation adopted and of the reasons for adopting it shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Investments of any description falling to be included under item C.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule may be included at their current cost. Stocks may be included at their current cost.
Where the value of any asset of a company is determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, that value shall be, or (as the case may require) be the starting point for determining, the amount to be included in respect of that asset in the company’s accounts, instead of its purchase price or production cost or any value previously so determined for that asset; and the depreciation rules shall apply accordingly in relation to any such asset with the substitution for any reference to its purchase price or production cost of a reference to the value most recently determined for that asset on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31. The amount of any provision for depreciation required in the case of any fixed asset by paragraph 18 or 19 as it applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is referred to below in this paragraph as the adjusted amount, and the amount of any provision which would be required by that paragraph in the case of that asset according to the historical cost accounting rules is referred to as the historical cost amount. Where sub-paragraph (1) applies in the case of any fixed asset the amount of any provision for depreciation in respect of that asset— may be the historical cost amount instead of the adjusted amount, provided that the amount of any difference between the two is shown separately in the profit and loss account or in a note to the accounts.
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in respect of assets covered by any items shown in a company’s accounts have been determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31. The items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of each balance sheet item affected (except stocks) either— shall be shown separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts. In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined as there mentioned are references to—
With respect to any determination of the value of an asset of a company on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, the amount of any profit or loss arising from that determination (after allowing, where appropriate, for any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value made otherwise than by reference to the value so determined and any adjustments of any such provisions made in the light of that determination) shall be credited or (as the case may be) debited to a separate reserve (“the revaluation reserve”). The amount of the revaluation reserve shall be shown in the company’s balance sheet under a separate sub-heading in the position given for the item “revaluation reserve” in Format 1 or 2 of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule, but need not be shown under that name. An amount may be transferred - and the revaluation reserve shall be reduced to the extent that the amounts transferred to it are no longer necessary for the purposes of the valuation method used. In sub-paragraph (3)(a)(ii)“capitalisation”, in relation to an amount standing to the credit of the revaluation reserve, means applying it in wholly or partly paying up unissued shares in the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully or partly paid shares. The revaluation reserve shall not be reduced except as mentioned in this paragraph. The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the revaluation reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), financial instruments (including derivatives) may be included at fair value. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to financial instruments which constitute liabilities unless– Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to– If the fair value of a financial instrument cannot be determined reliably in accordance with paragraph 34B, sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to that financial instrument. In this paragraph–
The fair value of a financial instrument is determined in accordance with this paragraph. If a reliable market can readily be identified for the financial instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to its market value. If a reliable market cannot readily be identified for the financial instrument but can be identified for its components or for a similar instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to the market value of its components or of the similar instrument. If neither sub-paragraph (2) nor (3) applies, the fair value of the financial instrument is a value resulting from generally accepted valuation models and techniques. Any valuation models and techniques used for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) must ensure a reasonable approximation of the market value.
A company may include any assets and liabilities that qualify as hedged items under a fair value hedge accounting system, or identified portions of such assets or liabilities, at the amount required under that system.
This paragraph applies to– that, under international accounting standards, may be included in accounts at fair value. Such investment property and such living animals and plants may be included at fair value, provided that all such investment property or, as the case may be, all such living animals and plants are so included where their fair value can reliably be determined. In this paragraph, “fair value” means fair value determined in accordance with relevant international accounting standards.
This paragraph applies where a financial instrument is valued in accordance with paragraph 34A or 34C or an asset is valued in accordance with paragraph 34D. Notwithstanding paragraph 12 of this Schedule, and subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below, a change in the value of the financial instrument or of the investment property or living animal or plant must be included in the profit and loss account. Where– the amount of the change in value must be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from a separate reserve (“the fair value reserve”). Where the instrument accounted for– the change in value may be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from the fair value reserve.
The fair value reserve must be adjusted to the extent that the amounts shown in it are no longer necessary for the purposes of paragraph 34E(3) or (4). The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the fair value reserve must be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Preliminary
Any information required in the case of any company by the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule shall (if not given in the company’s accounts) be given by way of a note to those accounts. Disclosure of accounting policies
The accounting policies adopted by the company in determining the amounts to be included in respect of items shown in the balance sheet and in determining the profit or loss of the company shall be stated (including such policies with respect to the depreciation and diminution in value of assets).
There must be stated–
any amount set aside or proposed to be set aside to, or withdrawn or proposed to be withdrawn from, reserves,
the aggregate amount of dividends paid in the financial year (other than those for which a liability existed at the immediately preceding balance sheet date),
the aggregate amount of dividends that the company is liable to pay at the balance sheet date, and
the aggregate amount of dividends that are proposed before the date of approval of the accounts, and not otherwise disclosed under paragraph (b) or (c)
Paragraphs 38 to 51 require information which either supplements the information given with respect to any particular items shown in the balance sheet or is otherwise relevant to assessing the company’s state of affairs in the light of the information so given. Share capital and debentures
Paragraphs 53 to 57 require information which either supplements the information given with respect to any particular items shown in the profit and loss account or otherwise provides particulars of income or expenditure of the company or of circumstances affecting the items shown in the profit and loss account. Separate statement of certain items of income and expenditure
It shall be stated whether the accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and particulars of any material departure from those standards and the reasons for it shall be given. Information supplementing the balance sheet
Where sums originally denominated in foreign currencies have been brought into account under any items shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, the basis on which those sums have been translated into sterling shall be stated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This paragraph applies where financial instruments have been valued in accordance with paragraph 34A or 34C. There must be stated– Where any amount is transferred to or from the fair value reserve during the financial year, there must be stated in tabular form–
Where the company has derivatives that it has not included at fair value, there must be stated for each class of such derivatives–
the fair value of the derivatives in that class, if such a value can be determined in accordance with paragraph 34B, and
the extent and nature of the derivatives.
Sub-paragraph (2) applies if– There must be stated–
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in a company’s accounts in respect of investment property or living animals and plants have been determined in accordance with paragraph 34D. The balance sheet items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item must be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of investment property, for each balance sheet item affected there must be shown, either separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts– In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined in accordance with that sub-paragraph are references to–
Where the directors of a company take advantage of the exemption conferred by section 249AA, and the company has during the financial year in question acted as an agent for any person, the fact that it has so acted must be stated.
amounts attributable to dealings with or interests in any holding company or fellow subsidiary of the company; or
amounts attributable to dealings with or interests in any subsidiary of the company ;
Subject to paragraphs 63 and 66, the consolidated balance sheet and profit and loss account shall combine the information contained in the separate balance sheets and profit and loss accounts of the holding company and of the subsidiaries dealt with by the consolidated accounts, but with such adjustments (if any) as the directors of the holding company think necessary.
Subject to paragraphs 63 to 66, and to Part V of this Schedule, the consolidated accounts shall, in giving the information required by paragraph 61, comply so far as practicable with the requirements of this Schedule and with the other requirements of this Act as if they were the accounts of an actual company.
The following provisions of this Act, namely— do not, by virtue of paragraphs 61 and 62, apply for the purposes of the consolidated accounts.
section 231 as applying Schedule 5, but only Parts II, III, V and VI of that Schedule, and
sections 232 to 234 and Schedule 6, so far as relating to accounts other than group accounts,
Paragraph 62 is without prejudice to any requirement of this Act which applies (otherwise than by virtue of paragraph 61 or 62) to group accounts.
Notwithstanding paragraph 62, the consolidated accounts prepared by a holding company may deal with an investment of any member of the group in the shares of any other body corporate by way of the equity method of accounting in any case where it appears to the directors of the holding company that that body corporate is so closely associated with any member of the group as to justify the use of that method in dealing with investments by that or any other member of the group in the shares of that body corporate. In this paragraph, references to the group, in relation to consolidated accounts prepared by a holding company, are references to the holding company and the subsidiaries dealt with by the accounts.
Notwithstanding paragraphs 61 and 62, paragraphs 17 to 19 and 21 do not apply to any amount shown in the consolidated balance sheet in respect of goodwill arising on consolidation.
In relation to any subsidiaries of the holding company not dealt with by the consolidated accounts paragraphs 59 and 60 apply for the purpose of those accounts as if those accounts were the accounts of an actual company of which they were subsidiaries.
Commitments within any of sub-paragraphs (1) to (5) of paragraph 50 (guarantees and other financial commitments) which are undertaken on behalf of or for the benefit of— shall be stated separately from the other commitments within that sub-paragraph, and commitments within paragraph (a) shall also be stated separately from those within paragraph (b).
any parent undertaking or fellow subsidiary undertaking, or
any subsidiary undertaking of the company,
Group accounts which are not prepared as consolidated accounts, together with any notes to those accounts, shall give the same or equivalent information as that required to be given by consolidated accounts by virtue of paragraphs 61 to 67.
This paragraph applies where the company is a holding company and either— and references below in this paragraph to the company's subsidiaries shall be read in a case within paragraph (b) as references to such of the company's subsidiaries as are excluded from the group accounts. Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph— shall be given in a note to the company's accounts. Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, the aggregate amount of the total investment of the holding company in the shares of the subsidiaries shall be stated in a note to the company's accounts by way of the equity method of valuation. Sub-paragraph (3) does not apply where the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another body corporate incorporated in Great Britain if there is included in a note to the company's accounts a statement that in the opinion of the directors of the company the aggregate value of the assets of the company consisting of shares in, or amounts owing (whether on account of a loan or otherwise) from, the company's subsidiaries is not less than the aggregate of the amounts at which those assets are stated or included in the company's balance sheet. In so far as information required by any of the preceding provisions of this paragraph to be stated in a note to the company's accounts is not obtainable, a statement to that effect shall be given instead in a note to those accounts. The Secretary of State may, on the application or with the consent of the company's directors, direct that in relation to any subsidiary sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) shall not apply, or shall apply only to such extent as may be provided by the direction. Where in any case within sub-paragraph (1)(b) the group accounts are consolidated accounts, references above in this paragraph to the company's accounts and the company's balance sheet respectively shall be read as references to the consolidated accounts and the consolidated balance sheet.
Where a company has subsidiaries whose financial years did not end with that of the company, the following information shall be given in relation to each such subsidiary (whether or not dealt with in any group accounts prepared by the company) by way of a note to the company's accounts or (where group accounts are prepared) to the group accounts, that is to say—
the reasons why the company's directors consider that the subsidiaries' financial years should not end with that of the company; and
the dates on which the subsidiaries' financial years ending last before that of the company respectively ended or the earliest and latest of those dates.
Paragraph 34 does not apply to the amount of any profit or loss arising from a determination of the value of any investments of an investment company on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31(3). Any provisions made by virtue of paragraph 19(1) or (2) in the case of an investment company in respect of any fixed asset investments need not be charged to the company’s profit and loss account provided they are either— For the purposes of this paragraph, as it applies in relation to any company, “fixed asset investment” means any asset falling to be included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet under the subdivision “investments” under the general item “fixed assets”.
Any distribution made by an investment company which reduces the amount of its net assets to less than the aggregate of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves shall be disclosed in a note to the company’s accounts. For purposes of this paragraph, a company’s net assets are the aggregate of its assets less the aggregate of its liabilities (including any provision for liabilities within paragraph 89 that is made in Companies Act accounts and any provision that is made in IAS accounts ); and “undistributable reserves” has the meaning given by section 264(3) of this Act.
A company shall be treated as an investment company for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule in relation to any financial year of the company if—
during the whole of that year it was an investment company as defined by section 266 of this Act, and
it was not at any time during that year prohibited under section 265(4) of this Act (no distribution where capital profits have been distributed, etc.) from making a distribution by virtue of that section.
as they apply to the individual accounts of that company; and
as they apply otherwise than by virtue of paragraphs 61 and 62 to any group accounts prepared by that company.
The following paragraphs apply for the purposes of this Schedule and its interpretation.
References to “derivatives” include commodity-based contracts that give either contracting party the right to settle in cash or in some other financial instrument, except when such contracts–
were entered into for the purpose of, and continue to meet, the company’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements,
were designated for such purpose at their inception, and
are expected to be settled by delivery of the commodity.
The expressions listed in sub-paragraph (2) have the same meaning as they have in Council Directive 78/660/EEC on the annual accounts of certain types of companies, as amended. Those expressions are “available for sale financial asset”, “business combination”, “commodity-based contracts”, “derivative”, “equity instrument”, “exchange difference”, “fair value hedge accounting system”, “financial fixed asset”, “financial instrument”, “foreign entity”, “hedge accounting”, “hedge accounting system”, “hedged items”, “hedging instrument”, “held for trading purposes”, “held to maturity”, “monetary item”, “receivables”, “reliable market” and “trading portfolio”.
“Investment property” means land held to earn rent or for capital appreciation.
The following information shall be given where at the end of the financial year the company has subsidiary undertakings. The name of each subsidiary undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated with respect to each subsidiary undertaking— The reason why the company is not required to prepare group accounts shall be stated. If the reason is that all the subsidiary undertakings of the company fall within the exclusions provided for in section 229, it shall be stated with respect to each subsidiary undertaking which of those exclusions applies.
the name of the subsidiary and—
if it is incorporated in Great Britain and if it is registered in England and Wales and the company is registered in Scotland (or vice versa), the part of Great Britain in which it is registered, and
if it is incorporated outside Great Britain, the country in which it is incorporated ; and
in relation to shares of each class of the subsidiary held by the company, the identity of the class and the proportion of the nominal value of the allotted shares of that class represented by the shares held.
There shall be stated in relation to shares of each class held by the company in a subsidiary undertaking— The shares held by or on behalf of the company itself shall be distinguished from those attributed to the company which are held by or on behalf of a subsidiary undertaking.
There shall be disclosed with respect to each subsidiary undertaking— That information need not be given if the company is exempt by virtue of section 228 from the requirement to prepare group accounts (parent company included in accounts of larger group). That information need not be given if the company’s investment in the subsidiary undertaking is included in the company’s accounts by way of the equity method of valuation. That information need not be given if— Information otherwise required by this paragraph need not be given if it is not material. For the purposes of this paragraph the “relevant financial year” of a subsidiary undertaking is—
Where— there shall be stated in relation to that undertaking the date on which its last financial year ended (last before the end of the company’s financial year).
disclosure is made under paragraph 3(1) with respect to a subsidiary undertaking, and
that undertaking’s financial year does not end with that of the company,
The number, description and amount of the shares in . . . the company held by or on behalf of its subsidiary undertakings shall be disclosed. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to shares . . . in the case of which the subsidiary undertaking is concerned as personal representative or, subject as follows, as trustee. The exception for shares . . .in relation to which the subsidiary undertaking is concerned as trustee does not apply if the company, or any subsidiary undertaking of the company, is beneficially interested under the trust, otherwise than by way of security only for the purposes of a transaction entered into by it in the ordinary course of a business which includes the lending of money. Schedule 2 to this Act has effect for the interpretation of the reference in sub-paragraph (3) to a beneficial interest under a trust.
The information required by this paragraph shall be given where at the end of the financial year the company is a member of a qualifying undertaking. There shall be stated— Where the undertaking is a qualifying partnership there shall also be stated either— Information otherwise required by sub-paragraph (2) above need not be given if it is not material. Information otherwise required by sub-paragraph (3)(b) above need not be given if the notes to the company’s accounts disclose that advantage has been taken of the exemption conferred by regulation 7 of the Partnerships and Unlimited Companies (Accounts) Regulations 1993. In this paragraph— “dealt with on a consolidated basis”, “member”, “qualifying company” and “qualifying partnership” have the same meanings as in the Partnerships and Unlimited Companies (Accounts) Regulations 1993; “qualifying undertaking” means a qualifying partnership or a qualifying company.
The information required by paragraphs 8 and 9 shall be given where at the end of the financial year the company has a significant holding in an undertaking which is not a subsidiary undertaking of the company. A holding is significant for this purpose if—
the name of that other body corporate and—
if it is incorporated in Great Britain and if it is registered in England and Wales and the company is registered in Scotland (or vice versa), the part of Great Britain in which it is registered, and
if it is incorporated outside Great Britain, the country in which it is incorporated ;
the identity of the class and the proportion of the nominal value of the allotted shares of that class represented by the shares held ; and
if the company also holds shares in that other body corporate of another class (whether or not comprised in its equity share capital), or of other classes (whether or not so comprised), the like particulars as respects that other class or (as the case may be) those other classes.
The name of the undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— There shall also be stated—
with respect to that other body corporate, the same information as is required by paragraph 7(a), and
the identity of each class of such shares held and the proportion of the nominal value of the allotted shares of that class represented by the shares of that class held by the company.
. . . there shall also be stated— That information need not be given if— That information need not be given in respect of an undertaking if— Information otherwise required by this paragraph need not be given if it is not material. For the purposes of this paragraph the “relevant financial year” of an undertaking is—
with respect to the other body corporate, the same information as is required by paragraph 7(a), and
in relation to shares in that other body corporate of each class held, the identity of the class and the proportion of the nominal value of the allotted shares of that class represented by the shares held.
Where the company is a subsidiary undertaking, the following information shall be given with respect to the parent undertaking of— The name of the parent undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— If copies of the group accounts referred to in sub-paragraph (1) are available to the public, there shall also be stated the addresses from which copies of the accounts can be obtained.
Where the company is a subsidiary undertaking, the following information shall be given with respect to the company (if any) regarded by the directors as being the company’s ultimate parent company. The name of that company shall be stated. If known to the directors, there shall be stated— In this paragraph “company” includes any body corporate.
References in this Part of this Schedule to shares held by a company shall be construed as follows. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 to 4 (information about subsidiary undertakings)— For the purposes of paragraphs 7 to 9 (information about undertakings other than subsidiary undertakings)— For the purposes of any of those provisions, shares held by way of security shall be treated as held by the person providing the security—
The information required by this paragraph shall be given where at the end of the financial year the parent company or group is a member of a qualifying undertaking. There shall be stated— Where the undertaking is a qualifying partnership there shall also be stated either— Information otherwise required by sub-paragraph (2) above need not be given if it is not material. Information otherwise required by sub-paragraph (3)(b) above need not be given if the notes to the company’s accounts disclose that advantage has been taken of the exemption conferred by regulation 7 of the Partnerships and Unlimited Companies (Accounts) Regulations 1993. In this paragraph— “dealt with on a consolidated basis”, “member”, “qualifying company” and “qualifying partnership” have the same meanings as in the Partnerships and Unlimited Companies (Accounts) Regulations 1993; “qualifying undertaking” means a qualifying partnership or a qualifying company.
In this Part of this Schedule “the group” means the group consisting of the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings.
at the end of its financial year the company has subsidiaries, and
it is required by paragraph 1 in Part I above to disclose particulars with respect to any of those subsidiaries,
The following information shall be given with respect to the undertakings which are subsidiary undertakings of the parent company at the end of the financial year. The name of each undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— It shall also be stated whether the subsidiary undertaking is included in the consolidation and, if it is not, the reasons for excluding it from consolidation shall be given. It shall be stated with respect to each subsidiary undertaking by virtue of which of the conditions specified in section 258(2) or (4) it is a subsidiary undertaking of its immediate parent undertaking. That information need not be given if the relevant condition is that specified in subsection (2)(a) of that section (holding of a majority of the voting rights) and the immediate parent undertaking holds the same proportion of the shares in the undertaking as it holds voting rights.
at the end of the financial year the company holds shares in another body corporate, and
it is required by paragraph 8 in Part II above to disclose particulars with respect to that body corporate, and
the shares held by the company in that body corporate exceed in nominal value one-fifth of the allotted share capital of that body,
The following information shall be given with respect to the shares of a subsidiary undertaking held— and the information under paragraphs (a) and (b) shall (if different) be shown separately. There shall be stated—
if the financial year of the body corporate ends with that of the company giving the information in a note to its accounts, that financial year, and
It not, the body corporate's financial year ending last before the end of the financial year of the company giving that information.
There shall be shown with respect to each subsidiary undertaking not included in the consolidation— That information need not be given if the group’s investment in the undertaking is included in the accounts by way of the equity method of valuation or if— Information otherwise required by this paragraph need not be given if it is not material. For the purposes of this paragraph the “relevant financial year” of a subsidiary undertaking is—
to any information with respect to any other subsidiary or body corporate which is given in or in a note to the company's accounts in accordance with this Part, and
to any information which would have been required by this Part to be given in relation to a subsidiary or other body corporate but for the exemption under paragraph 4 or 11.
The number, description and amount of the shares in . . .the company held by or on behalf of its subsidiary undertakings shall be disclosed. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to shares . . . in the case of which the subsidiary undertaking is concerned as personal representative or, subject as follows, as trustee. The exception for shares. . .in relation to which the subsidiary undertaking is concerned as trustee does not apply if the company or any of its subsidiary undertakings is beneficially interested under the trust, otherwise than by way of security only for the purposes of a transaction entered into by it in the ordinary course of a business which includes the lending of money. Schedule 2 to this Act has effect for the interpretation of the reference in sub-paragraph (3) to a beneficial interest under a trust.
The following information shall be given where an undertaking is dealt with in the consolidated accounts by the method of proportional consolidation in accordance with paragraph 19 of Schedule 4A (joint ventures)— Where the financial year of the undertaking did not end with that of the company, there shall be stated the date on which a financial year of the undertaking last ended before that date.
The following information shall be given where an undertaking included in the consolidation has an interest in an associated undertaking. The name of the associated undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— The following information shall be given with respect to the shares of the undertaking held— and the information under paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be shown separately. There shall be stated— In this paragraph “associated undertaking” has the meaning given by paragraph 20 of Schedule 4A; and the information required by this paragraph shall be given notwithstanding that paragraph 22(3) of that Schedule (materiality) applies in relation to the accounts themselves.
The information required by paragraphs 24 and 25 shall be given where at the end of the financial year the parent company has a significant holding in an undertaking which is not one of its subsidiary undertakings and does not fall within paragraph 21 (joint ventures) or paragraph 22 (associated undertakings). A holding is significant for this purpose if—
The name of the undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— The following information shall be given with respect to the shares of the undertaking held by the parent company. There shall be stated—
. . . there shall also be stated— That information need not be given in respect of an undertaking if— Information otherwise required by this paragraph need not be given if it is not material. For the purposes of this paragraph the “relevant financial year” of an undertaking is—
The information required by paragraphs 27 and 28 shall be given where at the end of the financial year the group has a significant holding in an undertaking which is not a subsidiary undertaking of the parent company and does not fall within paragraph 21 (joint ventures) or paragraph 22 (associated undertakings). A holding is significant for this purpose if—
The name of the undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— The following information shall be given with respect to the shares of the undertaking held by the group. There shall be stated—
. . .there shall also be stated— That information need not be given if— Information otherwise required by this paragraph need not be given if it is not material. For the purposes of this paragraph the “relevant financial year” of an outside undertaking is—
Where the parent company is itself a subsidiary undertaking, the following information shall be given with respect to that parent undertaking of the company which heads— The name of the parent undertaking shall be stated. There shall be stated— If copies of the group accounts referred to in sub-paragraph (1) are available to the public, there shall also be stated the addresses from which copies of the accounts can be obtained.
Where the parent company is itself a subsidiary undertaking, the following information shall be given with respect to the company (if any) regarded by the directors as being that company’s ultimate parent company. The name of that company shall be stated. If known to the directors, there shall be stated— In this paragraph “company” includes any body corporate.
References in this Part of this Schedule to shares held by the parent company or the group shall be construed as follows. For the purposes of paragraphs 16, 22(4) and (5) and 23 to 25 (information about holdings in subsidiary and other undertakings)— References to shares held by the group are to any shares held by or on behalf of the parent company or any of its subsidiary undertakings; but there shall be treated as not held by the group any shares held on behalf of a person other than the parent company or any of its subsidiary undertakings. Shares held by way of security shall be treated as held by the person providing the security—
The following applies for the interpretation of paragraphs 22 to 32. A reference to the company's subsidiary— The following definitions apply—
This Part of this Schedule requires information to be given only so far as it is contained in the company's books and papers or the company has the right to obtain it from the persons concerned.
There shall be shown by reference to each pair of adjacent points on a scale whereon the lowest point is £30,000 and the succeeding ones are successive integral multiples of £5,000 beginning with that in the case of which the multiplier is 7, the number (if any) of persons in the company's employment whose several emoluments exceeded the lower point but did not exceed the higher. The persons whose emoluments are to be taken into account for this purpose do not include—
For these purposes, a person's emoluments include any paid to or receivable by him from the company, the company's subsidiaries and any other person in respect of his services as a person in the employment of the company or a subsidiary of it or as a director of a subsidiary of the company (except sums to be accounted for to the company or any of its subsidiaries). " Emoluments" here includes fees and percentages, any sums paid by way of expenses allowance in so far as those sums are charged to United Kingdom income tax, and the estimated money value of any other benefits received by a person otherwise than in cash. The amounts to be brought into account for the purpose of complying with paragraph 35 are the sums receivable in respect of the financial year (whenever paid) or, in the case of sums not receivable in respect of a period, the sums paid during that year. But where— those sums shall, to the extent to which the liability is released or not enforced or they are charged as above mentioned (as the case may be), be brought into account for the purpose of complying with paragraph 35 on the first occasion on which it is practicable to do so.
References in paragraph 36 to a company's subsidiary—
in relation to a person who is or was, while employed by the company a director, by virtue of the company's nomination (direct or indirect), of any other body corporate, include that body corporate (but subject to the following sub-paragraph), whether or not it is or was in fact the company's subsidiary ; and
are to be taken as referring to a subsidiary at the time the services were rendered.
any transaction or arrangement of a kind described in section 330 entered into by the company or by a subsidiary of the company for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company, or was connected with such a director;
shall be stated separately from the other commitments within that sub-paragraph (and commitments within paragraph (a) shall be stated separately from those within paragraph (b)). There shall be disclosed the nature and amount of any contingent liabilities and commitments included in Memorandum items 1 and 2 which are material in relation to the company’s activities.
an agreement by the company or by a subsidiary of the company to enter into any such transaction or arrangement for a person who was at any time during the financial year a director of the company or its holding company, or was connected with such a director ; and
any other transaction or arrangement with the company or a subsidiary of it in which a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company had, directly or indirectly, a material interest
any transaction or arrangement of a kind described in section 330 entered into by the company for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of it or of its holding company or was connected with such a director;
an agreement by the company to enter into any such transaction or arrangement for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company or was connected with such a director ; and
any other transaction or arrangement with the company in which a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or of its holding company had, directly or indirectly, a material interest.
The emoluments of the chairman shall be shown. The “chairman” means the person elected by the directors to be chairman of their meetings, and includes a person who, though not so elected, holds an office (however designated) which in accordance with the company’s constitution carries with it functions substantially similar to those discharged by a person so elected. Where there has been more than one chairman during the year, the emoluments of each shall be stated so far as attributable to the period during which he was chairman. The emoluments of a person need not be shown if his duties as chairman were wholly or mainly discharged outside the United Kingdom.
In paragraphs 3 and 4 “emoluments" has the same meaning as in paragraph 1, except that it does not include contributions paid in respect of a person under a pension scheme.
a transaction, arrangement or agreement between one company and another in which a director of the former or of its subsidiary or holding company is interested only by virtue of his being a director of the latter;
a contract of service between a company and one of its directors or a director of its holding company, or between a director of a company and any of that company's subsidiaries ;
a transaction, arrangement or agreement which was not entered into during the financial year and which did not subsist at any time during that year.
There shall be shown— For the purposes of this paragraph it shall be assumed that a sum not receivable in respect of a period would have been paid at the time at which it was due, and if such a sum was payable only on demand, it shall be deemed to have been due at the time of the waiver.
the transaction or arrangement was prohibited by section 330;
the person for whom it was made was a director of the company or was connected with a director of it at the time it was made;
in the case of a transaction or arrangement made by a company which at any time during a financial year is a subsidiary of another company, it was a subsidiary of that other company at the time the transaction or arrangement was made.
Subject to sub-paragraph (2), there shall be shown the aggregate amount of— as (in each case) is in excess of the retirement benefits to which they were respectively entitled on the date on which the benefits first became payable or 31st March 1997, whichever is the later. Amounts paid or receivable under a pension scheme need not be included in the aggregate amount if— and in this sub-paragraph 'pensioner member’, in relation to a pension scheme, means any person who is entitled to the present payment of retirement benefits under the scheme. In this paragraph— and the nature of any such benefit shall also be disclosed.
each party to the transaction or arrangement which is a member of the same group of companies (meaning a holding company and its subsidiaries) as the company entered into the transaction or arrangement in the ordinary course of business, and
the terms of the transaction or arrangement are not less favourable to any such party than it would be reasonable to expect if the interest mentioned in that sub-paragraph had not been an interest of a person who was a director of the company or of its holding company.
There shall be shown the aggregate amount of any compensation to directors or past directors in respect of loss of office. This amount includes compensation received or receivable by a director or past director for— . . .. References to compensation include benefits otherwise than in cash; and in relation to such compensation references to its amount are to the estimated money value of the benefit. The Nature Of Any Such Compensation Shall Be Disclosed. In this paragraph, references to compensation for loss of office include the following, namely— Sub-paragraph (6)(a) of paragraph 1 applies for the purposes of this paragraph as it applies for the purposes of that paragraph.
the company is a member of a group of companies (meaning a holding company and its subsidiaries), and
either the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary or no body corporate (other than the company or a subsidiary of the company) which is a member of the group of companies which includes the company's ultimate holding company was a party to the transaction or arrangement, and
the director in question was at some time during the relevant period associated with the company, and
the material interest of the director in question in the transaction or arrangement would not have arisen if he bad not been associated with the company at any time during the relevant period.
There shall be shown the aggregate amount of any consideration paid to or receivable by third parties for making available the services of any person— The reference to consideration includes benefits otherwise than in cash; and in relation to such consideration the reference to its amount is to the estimated money value of the benefit. The nature of any such consideration shall be disclosed. The reference to third parties is to persons other than—
The following applies with respect to the amounts to be shown under this Part of this Schedule. The amount in each case includes all relevant sums paid by or receivable from— except sums to be accounted for to the company or any of its subsidiary undertakings or, by virtue of sections 314 and 315 of this Act (duty of directors to make disclosure on company takeover; consequence of non-compliance), to past or present members of the company or any of its subsidiaries or any class of those members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References to amounts paid to or receivable by a person include amounts paid to or receivable by a person connected with him or a body corporate controlled by him (but not so as to require an amount to be counted twice).
a body corporate of which that company is a wholly-owned subsidiary or
a wholly-owned subsidiary of a body corporate of which that company is a wholly-owned subsidiary, or
a wholly-owned subsidiary of that company,
The amounts to be shown for any financial year under this Part of this Schedule are the sums receivable in respect of that year (whenever paid) or, in the case of sums not receivable in respect of a period, the sums paid during that year. But where— those sums shall, to the extent to which the liability is released or not enforced or they are charged as mentioned above (as the case may be), be shown in a note to the first accounts in which it is practicable to show them and shall be distinguished from the amounts to be shown apart from this provision.
Where it is necessary to do so for the purpose of making any distinction required by the preceding paragraphs in an amount to be shown in compliance with this Part of this Schedule, the directors may apportion any payments between the matters in respect of which these have been paid or are receivable in such manner as they think appropriate.
the value of each transaction or arrangement within paragraph 1(c) or 2(c) (as the case may be) in which that director had (directly or indirectly) a material interest and which was made after the commencement of the financial year with the company or any of its subsidiaries, and
the value of each such transaction or arrangement which was made before the commencement of the financial year less the amount (if any) by which the liabilities of the person for whom the transaction or arrangement was made have been reduced,
The following applies for the interpretation of this Part of this Schedule. A reference to a subsidiary undertaking of the company— The following definitions apply— References in this Part of this Schedule to a person being “connected” with a director, and to a director “controlling” a body corporate, shall be construed in accordance with section 346.
This Part of this Schedule requires information to be given only so far as it is contained in the company’s books and papers or the company has the right to obtain it from the persons concerned.
section 331(2), (5) and (7), as regards the meaning of " guarantee "," recognised bank " and " credit transaction ";
section 331(9), as to the interpretation of references to a transaction or arrangement being made " for " a person ;
section 340, in assigning values to transactions and arrangements, and
section 346, as to the interpretation of references to a person being " connected with " a director of a company.
The group accounts of a holding company, or if it is not required to prepare group accounts its individual accounts, shall contain the particulars required by this Schedule of—
any transaction or arrangement of a kind described in section 197, 198, 200, 201 or 203 of the Companies Act 2006 entered into by the company or by a subsidiary of the company for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company, or was connected with such a director;
an agreement by the company or by a subsidiary of the company to enter into any such transaction or arrangement for a person who was at any time during the financial year a director of the company or its holding company, or was connected with such a director; and
any other transaction or arrangement with the company or a subsidiary of it in which a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company had, directly or indirectly, a material interest.
The accounts prepared by a company other than a holding company shall contain the particulars required by this Schedule of—
any transaction or arrangement of a kind described in section 197, 198, 200, 201 or 203 of the Companies Act 2006 entered into by the company for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of it or of its holding company or was connected with such a director;
an agreement by the company to enter into any such transaction or arrangement for a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or its holding company or was connected with such a director; and
any other transaction or arrangement with the company in which a person who at any time during the financial year was a director of the company or of its holding company had, directly or indirectly, a material interest.
For purposes of paragraphs 15(c) and 16(c), a transaction or arrangement between a company and a director of it or of its holding company, or a person connected with such a director, is to be treated (if it would not otherwise be so) as a transaction, arrangement or agreement in which that director is interested. An interest in such a transaction or arrangement is not “material” for purposes of those sub-paragraphs if in the board’s opinion it is not so; but this is without prejudice to the question whether or not such an interest is material in a case where the board have not considered the matter. “The board” here means the directors of the company preparing the accounts, or a majority of those directors, but excluding in either case the director whose interest it is.
section 331(2), (3), (5) and (7), as regards the meaning of "guarantee", "quasi-loan", "recognised bank" and " credit transaction ", and
section 331(9), as to the interpretation of references to a transaction or arrangement being made " for" a person;
Paragraphs 15 and 16 do not apply in relation to the following transactions, arrangements and agreements—
a transaction, arrangement or agreement between one company and another in which a director of the former or of its subsidiary or holding company is interested only by virtue of his being a director of the latter;
a contract of service between a company and one of its directors or a director of its holding company, or between a director of a company and any of that company’s subsidiaries;
a transaction, arrangement or agreement which was not entered into during the financial year and which did not subsist at any time during that year.
Subject to the next paragraph, the particulars required by this Part are those of the principal terms of the transaction, arrangement or agreement. Without prejudice to the generality of sub-paragraph (1), the following particulars are required—
In paragraph 22(2) above, sub-paragraphs (c) to (f) do not apply in the case of a loan or quasi-loan made or agreed to be made by a company to or for a body corporate which is either— if particulars of that loan, quasi-loan or agreement for it would not have been required to be included in that company’s annual accounts if the first-mentioned body corporate had not been associated with a director of that company at any time during the relevant period.
a body corporate of which that company is a wholly-owned subsidiary, or
a wholly-owned subsidiary of a body corporate of which that company is a wholly-owned subsidiary, or
a wholly-owned subsidiary of that company,
In relation to a company’s accounts for a financial year, compliance with this Part is not required in the case of transactions of a kind mentioned in the following sub-paragraph which are made by the company or a subsidiary of it for a person who at any time during that financial year was a director of the company or of its holding company, or was connected with such a director, if the aggregate of the values of each transaction, arrangement or agreement so made for that director or any person connected with him, less the amount (if any) by which the liabilities of the person for whom the transaction or arrangement was made has been reduced, did not at any time during the financial year exceed £5,000. The transactions in question are—
In relation to a company’s accounts for a financial year, compliance with this Part is not required by virtue of paragraph 15(c) or 16(c) in the case of any transaction or arrangement with a company or any of its subsidiaries in which a director of the company or its holding company had, directly or indirectly, a material interest if— did not at any time during the financial year exceed in the aggregate £1,000 or, if more, did not exceed [24]5,000 or 1 per cent. of the value of the net assets of the company preparing the accounts in question as at the end of the financial year, whichever is the less. For this purpose a company’s net assets are the aggregate of its assets, less the aggregate of its liabilities (“liabilities” to include any provisions for liabilities within paragraph 89 of Schedule 4 that is made in Companies Act accounts and any provision that is made in IAS accounts ).
the value of each transaction or arrangement within paragraph 15(c) or 16(c) (as the case may be) in which that director had (directly or indirectly) a material interest and which was made after the commencement of the financial year with the company or any of its subsidiaries, and
the value of each such transaction or arrangement which was made before the commencement of the financial year less the amount (if any) by which the liabilities of the person for whom the transaction or arrangement was made have been reduced,
Section 258 of the Companies Act 2006 (power of Secretary of State to alter sums by statutory instrument subject to negative resolution in Parliament) applies as if the money sums specified in paragraph 24 or 25 above were specified in Part 10 of that Act.
The following provisions of the Companies Act 2006 apply for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule— In this Part of this Schedule “director” includes a shadow director.
This Part of this Schedule applies in relation to the same classes of transactions, arrangements and agreements as does Part II.
This Part of this Schedule applies in relation to the following classes of transactions, arrangements and agreements—
loans, guarantees and securities relating to loans, arrangements of a kind described in section 203 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to loans and agreements to enter into any of the foregoing transactions and arrangements;
quasi-loans, guarantees and securities relating to quasi-loans arrangements of a kind described in that section relating to quasi-loans and agreements to enter into any of the foregoing transactions and arrangements;
credit transactions, guarantees and securities relating to credit transactions, arrangements of a kind described in that section relating to credit transactions and agreements to enter into any of the foregoing transactions and arrangements.
Paragraphs 15 and 16 apply whether or not—
the transaction or arrangement was one in respect of which approval was required under section 197, 198, 200, 201 or 203 of the Companies Act 2006 ;
the person for whom it was made was a director of the company or was connected with a director of it at the time it was made;
in the case of a transaction or arrangement made by a company which at any time during a financial year is a subsidiary of another company, it was a subsidiary of that other company at the time the transaction or arrangement was made.
To comply with this Part of this Schedule, the accounts must contain a statement, in relation to transactions, arrangements and agreements made by the company or a subsidiary of it for persons who at any time during the financial year were officers of a company (but not directors or shadow directors), of— This paragraph does not apply to transactions, arrangements and agreements made by the company or any of its subsidiaries for an officer of the company if the aggregate amount outstanding at the end of the financial year under the transactions, arrangements and agreements so made for that officer does not exceed £2,500. Section 258 of the Companies Act 2006 (power of Secretary of State to alter money sums by statutory instrument subject to negative resolution in Parliament) applies as if the money sum specified above in this paragraph were specified in Part 10 of that Act.
Neither paragraph 15(c) nor paragraph 16(c) applies in relation to any transaction or arrangement if—
each party to the transaction or arrangement which is a member of the same group of companies (meaning a holding company and its subsidiaries) as the company entered into the transaction or arrangement in the ordinary course of business, and
the terms of the transaction or arrangement are not less favourable to any such party than it would be reasonable to expect if the interest mentioned in that sub-paragraph had not been an interest of a person who was a director of the company or of its holding company.
The following provisions of the Companies Act 2006 apply for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule— and “amount outstanding” means the amount of the outstanding liabilities of the person for whom the transaction, arrangement or agreement was made or, in the case of a guarantee or security, the amount guaranteed or secured.
section 199 (meaning of “quasi-loan”),
section 202 (meaning of “credit transaction”), and
section 212 (person for whom a transaction or arrangement is entered into);
Neither paragraph 15(c) nor paragraph 16(c) applies in relation to any transaction or arrangement if—
the company is a member of a group of companies (meaning a holding company and its subsidiaries), and
either the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary or no body corporate (other than the company or a subsidiary of the company) which is a member of the group of companies which includes the company’s ultimate holding company was a party to the transaction or arrangement, and
the director in question was at some time during the relevant period associated with the company, and
the material interest of the director in question in the transaction or arrangement would not have arisen if he had not been associated with the company at any time during the relevant period.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If, in the case of such of the fixed assets of the company . . . as consist in interests in land, their market value (as at the end of the financial year) differs substantially from the amount at which they are included in the balance sheet, and the difference is, in the directors’ opinion, of such significance as to require that the attention of members of the company or of holders of its debentures should be drawn to it, the report shall indicate the difference with such degree of precision as is practicable. In relation to a group directors' report sub-paragraph (2) has effect as if the reference to the fixed assets of the company was a reference to the fixed assets of the company and of its subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If— the directors’ report for the year shall contain the particulars specified in sub-paragraph (2). Those particulars are— If— the directors’ report for the year is not, by virtue of sub-paragraph (1), required to contain the particulars specified in sub-paragraph (2); but, if the total amount of any such donations or expenditure (or both) made or incurred in that year by the company and the subsidiaries between them exceeds £200, the directors’ report for the year shall contain those particulars in relation to each body by whom any such donation or expenditure has been made or incurred. Any expression used in this paragraph which is also used in Part XA of this Act has the same meaning as in that Part.
If the company (not being the wholly-owned subsidiary of a company incorporated in Great Britain) has in the financial year made any contribution to a non-EU political party, the directors’ report for the year shall contain— If— the directors’ report for the year is not, by virtue of sub-paragraph (1), required to contain any such statement as is there mentioned, but it shall instead contain a statement of the total amount of the contributions made in the year by the company and the subsidiaries between them. In this paragraph “contribution”, in relation to an organisation, means— In this paragraph “non-EU political party” means any political party which carries on, or proposes to carry on, its activities wholly outside the member States.
If— the directors’ report for the year shall contain, in the case of each of the purposes for which money has been given, a statement of the amount of money given for that purpose. If— sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to the company; but, if the amount given in that year for charitable purposes by the company and the subsidiaries between them exceeds £200, the directors’ report for the year shall contain, in the case of each of the purposes for which money has been given by the company and the subsidiaries between them, a statement of the amount of money given for that purpose. Money given for charitable purposes to a person who, when it was given, was ordinarily resident outside the United Kingdom is to be left out of account for the purposes of this paragraph. For the purposes of this paragraph “charitable purposes” means purposes which are exclusively charitable, and as respects Scotland a purpose is charitable if it is listed in section 7(2) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 .
In relation to the use of financial instruments by a company . . . , the directors' report must contain an indication of – unless such information is not material for the assessment of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the company . . . . In relation to a group directors' report sub-paragraph (1) has effect as if the references to the company were references to the company and its subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation. In sub-paragraph (1) the expressions “hedge accounting”, “price risk”, “credit risk”, “liquidity risk” and “cash flow risk” have the same meaning as they have in Council Directive 78/660/EEC on the annual accounts of certain types of companies, and in Council Directive 83/349/EEC on consolidated accounts, as amended.
The directors’ report shall contain— In relation to a group directors' report paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of sub-paragraph (1) have effect as if the references to the company were references to the company and its subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation.
particulars of any important events affecting the company or any of its subsidiaries which have occurred since the end of the financial year,
an indication of likely future developments in the business of the company and of its subsidiaries, and
an indication of the activities (if any) of the company and its subsidiaries in the field of research and development
This Part of this Schedule applies where shares in a company—
are purchased by the company or are acquired by it by forfeiture or surrender in lieu of forfeiture, or in pursuance of section 143(3) of this Act (acquisition of own shares by company limited by shares), or
are acquired by another person in circumstances where paragraph (c) or (d) of section 146(1) applies (acquisition by company’s nominee, or by another with company financial assistance, the company having a beneficial interest), or
are made subject to a lien or other charge taken (whether expressly or otherwise) by the company and permitted by section 150(2) or (4), or section 6(3) of the Consequential Provisions Act (exceptions from general rule against a company having a lien or charge on its own shares).
The directors’ report with respect to a financial year shall state—
the number and nominal value of the shares so purchased, the aggregate amount of the consideration paid by the company for such shares and the reasons for their purchase;
the number and nominal value of the shares so acquired by the company, acquired by another person in such circumstances and so charged respectively during the financial year;
the maximum number and nominal value of shares which, having been so acquired by the company, acquired by another person in such circumstances or so charged (whether or not during that year) are held at any time by the company or that other person during that year;
the number and nominal value of the shares so acquired by the company, acquired by another person in such circumstances or so charged (whether or not during that year) which are disposed of by the company or that other person or cancelled by the company during that year;
where the number and nominal value of the shares of any particular description are stated in pursuance of any of the preceding sub-paragraphs, the percentage of the called-up share capital which shares of that description represent;
where any of the shares have been so charged the amount of the charge in each case; and
where any of the shares have been disposed of by the company or the person who acquired them in such circumstances for money or money’s worth the amount or value of the consideration in each case.
This Part of this Schedule applies to the directors’ report where the average number of persons employed by the company in each week during the financial year exceeded 250. That average number is the quotient derived by dividing, by the number of weeks in the financial year, the number derived by ascertaining, in relation to each of those weeks, the number of persons who, under contracts of service, were employed in the week (whether throughout it or not) by the company, and adding up the numbers ascertained. The directors’ report shall in that case contain a statement describing such policy as the company has applied during the financial year— In this Part—
In the case of companies of such classes as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State, the directors’ report shall contain such information as may be so prescribed about the arrangements in force in the financial year for securing the health, safety and welfare at work of employees of the company and its subsidiaries, and for protecting other persons against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities at work of those employees. Regulations under this Part may— The power to make regulations under this paragraph is exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament. Any expression used in sub-paragraph (1) above and in Part I of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 has the same meaning here as it has in that Part of that Act; section 1(3) of that Act applies for interpreting that sub-paragraph; and in sub-paragraph (2) “specified” means specified in regulations made under that sub-paragraph.
This Part of this Schedule applies to the directors’ report where the average number of persons employed by the company in each week during the financial year exceeded 250. That average number is the quotient derived by dividing by the number of weeks in the financial year the number derived by ascertaining, in relation to each of those weeks, the number of persons who, under contracts of service, were employed in the week (whether throughout it or not) by the company, and adding up the numbers ascertained. The directors’ report shall in that case contain a statement describing the action that has been taken during the financial year to introduce, maintain or develop arrangements aimed at— In sub-paragraph (3) “employee” does not include a person employed to work wholly or mainly outside the United Kingdom; and for the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) no regard is to be had to such a person.
This Part of this Schedule applies to the directors' report for a financial year if the company had securities carrying voting rights admitted to trading on a regulated market at the end of that year. The report shall contain detailed information, by reference to the end of that year, on the following matters— For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(a) a company's capital includes any securities in the company that are not admitted to trading on a regulated market. For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(c) a person has an indirect holding of securities if— Sub-paragraph (2)(j) does not apply to an agreement if— In this paragraph—
Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule— in either case in the order and under the headings and sub-headings given in the format adopted. Sub-paragraph (1) above is not to be read as requiring the heading or sub-heading for any item to be distinguished by any letter or number assigned to that item in the format adopted.
paragraphs 2 to 6 relate to a company's individual accounts modified as for a small company.
paragraphs 7 and 8 relate to a company's individual accounts modified as for a medium-sized company, and
paragraphs 9 to 11 relate to both cases.
Where in accordance with paragraph 1 a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account for any financial year has been prepared by reference to one of the formats set out in section B below, the directors of the company shall adopt the same format in preparing the accounts for subsequent financial years of the company unless in their opinion there are special reasons for a change. Particulars of any change in the format adopted in preparing a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be disclosed, and the reasons for the change shall be explained, in a note to the accounts in which the new format is first adopted.
Any item required in accordance with paragraph 1 to be shown in a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may be shown in greater detail than required by the format adopted. A small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may include an item representing or covering the amount of any asset or liability, income or expenditure not otherwise covered by any of the items listed in the format adopted, but the following shall not be treated as assets in any small company’s balance sheet— In preparing a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account the directors of the company shall adapt the arrangement and headings and sub-headings otherwise required by paragraph 1 in respect of items to which an Arabic number is assigned in the format adopted, in any case where the special nature of the company’s business requires such adaptation. Items to which Arabic numbers are assigned in any of the formats set out in section B below may be combined in a small company’s accounts for any financial year if either— but in a case within paragraph (b) the individual amounts of any items so combined shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Subject to paragraph 4(3) below, a heading or sub-heading corresponding to an item listed in the format adopted in preparing a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account shall not be included if there is no amount to be shown for that item in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates. Every profit and loss account of a small company shall show the amount of the company’s profit or loss on ordinary activities before taxation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In respect of every item shown in a small company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates shall also be shown. Where that corresponding amount is not comparable with the amount to be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, the former amount may be adjusted and particulars of the non-comparability and of any adjustment shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Paragraph 3(5) does not apply in any case where an amount can be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, and that amount shall be shown under the heading or sub-heading required by paragraph 1 for that item.
Amounts in respect of items representing assets or income may not be set off against amounts in respect of items representing liabilities or expenditure (as the case may be), or vice versa.
References in this Part of this Schedule to the items listed in any of the formats set out below are to those items read together with any of the notes following the formats which apply to any of those items, and the requirement imposed by paragraph 1 to show the items listed in any such format in the order adopted in the format is subject to any provision in those notes for alternative positions for any particular items.
the aggregate of the amounts required by note (5) of the notes on the balance sheet formats set out in Schedule 4 Part I to be shown separately for each item included under debtors (amounts falling due after one year), and
the aggregate of the amounts required by note (13) of those notes to be shown separately for each item included under creditors in Format 2 (amounts falling due within one year or after more than one year).
A number in brackets following any item in any of the formats set out below is a reference to the note of that number in the notes following the formats.
In the notes following the formats—
the heading of each note gives the required heading or sub-heading for the item to which it applies and a reference to any letters and numbers assigned to that item in the formats set out below (taking a reference in the case of Format 2 of the balance sheet formats to the item listed under “Assets” or under “Liabilities” as the case may require); and
references to a numbered format are to the balance sheet format or (as the case may require) to the profit and loss account format of that number set out below.
Subject to paragraph 15 below, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a small company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 10 to 14.
they rely on sections 247 to 249 of this Act as entitling them to deliver modified accounts, and
they do so on the ground that the company is entitled to the benefit of those sections as a small or (as the case may be) a medium-sized company;
The company shall be presumed to be carrying on business as a going concern.
Accounting policies shall be applied consistently within the same accounts and from one financial year to the next.
the company is entitled to the benefit of those sections on the ground claimed by the directors in their statement under paragraph 9, and
the accounts comprised in the documents delivered as modified accounts are properly prepared in accordance with this Schedule,
The amount of any item shall be determined on a prudent basis, and in particular—
only profits realised at the balance sheet date shall be included in the profit and loss account; and
all liabilities . . . which have arisen . . . in respect of the financial year to which the accounts relate or a previous financial year shall be taken into account, including those which only become apparent between the balance sheet date and the date on which it is signed on behalf of the board of directors in pursuance of section 233 of this Act.
All income and charges relating to the financial year to which the accounts relate shall be taken into account, without regard to the date of receipt or payment.
In determining the aggregate amount of any item the amount of each individual asset or liability that falls to be taken into account shall be determined separately.
If it appears to the directors of a small company that there are special reasons for departing from any of the principles stated above in preparing the company’s accounts in respect of any financial year they may do so, but particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
Subject to sections C and D of this Part of this Schedule, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a small company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the rules set out in paragraphs 17 to 28.
Subject to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value made in accordance with paragraph 18 or 19 the amount to be included in respect of any fixed asset shall be its purchase price or production cost.
In the case of any fixed asset which has a limited useful economic life, the amount of— shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over the period of the asset’s useful economic life.
its purchase price or production cost; or
where it is estimated that any such asset will have a residual value at the end of the period of its useful economic life, its purchase price or production cost less that estimated residual value;
Where a fixed asset investment of a description falling to be included under item B.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule has diminished in value provisions for diminution in value may be made in respect of it and the amount to be included in respect of it may be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Provisions for diminution in value shall be made in respect of any fixed asset which has diminished in value if the reduction in its value is expected to be permanent (whether its useful economic life is limited or not), and the amount to be included in respect of it shall be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Where the reasons for which any provision was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (2) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary; and any amounts written back in accordance with this sub -paragraph which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts.
Notwithstanding that an item in respect of “development costs” is included under “fixed assets” in the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule, an amount may only be included in a small company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs in special circumstances. If any amount is included in a small company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs the following information shall be given in a note to the accounts—
The application of paragraphs 17 to 19 in relation to goodwill (in any case where goodwill is treated as an asset) is subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, the amount of the consideration for any goodwill acquired by a small company shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over a period chosen by the directors of the company. The period chosen shall not exceed the useful economic life of the goodwill in question. In any case where any goodwill acquired by a small company is shown or included as an asset in the company’s balance sheet the period chosen for writing off the consideration for that goodwill and the reasons for choosing that period shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to paragraph 23, the amount to be included in respect of any current asset shall be its purchase price or production cost.
If the net realisable value of any current asset is lower than its purchase price or production cost the amount to be included in respect of that asset shall be the net realisable value. Where the reasons for which any provision for diminution in value was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary.
the company is entitled to the benefit of that section on the ground claimed by the directors in their statement in the balance sheet, and
the accounts comprised in the documents delivered as modified accounts are properly prepared in accordance with this Schedule,
Paragraph 24 above does not apply where the company is exempt by virtue of section 249A (certain categories of small companies) from the obligation to appoint auditors.
The directors of a company must, in determining how amounts are presented within items in the profit and loss account and balance sheet, have regard to the substance of the reported transaction or arrangement, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice.
Called up share capital not paid(1)
Current assets Stocks Debtors(5) Investments Cash at bank and in hand
Prepayments and accrued income(6)
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Bank loans and overdrafts
Trade creditors
Amounts owed to group undertakings and undertakings in which the company has a participating interest
Other creditors(7)
Net current assets (liabilities)(8)
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
Bank loans and overdrafts
Trade creditors
Amounts owed to group undertakings and undertakings in which the company has a participating interest
Other creditors(7)
Provisions for liabilities
Accruals and deferred income(7)
Capital and reserves Called up share capital(9) Share premium account Revaluation reserve Other reserves Profit and loss account
Called up share capital not paid(1)
Current assets Stocks Debtors(5) Investments Cash at bank and in hand
Prepayments and accrued income(6)
Capital and reserves Called up share capital(9) Share premium account Revaluation reserve Other reserves Profit and loss account
Provisions for liabilities
Creditors(10)
Bank loans and overdrafts
Trade creditors
Amounts owed to group undertakings and undertakings in which the company has a participating interest
Other creditors(7)
Accruals and deferred income(7)
(1)Called up share capital not paid (Formats 1 and 2, items A and C.II.3.) This item may either be shown at item A or included under item C.II.3 in Format 1 or 2. (2)Goodwill (Formats 1 and 2, item B.I.1.) Amounts representing goodwill shall only be included to the extent that the goodwill was acquired for valuable consideration. (3)Other intangible assets (Formats 1 and 2, item B.I.2.) Amounts in respect of concessions, patents, licences, trade marks and similar rights and assets shall only be included in a company’s balance sheet under this item if either— the assets were acquired for valuable consideration and are not required to be shown under goodwill; or the assets in question were created by the company itself. (4)Others: Other investments (Formats 1 and 2, items B.III.4 and C.III.2.) Where amounts in respect of own shares held are included under either of these items, the nominal value of such shares shall be shown separately. (5)Debtors (Formats 1 and 2, items C.II.1 to 3.) The amount falling due after more than one year shall be shown separately for each item included under debtors unless the aggregate amount of debtors falling due after more than one year is disclosed in the notes to the accounts. (6)Prepayments and accrued income (Formats 1 and 2, item D.) This item may alternatively be included under item C.II.3 in Format 1 or 2. (7)Other creditors (Format 1, items E.4, H.4 and J and Format 2, items C.4 and D.) There shall be shown separately— the amount of any convertible loans, and the amount for creditors in respect of taxation and social security. Payments received on account of orders shall be included in so far as they are not shown as deductions from stocks. In Format 1, accruals and deferred income may be shown under item J or included under item E.4 or H.4, or both (as the case may require). In Format 2, accruals and deferred income may be shown under item D or within item C.4 under Liabilities. (8)Net current assets (liabilities) (Format 1, item F.) In determining the amount to be shown under this item any prepayments and accrued income shall be taken into account wherever shown. (9)Called up share capital (Format 1, item K.I and Format 2, item A.I.) The amount of allotted share capital and the amount of called up share capital which has been paid up shall be shown separately. (10)Creditors (Format 2, items C.1 to 4.) Amounts falling due within one year and after one year shall be shown separately for each of these items and for the aggregate of all of these items unless the aggregate amount of creditors falling due within one year and the aggregate amount of creditors falling due after more than one year is disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
1. Turnover 2. Cost of sales(11) 3. Gross profit or loss 4. Distribution costs(11) 5. Administrative expenses(11) 6. Other operating income 7. Income from shares in group undertakings 8. Income from participating interests 9. Income from other fixed asset investments(12) 10. Other interest receivable and similar income(12) 11. Amounts written off investments 12. Interest payable and similar charges(13) 13. Tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities 14. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 15. Extraordinary income 16. Extraordinary charges 17. Extraordinary profit or loss 18. Tax on extraordinary profit or loss 19. Other taxes not shown under the above items 20. Profit or loss for the financial year
1. Turnover 2. Change in stocks of finished goods and in work in progress 3. Own work capitalised 4. Other operating income 5. Raw materials and consumables Other external charges 6. Staff costs: wages and salaries social security costs other pension costs 7. Depreciation and other amounts written off tangible and intangible fixed assets Exceptional amounts written off current assets 8. Other operating charges 9. Income from shares in group undertakings 10. Income from participating interests 11. Income from other fixed asset investments(12) 12. Other interest receivable and similar income(12) 13. Amounts written off investments 14. Interest payable and similar charges(13) 15. Tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities 16. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 17. Extraordinary income 18. Extraordinary charges 19. Extraordinary profit or loss 20. Tax on extraordinary profit or loss 21. Other taxes not shown under the above items 22. Profit or loss for the financial year
1. Cost of sales(11) 2. Distribution costs(11) 3. Administrative expenses(11) 4. Amounts written off investments 5. Interest payable and similar charges(13) 6. Tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities 7. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 8. Extraordinary charges 9. Tax on extraordinary profit or loss 10. Other taxes not shown under the above items 11. Profit or loss for the financial year
1. Turnover 2. Other operating income 3. Income from shares in group undertakings 4. Income from participating interests 5. Income from other fixed asset investments(12) 6. Other interest receivable and similar income(12) 7. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 8. Extraordinary income 9. Profit or loss for the financial year
3. Staff costs:
wages and salaries
social security costs
other pension costs
4. 5. Other operating charges 6. Amounts written off investments 7. Interest payable and similar charges(13) 8. Tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities 9. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 10. Extraordinary charges 11. Tax on extraordinary profit or loss 12. Other taxes not shown under the above items 13. Profit or loss for the financial year
Depreciation and other amounts written off tangible and intangible fixed assets
Exceptional amounts written off current assets
1. Turnover 2. Increase in stocks of finished goods and in work in progress 3. Own work capitalised 4. Other operating income 5. Income from shares in group undertakings 6. Income from participating interests 7. Income from other fixed asset investments(12) 8. Other interest receivable and similar income(12) 9. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 10. Extraordinary income 11. Profit or loss for the financial year
(11)Cost of sales: distribution costs: administrative expenses (Format 1, items 2, 4 and 5 and Format 3, items A.1, 2 and 3.) These items shall be stated after taking into account any necessary provisions for depreciation or diminution in value of assets. (12)Income from other fixed asset investments: other interest receivable and similar income (Format 1, items 9 and 10: Format 2, items 11 and 12: Format 3, items B.5 and 6: Format 4, items B.7 and 8.) Income and interest derived from group undertakings shall be shown separately from income and interest derived from other sources. (13)Interest payable and similar charges (Format 1, item 12: Format 2, item 14: Format 3, item A.5: Format 4, item A.7.) The amount payable to group undertakings shall be shown separately. (14)Formats 1 and 3 The amount of any provisions for depreciation and diminution in value of tangible and intangible fixed assets falling to be shown under items 7(a) and A.4(a) respectively in Formats 2 and 4 shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts in any case where the profit and loss account is prepared by reference to Format 1 or Format 3.
Excess of money owed over value received as an asset item
Where the amount repayable on any debt owed by a small company is greater than the value of the consideration received in the transaction giving rise to the debt, the amount of the difference may be treated as an asset. Where any such amount is so treated—
Subject to the following sub-paragraph, assets which fall to be included— may be included at a fixed quantity and value. Sub-paragraph (1) applies to assets of a kind which are constantly being replaced, where—
The purchase price of an asset shall be determined by adding to the actual price paid any expenses incidental to its acquisition. The production cost of an asset shall be determined by adding to the purchase price of the raw materials and consumables used the amount of the costs incurred by the company which are directly attributable to the production of that asset. In addition, there may be included in the production cost of an asset— provided, however, in a case within paragraph (b) above, that the inclusion of the interest in determining the cost of that asset and the amount of the interest so included is disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of current assets distribution costs may not be included in production costs.
The method chosen must be one which appears to the directors to be appropriate in the circumstances of the company. Those methods are— For the purposes of this paragraph, assets of any description shall be regarded as fungible if assets of that description are substantially indistinguishable one from another.
Where there is no record of the purchase price or production cost of any asset of a small company or of any price, expenses or costs relevant for determining its purchase price or production cost in accordance with paragraph 26, or any such record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, its purchase price or production cost shall be taken for the purposes of paragraphs 17 to 23 to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition or production by the company.
The rules set out in section B are referred to below in this Schedule as the historical cost accounting rules. Those rules, with the omission of paragraphs 16, 21 and 25 to 28, are referred to below in this Part of this Schedule as the depreciation rules; and references below in this Schedule to the historical cost accounting rules do not include the depreciation rules as they apply by virtue of paragraph 32.
Subject to paragraphs 32 to 34, the amounts to be included in respect of assets of any description mentioned in paragraph 31 may be determined on any basis so mentioned.
Intangible fixed assets, other than goodwill, may be included at their current cost. Tangible fixed assets may be included at a market value determined as at the date of their last valuation or at their current cost. Investments of any description falling to be included under item B.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule may be included either— but in the latter case particulars of the method of valuation adopted and of the reasons for adopting it shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Investments of any description falling to be included under item C.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule may be included at their current cost. Stocks may be included at their current cost.
Where the value of any asset of a small company is determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, that value shall be, or (as the case may require) be the starting point for determining, the amount to be included in respect of that asset in the company’s accounts, instead of its purchase price or production cost or any value previously so determined for that asset; and the depreciation rules shall apply accordingly in relation to any such asset with the substitution for any reference to its purchase price or production cost of a reference to the value most recently determined for that asset on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31. The amount of any provision for depreciation required in the case of any fixed asset by paragraph 18 or 19 as it applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is referred to below in this paragraph as the adjusted amount, and the amount of any provision which would be required by that paragraph in the case of that asset according to the historical cost accounting rules is referred to as the historical cost amount. Where sub-paragraph (1) applies in the case of any fixed asset the amount of any provision for depreciation in respect of that asset— may be the historical cost amount instead of the adjusted amount, provided that the amount of any difference between the two is shown separately in the profit and loss account or in a note to the accounts.
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in respect of assets covered by any items shown in a small company’s accounts have been determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31. The items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of each balance sheet item affected (except stocks) either— shall be shown separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts. In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined as there mentioned are references to—
With respect to any determination of the value of an asset of a small company on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, the amount of any profit or loss arising from that determination (after allowing, where appropriate, for any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value made otherwise than by reference to the value so determined and any adjustments of any such provisions made in the light of that determination) shall be credited or (as the case may be) debited to a separate reserve ( “the revaluation reserve”). The amount of the revaluation reserve shall be shown in the company’s balance sheet under a separate sub-heading in the position given for the item “revaluation reserve” in Format 1 or 2 of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule, but need not be shown under that name. An amount may be transferred— and the revaluation reserve shall be reduced to the extent that the amounts transferred to it are no longer necessary for the purposes of the valuation method used. In sub-paragraph (3)(a)(ii) “capitalisation”, in relation to an amount standing to the credit of the revaluation reserve, means applying it in wholly or partly paying up unissued shares in the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully or partly paid shares. The revaluation reserve shall not be reduced except as mentioned in this paragraph. The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the revaluation reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), financial instruments (including derivatives) may be included at fair value. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to financial instruments which constitute liabilities unless– Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to– If the fair value of a financial instrument cannot be determined reliably in accordance with paragraph 34B, sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to that financial instrument. In this paragraph–
“associated undertaking” has the meaning given by paragraph 20 of Schedule 4A; and
The fair value of a financial instrument is determined in accordance with this paragraph. If a reliable market can readily be identified for the financial instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to its market value. If a reliable market cannot readily be identified for the financial instrument but can be identified for its components or for a similar instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to the market value of its components or of the similar instrument. If neither sub-paragraph (2) nor (3) applies, the fair value of the financial instrument is a value resulting from generally accepted valuation models and techniques. Any valuation models and techniques used for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) must ensure a reasonable approximation of the market value.
A company may include any assets and liabilities that qualify as hedged items under a fair value hedge accounting system, or identified portions of such assets or liabilities, at the amount required under that system.
This paragraph applies to– that, under international accounting standards, may be included in accounts at fair value. Such investment property and such living animals and plants may be included at fair value, provided that all such investment property or, as the case may be, all such living animals and plants are so included where their fair value can reliably be determined. In this paragraph, “fair value” means fair value determined in accordance with relevant international accounting standards.
This paragraph applies where a financial instrument is valued in accordance with paragraph 34A or 34C or an asset is valued in accordance with paragraph 34D. Notwithstanding paragraph 12 of this Schedule, and subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below, a change in the value of the financial instrument or of the investment property or living animal or plant must be included in the profit and loss account. Where– the amount of the change in value must be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from a separate reserve (“the fair value reserve”). Where the instrument accounted for– the change in value may be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from the fair value reserve.
The fair value reserve must be adjusted to the extent that the amounts shown in it are no longer necessary for the purposes of paragraph 34E(3) or (4). The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the fair value reserve must be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Any information required in the case of any small company by the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule shall (if not given in the company’s accounts) be given by way of a note to those accounts.
There must be stated–
any amount set aside or proposed to be set aside to, or withdrawn or proposed to be withdrawn from, reserves,
the aggregate amount of dividends paid in the financial year (other than those for which a liability existed at the immediately preceding balance sheet date),
the aggregate amount of dividends that the company is liable to pay at the balance sheet date, and
the aggregate amount of dividends that are proposed before the date of approval of the accounts, and not otherwise disclosed under paragraph (b) or (c).
The accounting policies adopted by the company in determining the amounts to be included in respect of items shown in the balance sheet and in determining the profit or loss of the company shall be stated (including such policies with respect to the depreciation and diminution in value of assets).
Paragraphs 38 to 47 require information which either supplements the information given with respect to any particular items shown in the balance sheet or is otherwise relevant to assessing the company’s state of affairs in the light of the information so given.
The following information shall be given with respect to the company’s share capital— In the case of any part of the allotted share capital that consists of redeemable shares, the following information shall be given—
If the company has allotted any shares during the financial year, the following information shall be given—
the classes of shares allotted; and
as respects each class of shares, the number allotted, their aggregate nominal value, and the consideration received by the company for the allotment.
In respect of each item which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown under the general item “fixed assets” in the company’s balance sheet the following information shall be given— The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(a) to the appropriate amounts in respect of any item as at any date there mentioned is a reference to amounts representing the aggregate amounts determined, as at that date, in respect of assets falling to be included under that item on either of the following bases, that is to say— (leaving out of account in either case any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value). In respect of each item within sub-paragraph (1)— shall also be stated.
Where any fixed assets of the company (other than listed investments) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet at an amount determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, the following information shall be given—
the years (so far as they are known to the directors) in which the assets were severally valued and the several values; and
in the case of assets that have been valued during the financial year, the names of the persons who valued them or particulars of their qualifications for doing so and (whichever is stated) the bases of valuation used by them.
In respect of the amount of each item which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown in the company’s balance sheet under the general item “investments” (whether as fixed assets or as current assets) there shall be stated how much of that amount is ascribable to listed investments. Where the amount of any listed investments is stated for any item in accordance with sub-paragraph (1), the following amounts shall also be stated—
This paragraph applies where financial instruments have been valued in accordance with paragraph 34A or 34C. There must be stated– Where any amount is transferred to or from the fair value reserve during the financial year, there must be stated in tabular form–
Sub-paragraph (2) applies if– There must be stated–
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in a company’s accounts in respect of investment property or living animals and plants have been determined in accordance with paragraph 34D. The balance sheet items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item must be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of investment property, for each balance sheet item affected there must be shown, either separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts– In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined in accordance with that sub-paragraph are references to–
Where any amount is transferred— and the reserves or provisions are or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown as separate items in the company’s balance sheet, the information mentioned in the following sub-paragraph shall be given in respect of the aggregate of reserves or provisions included in the same item. That information is— Particulars shall be given of each provision included in the item “other provisions” in the company’s balance sheet in any case where the amount of that provision is material.
For the aggregate of all items shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate of the following amounts, that is to say— In respect of each item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate amount of any debts included under that item in respect of which any security has been given by the company. References above in this paragraph to an item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet include references, where amounts falling due to creditors within one year and after more than one year are distinguished in the balance sheet— and references to items shown under “creditors” include references to items which would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown under that heading.
If any fixed cumulative dividends on the company’s shares are in arrear, there shall be stated—
the amount of the arrears; and
the period for which the dividends or, if there is more than one class, each class of them are in arrear.
Particulars shall be given of any charge on the assets of the company to secure the liabilities of any other person, including, where practicable, the amount secured. The following information shall be given with respect to any other contingent liability not provided for— There shall be stated, where practicable, the aggregate amount or estimated amount of contracts for capital expenditure, so far as not provided for. Particulars shall be given of— and where any such commitment relates wholly or partly to pensions payable to past directors of the company separate particulars shall be given of that commitment so far as it relates to such pensions. Particulars shall also be given of any other financial commitments which— Commitments within any of sub-paragraphs (1) to (5) which are undertaken on behalf of or for the benefit of— shall be stated separately from the other commitments within that sub-paragraph, and commitments within paragraph (a) shall also be stated separately from those within paragraph (b).
Particulars shall be given of any case where the purchase price or production cost of any asset is for the first time determined under paragraph 28.
Paragraphs 49 and 50 require information which either supplements the information given with respect to any particular items shown in the profit and loss account or otherwise provides particulars of income or expenditure of the company or of circumstances affecting the items shown in the profit and loss account.
If the company has supplied geographical markets outside the United Kingdom during the financial year in question, there shall be stated the percentage of its turnover that, in the opinion of the directors, is attributable to those markets. In analysing for the purposes of this paragraph the source of turnover, the directors of the company shall have regard to the manner in which the company’s activities are organised.
Where any amount relating to any preceding financial year is included in any item in the profit and loss account, the effect shall be stated. Particulars shall be given of any extraordinary income or charges arising in the financial year. The effect shall be stated of any transactions that are exceptional by virtue of size or incidence though they fall within the ordinary activities of the company.
Where sums originally denominated in foreign currencies have been brought into account under any items shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, the basis on which those sums have been translated into sterling shall be stated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where the directors of a company take advantage of the exemption conferred by section 249AA, and the company has during the financial year in question acted as an agent for any person, the fact that it has so acted must be stated.
The following paragraphs apply for the purposes of this Schedule and its interpretation.
References to “derivatives” include commodity-based contracts that give either contracting party the right to settle in cash or in some other financial instrument, except when such contracts–
were entered into for the purpose of, and continue to meet, the company’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements,
were designated for such purpose at their inception, and
are expected to be settled by delivery of the commodity.
The expressions listed in sub-paragraph (2) have the same meaning as they have in Council Directive 78/660/EEC on the annual accounts of certain types of companies, as amended. Those expressions are “available for sale financial asset”, “business combination”, “commodity-based contracts”, “derivative”, “equity instrument”, “exchange difference”, “fair value hedge accounting system”, “financial fixed asset”, “financial instrument”, “foreign entity”, “hedge accounting”, “hedge accounting system”, “hedged items”, “hedging instrument”, “held for trading purposes”, “held to maturity”, “monetary item”, “receivables”, “reliable market” and “trading portfolio”
References to the historical cost accounting rules shall be read in accordance with paragraph 29.
“Investment property” means land held to earn rent or for capital appreciation.
“Listed investment” means an investment as respects which there has been granted a listing on— “Recognised investment exchange” and “overseas investment exchange” have the meaning given in Part 18 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A loan is treated as falling due for repayment, and an instalment of a loan is treated as falling due for payment, on the earliest date on which the lender could require repayment or (as the case may be) payment, if he exercised all options and rights available to him.
Amounts which in the particular context of any provision of this Schedule are not material may be disregarded for the purposes of that provision.
References to provisions for depreciation or diminution in value of assets are to any amount written off by way of providing for depreciation or diminution in value of assets. Any reference in the profit and loss account formats set out in Part I of this Schedule to the depreciation of, or amounts written off, assets of any description is to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value of assets of that description.
References to provisions for liabilities are to any amount retained as reasonably necessary for the purpose of providing for any liability the nature of which is clearly defined and which is either likely to be incurred, or certain to be incurred but uncertain as to amount or as to the date on which it will arise.
“Social security costs” means any contributions by the company to any state social security or pension scheme, fund or arrangement. “Pension costs” includes any costs incurred by the company in respect of any pension scheme established for the purpose of providing pensions for persons currently or formerly employed by the company, any sums set aside for the future payment of pensions directly by the company to current or former employees and any pensions paid directly to such persons without having first been set aside. Any amount stated in respect of the item “social security costs” or in respect of the item “wages and salaries” in the company’s profit and loss account shall be determined by reference to payments made or costs incurred in respect of all persons employed by the company during the financial year under contracts of service.
Where a banking company, or a company which is the holding company of a credit institution, prepares annual accounts for a financial year, it need not comply with the provisions of Part II of Schedule 6 (loans, quasi-loans and other dealings) in relation to a transaction or arrangement of a kind mentioned in section 197, 198, 200, 201 or 203 of the Companies Act 2006 , or an agreement to enter into such a transaction or arrangement, to which that banking company or (as the case may be) credit institution is a party.
any part of the issued capital that consists of redeemable shares, the earliest and latest dates on which the company has power to redeem those shares, whether those shares must be redeemed in any event or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the company or of the shareholder and whether any (and, if so, what) premium is payable on redemption;
so far as the information is not given in the profit and loss account, any share capital on which interest has been paid out of capital during the financial year, and the rate at which interest has been so paid ;
the amount of the share premium account;
particulars of any redeemed debentures which the company has power to re-issue.
Where a banking company, or a company which is the holding company of a credit institution, takes advantage of the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Part of this Schedule for the purposes of its annual accounts for a financial year, then, in preparing those accounts, it shall comply with the provisions of Part III of Schedule 6 (other transactions, arrangements and agreements) only in relation to a transaction, arrangement or agreement made by that banking company or (as the case may be) credit institution for— References in that Part to officers of the company shall be construed accordingly as including references to such persons. In this paragraph— For the purposes of that Part as it applies by virtue of this paragraph, a body corporate which a person does not control shall not be treated as connected with him. Sections 252 to 255 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Companies Act 2006 apply for the purposes of this paragraph as regards the interpretation of references to a person being connected with a director or controlling a body corporate.
a person who was a director of the company preparing the accounts, or who was connected with such a director, or
a person who was a chief executive or manager . . . of that company or its holding company.
the amount of the discount allowed on any issue of shares or debentures;
any sums allowed by way of discount in respect of any debentures; and
the amount of the discount allowed on any issue of shares at a discount.
In respect of every item shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, there shall be shown or stated the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the accounts relate. Where the corresponding amount is not comparable with the amount to be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, the former amount may be adjusted and particulars of the non-comparability and of any adjustment shall be given in a note to the accounts. Paragraph 3(4) does not apply in any case where an amount can be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, and that amount shall be shown under the heading or sub-heading required by paragraph 1 for that item.
The method of arriving at the amount of any fixed asset shall, subject to the next following sub-paragraph, be to take the difference between— and for the purposes of this paragraph the net amount at which any assets stood in the company's books on 1st July 1948 (after deduction of the amounts previously provided or written off for depreciation or diminution in value) shall, if the figures relating to the period before that date cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, be treated as if it were the amount of a valuation of those assets made at that date and, where any of those assets are sold, the said net amount less the amount of the sales shall be treated as if it were the amount of a valuation so made of the remaining assets. The foregoing sub-paragraph shall not apply— For the assets under each heading whose amount is arrived at in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph, there shall be shown— As respects the assets under each heading whose amount is not arrived at in accordance with the said sub-paragraph (1) because their replacement is provided for as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(b) of this paragraph, there shall be stated—
In the case of unlisted investments consisting in equity share capital of other bodies corporate (other than any whose values as estimated by the directors are separately shown, either individually or collectively or as to some individually and as to the rest collectively, and are so shown either as the amount thereof, or by way of note), the matters referred to in the following heads shall, if not otherwise shown, be stated by way of note or in a statement or report annexed:—
the aggregate amount of the company's income for the financial year that is ascribable to the investments;
the amount of the company's share before taxation, and the amount of that share after taxation, of the net aggregate amount of the profits of the bodies in which the investments are held, being profits for the several periods to which accounts sent by them during the financial year to the company related, after deducting those bodies' losses for those periods (or vice versa);
the amount of the company's share of the net aggregate amount of the undistributed profits accumulated by the bodies in which the investments are held since the time when the investments were acquired after deducting the losses accumulated by them since that time (or vice versa);
the manner in which any losses incurred by the said bodies have been dealt with in the company's accounts.
this paragraph shall not require a separate statement of either of the said amounts which is not material; and
The following provisions apply where the parent company of a banking group has a subsidiary undertaking which: Information as to the nature and terms of the operations shall be given in a note to the group accounts and there shall be appended to the copy of the group accounts delivered to the registrar in accordance with section 242 a copy of the undertaking’s latest individual accounts and, if it is a parent undertaking, its latest group accounts.
the Secretary of State may direct that a separate statement shall not be required of the amount of provisions where he is satisfied that that is not required in the public interest and would prejudice the company, but subject to the condition that any heading stating an amount arrived at after taking into account a provision (other than as aforesaid) shall be so framed or marked as to indicate that fact.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References in this Part of this Schedule to the balance sheet format or to profit and loss account formats are to the balance sheet format or profit and loss account formats set out below and references to the items listed in any of the formats are to those items read together with any of the notes following the formats which apply to any of those items. The requirement imposed by paragraph 1 of this Part of this Schedule to show the items listed in any such format in the order adopted in the format is subject to any provision in the notes following the formats for alternative positions for any particular items.
A number in brackets following any item in any of the formats set out below is a reference to the note of that number in the notes following the formats
The amount of any assets that are subordinated must be shown either as a subdivision of any relevant asset item or in the notes to the accounts; in the latter case disclosure shall be by reference to the relevant asset item or items in which the assets are included. In the case of Assets items 2 to 5 in the balance sheet format, the amounts required to be shown by note (20) to the format as sub-items of those items shall be further subdivided so as to show the amount of any claims included therein that are subordinated. For this purpose, assets are subordinated if there is a contractual obligation to the effect that, in the event of winding up or bankruptcy, they are to be repaid only after the claims of other creditors have been met, whether or not a ranking has been agreed between the subordinated creditors concerned.
Where a company is a party to a syndicated loan transaction the company shall include only that part of the total loan which it itself has funded. Where a company is a party to a syndicated loan transaction and has agreed to reimburse (in whole or in part) any other party to the syndicate any funds advanced by that party or any interest thereon upon the occurrence of any event, including the default of the borrower, any additional liability by reason of such a guarantee shall be included as a contingent liability in Memorandum item 1, sub-item (2).
The following rules apply where a company is a party to a sale and repurchase transaction. Where the company is the transferor of the assets under the transaction: Where the company is the transferee of the assets under the transaction it shall not include the assets transferred in its balance sheet but the purchase price paid by it to the transferor shall be so included as an amount owed by the transferor.
The following rules apply where a company is a party to a sale and option to resell transaction. Where the company is the transferor of the assets under the transaction it shall not include in its balance sheet the assets transferred but it shall enter under Memorandum item 2 an amount equal to the price agreed in the event of repurchase. Where the company is the transferee of the assets under the transaction it shall include those assets in its balance sheet.
For the purposes of this paragraph “managed funds” are funds which the company administers in its own name but on behalf of others and to which it has legal title. The company shall, in any case where claims and obligations arising in respect of managed funds fall to be treated as claims and obligations of the company, adopt the following accounting treatment: claims and obligations representing managed funds are to be included in the company’s balance sheet, with the notes to the accounts disclosing the total amount included with respect to such assets and liabilities in the balance sheet and showing the amount included under each relevant balance sheet item in respect of such assets or (as the case may be) liabilities.
Subject to paragraph 22 below, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 17 to 21.
The company shall be presumed to be carrying on business as a going concern.
Accounting policies shall be applied consistently within the same accounts and from one financial year to the next.
Accounting policies shall be applied consistently within the same accounts and from one financial year to the next. If it appears to the directors of a company that there are special reasons for departing from the principle stated in sub-paragraph (1) in preparing the company’s accounts in respect of any financial year, they may do so; but particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
It shall be stated whether the accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, and particulars of any material departure from those standards and the reasons for it shall be given.
In respect of every item shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, or stated in a note to the accounts, there shall be shown or stated the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the accounts relate, subject to sub-paragraph (3). Where the corresponding amount is not comparable, it shall be adjusted and particulars of the adjustment and the reasons for it shall be given in a note to the accounts. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to an amount shown—
The amount of any item shall be determined on a prudent basis, and in particular:
only profits realised at the balance sheet date shall be included in the profit and loss account; and
all liabilities . . . which have arisen . . . in respect of the financial year to which the accounts relate or a previous financial year shall be taken into account, including those which only become apparent between the balance sheet date and the date on which it is signed on behalf of the board of directors in pursuance of section 233 of this Act.
All income and charges relating to the financial year to which the accounts relate shall be taken into account, without regard to the date of receipt or payment.
In determining the aggregate amount of any item the amount of each individual asset or liability that falls to be taken into account shall be determined separately.
If it appears to the directors of a company that there are special reasons for departing from any of the principles stated above in preparing the company’s accounts in respect of any financial year they may do so, but particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
Subject to paragraphs 39 to 44F of this Part of this Schedule, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the rules set out in paragraphs 24 to 38 of this Part of this Schedule.
section 231 as applying Schedule 5, but only Parts II, V and VI of that Schedule, and
sections 232 to 234 and Schedule 6, so far as relating to accounts other than group accounts,
Subject to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value made in accordance with paragraph 25 or 26 the amount to be included in respect of any fixed asset shall be its cost.
In the case of any fixed asset which has a limited useful economic life, the amount of: shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over the period of the asset’s useful economic life.
its cost; or
where it is estimated that any such asset will have a residual value at the end of the period of its useful economic life, its cost less that estimated residual value;
Where a fixed asset investment of a description falling to be included under Assets items 7 (Participating interests) or 8 (Shares in group undertakings) in the balance sheet format, or any other holding of securities held as a financial fixed asset, has diminished in value, provisions for diminution in value may be made in respect of it and the amount to be included in respect of it may be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Provisions for diminution in value shall be made in respect of any fixed asset which has diminished in value if the reduction in its value is expected to be permanent (whether its useful economic life is limited or not), and the amount to be included in respect of it shall be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Where the reasons for which any provision was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (2) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary; and any amounts written back in accordance with this sub-paragraph which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts.
Notwithstanding that amounts representing “development costs” may be included under Assets item 9 in the balance sheet format, an amount may only be included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs in special circumstances. If any amount is included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs the following information shall be given in a note to the accounts:
The application of paragraphs 24 to 26 in relation to goodwill (in any case where goodwill is treated as an asset) is subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below the amount of the consideration for any goodwill acquired by a company shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over a period chosen by the directors of the company. The period chosen shall not exceed the useful economic life of the goodwill in question. In any case where any goodwill acquired by a company is included as an asset in the company’s balance sheet the period chosen for writing off the consideration for that goodwill and the reasons for choosing that period shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Assets included in Assets items 9 (Intangible fixed assets) and 10 (Tangible fixed assets) in the balance sheet format shall be valued as fixed assets.
Other assets falling to be included in the balance sheet shall be valued as fixed assets where they are intended for use on a continuing basis in the company’s activities.
as they apply to the individual accounts of that company, and
as they apply (otherwise than by virtue of paragraphs 21 and 22) to the group accounts prepared by that company.
Where a company is entitled to, and has availed itself of, any of the provisions of paragraph 27 or 28 of this Schedule, section 235(2) only requires the auditors to state whether in their opinion the accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with this Act.
Debt securities, including fixed income securities, held as financial fixed assets shall be included in the balance sheet at an amount equal to their maturity value plus any premium, or less any discount, on their purchase, subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. The amount included in the balance sheet with respect to such securities purchased at a premium shall be reduced each financial year on a systematic basis so as to write the premium off over the period to the maturity date of the security and the amounts so written off shall be charged to the profit and loss account for the relevant financial years. The amount included in the balance sheet with respect to such securities purchased at a discount shall be increased each financial year on a systematic basis so as to extinguish the discount over the period to the maturity date of the security and the amounts by which the amount is increased shall be credited to the profit and loss account for the relevant years. The notes to the accounts shall disclose the amount of any unamortised premium or discount not extinguished which is included in the balance sheet by virtue of sub-paragraph (1). For the purposes of this paragraph “premium” means any excess of the amount paid for a security over its maturity value and “discount” means any deficit of the amount paid for a security over its maturity value.
The amount to be included in respect of loans and advances, debt or other fixed income securities and equity shares or other variable yield securities not held as financial fixed assets shall be their cost, subject to paragraphs 33 and 34 below.
If the net realisable value of any asset referred to in paragraph 32 is lower than its cost the amount to be included in respect of that asset shall be the net realisable value. Where the reasons for which any provision for diminution in value was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary.
Subject to paragraph 33 above, the amount to be included in the balance sheet in respect of transferable securities not held as financial fixed assets may be the higher of their cost or their market value at the balance sheet date. The difference between the cost of any securities included in the balance sheet at a valuation under sub-paragraph (1) and their market value shall be shown (in aggregate) in the notes to the accounts.
Where the amount repayable on any debt owed by a company is greater than the value of the consideration received in the transaction giving rise to the debt, the amount of the difference may be treated as an asset.Schedule 1Part I Where any such amount is so treated:
The cost of an asset that has been acquired by the company shall be determined by adding to the actual price paid any expenses incidental to its acquisition. The cost of an asset constructed by the company shall be determined by adding to the purchase price of the raw materials and consumables used the amount of the costs incurred by the company which are directly attributable to the construction of that asset. In addition, there may be included in the cost of an asset constructed by the company:
Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph and without prejudice to note (6) to the balance sheet format, amounts in respect of items representing assets or income may not be set off against amounts in respect of items representing liabilities or expenditure (as the case may be), or vice versa. Charges required to be included in profit and loss account format 1, items 11(a) and 11(b) or format 2, items A7(a) and A7(b) may however be set off against income required to be included in format 1, items 12(a) and 12(b) or format 2, items B5(a) and B5(b) and the resulting figure shown as a single item (in format 2 at position A7 if negative and at position B5 if positive). Charges required to be included in profit and loss account format 1, item 13 or format 2, item A8 may also be set off against income required to be included in format 1, item 14 or format 2, item B6 and the resulting figure shown as a single item (in format 2 at position A8 if negative and at position B6 if positive).
Assets shall be shown under the relevant balance sheet headings even where the company has pledged them as security for its own liabilities or for those of third parties or has otherwise assigned them as security to third parties. A company shall not include in its balance sheet assets pledged or otherwise assigned to it as security unless such assets are in the form of cash in the hands of the company.
The directors of a company must, in determining how amounts are presented within items in the profit and loss account and balance sheet, have regard to the substance of the reported transaction or arrangement, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice.
ASSETS 1. Cash and balances at central [or post office] banks(1) 2. Treasury bills and other eligible bills(20) Treasury bills and similar securities(2) Other eligible bills(3) 3. Loans and advances to banks(4),(20) Repayable on demand Other loans and advances 4. Loans and advances to customers(5),(20) 5. Debt securities [and other fixed income securities](6),(20) Issued by public bodies Issued by other issuers 7. Participation interests. 8. Shares in group undertakings. 9. Intangible fixed assets(7) 10. Tangible fixed assets(8) 11. Called up capital not paid(9) 12. Own shares(10) 13. Other assets. 14. Called up capital not paid(9) 15. Prepayments and accrued income
Total assets
LIABILITIES 1.Deposits by banks(11),(20) Repayable on demand With agreed maturity dates or periods of notice 2. Customer accounts (12) (20) Repayable on demand With agreed maturity dates or periods of notice 3. Dept securities in issue(13),(20) Bonds and medium term notes Others 4. Other liabilities 5. Accruals and deferred income 6. Provisions for liabilities Provisions for pensions and similar obligations Provisions for tax Other provisions 7. Subordinated(14),(20) 8. Called up sharer capital(15) 9. Share premium account 10. Reserves Capital redemption reserve Reserve for own shares Reserves provided for by the articles of association Other reserves 11. Revaluation reserve 12. Profit and loss account
Total liabilities
MEMORANDUM ITEMS 1. Contingent liabilities(16) (1) Acceptances and endorsements (2) Guarantees and assets pledged as collateral security (17) (3) Other contingent liabilities 2. Commitments(18) (1) Commitments arising out of sale and option to resell transactions (19) (2) Other commitments
Cash and balances at central [or post office] banks (Assets item 1) Cash shall comprise all currency including foreign notes and coins. Only those balances which may be withdrawn without notice and which are deposited with central or post office banks of the country or countries in which the company is established shall be included in this item. All other claims on central or post office banks must be shown under Assets items 3 or 4. Treasury bills and other eligible bills: Treasury bills and similar securities (Assets item 2(a)) Treasury bills and similar securities shall comprise treasury bills and similar debt instruments issued by public bodies which are eligible for refinancing with central banks of the country or countries in which the company is established. Any treasury bills or similar debt instruments not so eligible shall be included under Assets item 5, sub-item (a). Treasury bills and other eligible bills: Other eligible bills (Assets item 2(b)) Other eligible bills shall comprise all bills purchased to the extent that they are eligible, under national law, for refinancing with the central banks of the country or countries in which the company is established. Loans and advances to banks (Assets item 3) Loans and advances to banks shall comprise all loans and advances to domestic or foreign credit institutions made by the company arising out of banking transactions. However loans and advances to credit institutions represented by debt securities or other fixed income securities shall be included under Assets item 5 and not this item. Loans and advances to customers (Assets item 4) Loans and advances to customers shall comprise all types of assets in the form of claims on domestic and foreign customers other than credit institutions. However loans and advances represented by debt securities or other fixed income securities shall be included under Assets item 5 and not this item. Debt securities [and other fixed income securities] (Assets item 5) This item shall comprise transferable debt securities and any other transferable fixed income securities issued by credit institutions, other undertakings or public bodies. Debt securities and other fixed income securities issued by public bodies shall however only be included in this item if they may not be shown under Assets item 2. Where a company holds its own debt securities these shall not be included under this item but shall be deducted from Liabilities item 3(a) or (b), as appropriate. Securities bearing interest rates that vary in accordance with specific factors, for example the interest rate on the inter-bank market or on the Euromarket, shall also be regarded as fixed income securities to be included under this item. Intangible fixed assets (Assets item 9) This item shall comprise: Amounts shall, however, be included in respect of (b) only if the assets were acquired for valuable consideration or the assets in question were created by the company itself. Amounts representing goodwill shall only be included to the extent that the goodwill was acquired for valuable consideration. There shall be disclosed, in a note to the accounts, the amount of any goodwill included in this item. Tangible fixed assets (Assets item 10) This item shall comprise: – land and buildings; – plant and machinery; – fixtures and fittings, tools and equipment; and – payments on account and assets in the course of construction. There shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts the amount included in this item with respect to land and buildings occupied by the company for its own activities. Called up capital not paid (Assets items 11 and 14) The two positions shown for this item are alternatives. Own shares (Assets item 12) The nominal value of the shares held shall be shown separately under this item. Deposits by banks (Liabilities item 1) Deposits by banks shall comprise all amounts arising out of banking transactions owed to other domestic or foreign credit institutions by the company. However liabilities in the form of debt securities and any liabilities for which transferable certificates have been issued shall be included under Liabilities item 3 and not this item. Customer accounts (Liabilities item 2) This item shall comprise all amounts owed to creditors that are not credit institutions. However liabilities in the form of debt securities and any liabilities for which transferable certificates have been issued shall be shown under Liabilities item 3 and not this item. Debt securities in issue (Liabilities item 3) This item shall include both debt securities and debts for which transferable certificates have been issued, including liabilities arising out of own acceptances and promissory notes. (Only acceptances which a company has issued for its own refinancing and in respect of which it is the first party liable shall be treated as own acceptances.) Subordinated liabilities (Liabilities item 7) This item shall comprise all liabilities in respect of which there is a contractual obligation that, in the event of winding up or bankruptcy, they are to be repaid only after the claims of other creditors have been met. This item shall include all subordinated liabilities, whether or not a ranking has been agreed between the subordinated creditors concerned. Called up share capital (Liabilities item 8) The amount of allotted share capital and the amount of called up share capital which has been paid up shall be shown separately. Contingent liabilities (Memorandum item 1) This item shall include all transactions whereby the company has underwritten the obligations of a third party. Liabilities arising out of the endorsement of rediscounted bills shall be included in this item. Acceptances other than own acceptances shall also be included. Contingent liabilities: Guarantees and assets pledged as collateral security (Memorandum item 1(2)) This item shall include all guarantee obligations incurred and assets pledged as collateral security on behalf of third parties, particularly in respect of sureties and irrevocable letters of credit. Commitments (Memorandum item 2) This item shall include every irrevocable commitment which could give rise to a credit risk. Commitments: Commitments arising out of sale and option to resell transactions (Memorandum item 2(1)) This sub-item shall comprise commitments entered into by the company in the context of sale and option to resell transactions. Claims on, and liabilities to, undertakings in which a participating interest is held or group undertakings (Assets items 2 to 5, Liabilities items 1 to 3 and 7) The following information must be given either by way of subdivision of the relevant items or by way of notes to the accounts. The amount of the following must be shown for each of Assets items 2 to 5: claims on group undertakings included therein; and claims on undertakings in which the company has a participating interest included therein. The amount of the following must be shown for each of Liabilities items 1, 2, 3 and 7: liabilities to group undertakings included therein; and liabilities to undertakings in which the company has a participating interest included therein.
4. Fees and commissions receivable(3) 5. Fees and commissions payable(4) 6. Dealing [profits][losses](5) 7. Other operating income 8.Administrative expenses
Staff costs
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
Other administrative expenses
9. Depreciation and amortisation(6) 10. Other operating charges 11. Provisions
Provisions for bad and doubtful debts(7)
Provisions for bad and doubtful debts(7)
Provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments(8)
Provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments(8)
1. Interest payable(2 ) 2.. Fees and commissions payable(4) 3. Dealing losses(5) 4. Administrative expenses Staff costs Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs Other administrative expenses 5. Depreciation and amortisation(6) 6. Other oopserating charges 7. Provisions Provisions for bad and doubtful debts(7) Provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments(8) 8. Amounts written off fixed asset investments(11) 9. Profit on ordinary activities before tax 10. Tax on [profit] [loss] on ordinary activities 11.Profit on ordinary activities after tax 12. Extraordinary charges 13. Tax on extraordinary [profit] [loss] 14. xtraordinary loss after tax 15. Other taxes not shown under the preceding items 16. Profit for the financial year
Interest receivable (Format 1, item 1; Format 2, item B1) This item shall include all income arising out of banking activities, including: income from assets included in Assets items 1 to 5 in the balance sheet format, however calculated; income resulting from covered forward contracts spread over the actual duration of the contract and similar in nature to interest; and fees and commissions receivable similar in nature to interest and calculated on a time basis or by reference to the amount of the claim (but not other fees and commissions receivable). Interest payable (Format 1, item 2; Format 2, item A1) This item shall include all expenditure arising out of banking activities, including: charges arising out of liabilities included in Liabilities items 1, 2, 3 and 7 in the balance sheet format, however calculated; charges resulting from covered forward contracts, spread over the actual duration of the contract and similar in nature to interest; and fees and commissions payable similar in nature to interest and calculated on a time basis or by reference to the amount of the liability (but not other fees and commissions payable). Fees and commissions receivable (Format 1, item 4; Format 2, item B3) Fees and commissions receivable shall comprise income in respect of all services supplied by the company to third parties, but not fees or commissions required to be included under interest receivable (Format 1, item 1; Format 2, item B1). In particular the following fees and commissions receivable must be included (unless required to be included under interest receivable): – fees and commissions for guarantees, loan administration on behalf of other lenders and securities transactions; – fees, commissions and other income in respect of payment transactions, account administra tion charges and commissions for the safe custody and administration of securities; – fees and commissions for foreign currency transactions and for the sale and purchase of coin and precious metals; and – fees and commissions charged for brokerage services in connection with savings and insurance contracts and loans. Fees and commissions payable (Format 1, item 5; Format 2, item A2) Fees and commissions payable shall comprise charges for all services rendered to the company by third parties but not fees or commissions required to be included under interest payable (Format 1, item 2; Format 2, item A1). In particular the following fees and commissions payable must be included (unless required to be included under interest payable): – fees and commissions for guarantees, loan administration and securities transactions; – fees, commissions and other charges in respect of payment transactions, account administra tion charges and commissions for the safe custody and administration of securities; – fees and commissions for foreign currency transactions and for the sale and purchase of coin and precious metals; and – fees and commissions for brokerage services in connection with savings and insurance contracts and loans. Dealing [profits] [losses] (Format 1, item 6; Format 2, items B4 and A3) This item shall comprise: the net profit or net loss on transactions in securities which are not held as financial fixed assets together with amounts written off or written back with respect to such securities, including amounts written off or written back as a result of the application of paragraph 34(1) below; the net profit or loss on exchange activities, save in so far as the profit or loss is included in interest receivable or interest payable (Format 1, items 1 or 2; Format 2, items B1 or A1); and the net profits and losses on other dealing operations involving financial instruments, including precious metals. Depreciation and amortisation (Format 1, item 9; Format 2, item A5) This item shall comprise depreciation and other amounts written off in respect of balance sheet Assets items 9 and 10. Provisions: Provisions for bad and doubtful debts (Format 1, item 11(a); Format 2, item A7(a)) Provisions for bad and doubtful debts shall comprise charges for amounts written off and for provisions made in respect of loans and advances shown under balance sheet Assets items 3 and 4. Provisions: Provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments (Format 1, item 11(b); Format 2, item A7(b)) This item shall comprise charges for provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments of a type which would, if not provided for, be shown under Memorandum items 1 and 2. Adjustments to provisions: Adjustments to provisions for bad and doubtful debts (Format 1, item 12(a); Format 2, item B5(a)) This item shall include credits from the recovery of loans that have been written off, from other advances written back following earlier write offs and from the reduction of provisions previously made with respect to loans and advances. Adjustments to provisions: Adjustments to provisions for contingent liabilities and commit ments (Format 1, item 12(b); Format 2, item B5(b)) This item comprises credits from the reduction of provisions previously made with respect to contingent liabilities and commitments. Amounts written off fixed asset investments (Format 1, item 13; Format 2, item A8) Amounts written off fixed asset investments shall comprise amounts written off in respect of assets which are transferable securities held as financial fixed assets, participating interests and shares in group undertakings and which are included in Assets items 5 to 8 in the balance sheet format. Adjustments to amounts written off fixed asset investments (Format 1, item 14; Format 2, item B6) Adjustments to amounts written off fixed asset investments shall include amounts written back following earlier write offs and provisions in respect of assets which are transferable securities held as financial fixed assets, participating interests and group undertakings and which are included in Assets items 5 to 8 in the balance sheet format.
Subject to the qualification mentioned below, the cost of any assets which are fungible assets (including investments) may be determined by the application of any of the methods mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) below in relation to any such assets of the same class.The method chosen must be one which appears to the directors to be appropriate in the circumstances of the company. Those methods are: Where in the case of any company: Subject to sub-paragraph (5) below, for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b) above, the relevant alternative amount, in relation to any item shown in a company’s balance sheet, is the amount which would have been shown in respect of that item if assets of any class included under that item at an amount determined by any method permitted by this paragraph had instead been included at their replacement cost as at the balance sheet date. The relevant alternative amount may be determined by reference to the most recent actual purchase price before the balance sheet date of assets of any class included under the item in question instead of by reference to their replacement cost as at that date, but only if the former appears to the directors of the company to constitute the more appropriate standard of comparison in the case of assets of that class.
Where there is no record of the purchase price of any asset acquired by a company or of any price, expenses or costs relevant for determining its cost in accordance with paragraph 36, or any such record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, its cost shall be taken for the purposes of paragraphs 24 to 34 to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition by the company.
The rules set out in paragraphs 24 to 38 are referred to below in this Schedule as the historical cost accounting rules. Paragraphs 24 to 27 and 31 to 35 are referred to below in this section of this Part of this Schedule as the depreciation rules; and references below in this Schedule to the historical cost accounting rules do not include the depreciation rules as they apply by virtue of paragraph 42.
Subject to paragraphs 42 to 44, the amounts to be included in respect of assets of any description mentioned in paragraph 41 may be determined on any basis so mentioned.
Intangible fixed assets, other than goodwill, may be included at their current cost. Tangible fixed assets may be included at a market value determined as at the date of their last valuation or at their current cost. Investments of any description falling to be included under Assets items 7 (Participating interests) or 8 (Shares in group undertakings) of the balance sheet format and any other securities held as financial fixed assets may be included either: but in the latter case particulars of the method of valuation adopted and of the reasons for adopting it shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Securities of any description not held as financial fixed assets (if not valued in accordance with paragraph 34 above) may be included at their current cost.
Where the value of any asset of a company is determined in accordance with paragraph 41, that value shall be, or (as the case may require) be the starting point for determining, the amount to be included in respect of that asset in the company’s accounts, instead of its cost or any value previously so determined for that asset; and the depreciation rules shall apply accordingly in relation to any such asset with the substitution for any reference to its cost of a reference to the value most recently determined for that asset in accordance with paragraph 41. The amount of any provision for depreciation required in the case of any fixed asset by paragraph 25 or 26 as it applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is referred to below in this paragraph as the “adjusted amount”, and the amount of any provision which would be required by that paragraph in the case of that asset according to the historical cost accounting rules is referred to as the “historical cost amount”. Where sub-paragraph (1) applies in the case of any fixed asset the amount of any provision for depreciation in respect of that asset included in any item shown in the profit and loss account in respect of amounts written off assets of the description in question may be the historical cost amount instead of the adjusted amount, provided that the amount of any difference between the two is shown separately in the profit and loss account or in a note to the accounts.
With respect to any determination of the value of an asset of a company in accordance with paragraph 41, the amount of any profit or loss arising from that determination (after allowing, where appropriate, for any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value made otherwise than by reference to the value so determined and any adjustments of any such provisions made in the light of that determination) shall be credited or (as the case may be) debited to a separate reserve (“the revaluation reserve”). The amount of the revaluation reserve shall be shown in the company’s balance sheet under Liabilities item 11 in the balance sheet format, but need not be shown under that name. An amount may be transferred and the revaluation reserve shall be reduced to the extent that the amounts transferred to it are no longer necessary for the purposes of the valuation method used. In sub-paragraph (3)(a)(ii)“capitalisation”, in relation to an amount standing to the credit of the revaluation reserve, means applying it in wholly or partly paying up unissued shares in the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully or partly paid shares. The revaluation reserve shall not be reduced except as mentioned in this paragraph. The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the revaluation reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), financial instruments (including derivatives) may be included at fair value. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to financial instruments which constitute liabilities unless– Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to– If the fair value of a financial instrument cannot be determined reliably in accordance with paragraph 44B, sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to that financial instrument. In this paragraph–
The fair value of a financial instrument is determined in accordance with this paragraph. If a reliable market can readily be identified for the financial instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to its market value. If a reliable market cannot readily be identified for the financial instrument but can be identified for its components or for a similar instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to the market value of its components or of the similar instrument. If neither sub-paragraph (2) nor (3) applies, the fair value of the financial instrument is a value resulting from generally accepted valuation models and techniques. Any valuation models and techniques used for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) must ensure a reasonable approximation of the market value.
A company may include any assets and liabilities that qualify as hedged items under a fair value hedge accounting system, or identified portions of such assets or liabilities, at the amount required under that system.
This paragraph applies to– that, under international accounting standards, may be included in accounts at fair value. Such investment property and such living animals and plants may be included at fair value, provided that all such investment property or, as the case may be, all such living animals and plants are so included where their fair value can reliably be determined. In this paragraph, “fair value” means fair value determined in accordance with relevant international accounting standards.
This paragraph applies where a financial instrument is valued in accordance with paragraph 44A or 44C or an asset is valued in accordance with paragraph 44D. Notwithstanding paragraph 19 of this Schedule, and subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below, a change in the value of the financial instrument or of the investment property or living animal or plant must be included in the profit and loss account. Where– the amount of the change in value must be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from a separate reserve (“the fair value reserve”). Where the instrument accounted for– the change in value may be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from the fair value reserve.
The fair value reserve must be adjusted to the extent that the amounts shown in it are no longer necessary for the purposes of paragraph 44E(3) or (4). The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the fair value reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to the following sub-paragraphs, amounts to be included in respect of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies shall be in sterling (or the currency in which the accounts are drawn up) after translation at an appropriate spot rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. An appropriate rate of exchange prevailing on the date of purchase may however be used for assets held as financial fixed assets and assets to be included under Assets items 9 (Intangible fixed assets) and 10 (Tangible fixed assets) in the balance sheet format, if they are not covered or not specifically covered in either the spot or forward currency markets. An appropriate spot rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date shall be used for translating uncompleted spot exchange transactions. An appropriate forward rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date shall be used for translating uncompleted forward exchange transactions. This paragraph does not apply to any assets or liabilities held, or any transactions entered into, for hedging purposes or to any assets or liabilities which are themselves hedged.
Subject to sub-paragraph (2), any difference between the amount to be included in respect of an asset or liability under paragraph 45 and the book value, after translation into sterling (or the currency in which the accounts are drawn up) at an appropriate rate, of that asset or liability shall be credited or, as the case may be, debited to the profit and loss account. In the case, however, of assets held as financial fixed assets, of assets to be included under Assets items 9 (Intangible fixed assets) and 10 (Tangible fixed assets) in the balance sheet format and of transactions undertaken to cover such assets, any such difference may be deducted from or credited to any non-distributable reserve available for the purpose.
Any information required in the case of a company by the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule shall (if not given in the company's accounts) be given by way of a note to the accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The accounting policies adopted by the company in determining the amounts to be included in respect of items shown in the balance sheet and in determining the profit or loss of the company shall be stated (including such policies with respect to the depreciation and diminution in value of assets).
It shall be stated whether the accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and particulars of any material departure from those standards and the reasons for it shall be given.
Where any sums originally denominated in foreign currencies have been brought into account under any items shown in the balance sheet format or the profit and loss account formats, the basis on which those sums have been translated into sterling (or the currency in which the accounts are drawn up) shall be stated.
There must be stated–
any amount set aside or proposed to be set aside to, or withdrawn or proposed to be withdrawn from, reserves,
the aggregate amount of dividends paid in the financial year (other than those for which a liability existed at the immediately preceding balance sheet date),
the aggregate amount of dividends that the company is liable to pay at the balance sheet date, and
the aggregate amount of dividends that are proposed before the date of approval of the accounts, and not otherwise disclosed under paragraph (b) or (c).
The following information shall be given with respect to the company’s share capital: In the case of any part of the allotted share capital that consists of redeemable shares, the following information shall be given:
If the company has allotted any shares during the financial year, the following information shall be given:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the classes of shares allotted; and
as respects each class of shares, the number allotted, their aggregate nominal value and the consideration received by the company for the allotment.
With respect to any contingent right to the allotment of shares in the company the following particulars shall be given: In sub-paragraph (1) above “contingent right to the allotment of shares” means any option to subscribe for shares and any other right to require the allotment of shares to any person whether arising on the conversion into shares of securities of any other description or otherwise.
If the company has issued any debentures during the financial year to which the accounts relate, the following information shall be given: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where any of the company’s debentures are held by a nominee of or trustee for the company, the nominal amount of the debentures and the amount at which they are stated in the accounting records kept by the company in accordance with section 221 of this Act shall be stated.
Where any fixed assets of the company (other than listed investments) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet at an amount determined in accordance with paragraph 41, the following information shall be given:
the years (so far as they are known to the directors) in which the assets were severally valued and the several values; and
in the case of assets that have been valued during the financial year, the names of the persons who valued them or particulars of their qualifications for doing so and (whichever is stated) the bases of valuation used by them.
In relation to any amount which is included under Assets item 10 in the balance sheet format (Tangible fixed assets) with respect to land and buildings there shall be stated:
how much of that amount is ascribable to land of freehold tenure and how much to land of leasehold tenure; and
how much of the amount ascribable to land of leasehold tenure is ascribable to land held on long lease and how much to land held on short lease.
There shall be disclosed separately the amount of:
any participating interests; and
any shares in group undertakings that are held in credit institutions.
This paragraph applies where financial instruments have been valued in accordance with paragraph 44A or 44C. There must be stated– Where any amount is transferred to or from the fair value reserve during the financial year, there must be stated in tabular form–
Where the company has derivatives that it has not included at fair value, there must be stated for each class of such derivatives–
the fair value of the derivatives in that class, if such a value can be determined in accordance with paragraph 44B, and
the extent and nature of the derivatives.
Sub-paragraph (2) applies if– There must be stated–
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in a company’s accounts in respect of investment property or living animals and plants have been determined in accordance with paragraph 44D. The balance sheet items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item must be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of investment property, for each balance sheet item affected there must be shown, either separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts– In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined in accordance with that sub-paragraph are references to–
Where any amount is transferred: and the reserves or provisions are or would but for paragraph 3(3) of this Part of this Schedule be shown as separate items in the company’s balance sheet, the information mentioned in the following sub-paragraph shall be given in respect of the aggregate of reserves or provisions included in the same item. That information is: Particulars shall be given of each provision included in Liabilities item 6(c) (Other provisions) in the company’s balance sheet in any case where the amount of that provision is material.
The amount of any provision for deferred taxation shall be stated separately from the amount of any provision for other taxation.
A company shall disclose separately for each of Assets items 3(b) and 4 and Liabilities items 1(b), 2(b) and 3(b) the aggregate amount of the loans and advances and liabilities included in those items broken down into the following categories: A company shall also disclose the aggregate amounts of all loans and advances falling within Assets item 4 (Loans and advances to customers) which are: For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), where a loan or advance or liability is repayable by instalments, each such instalment is to be treated as a separate loan or advance or liability.
A company shall disclose the amount of debt and fixed income securities included in Assets item 5 (Debt securities [and other fixed income securities]) and the amount of such securities included in Liabilities item 3(a) (Bonds and medium term notes) that (in each case) will become due within one year of the balance sheet date.
The following information must be disclosed in relation to any borrowing included in Liabilities item 7 (Subordinated liabilities) that exceeds 10 per cent. of the total for that item: The general terms of any other borrowings included in Liabilities item 7 shall also be stated.
If any fixed cumulative dividends on the company’s shares are in arrear, there shall be stated:
the amount of the arrears; and
the period for which the dividends or, if there is more than one class, each class of them are in arrear.
There shall be disclosed, in relation to each liabilities and memorandum item of the balance sheet format, the aggregate amount of any assets of the company which have been charged to secure any liability or potential liability included thereunder, the aggregate amount of the liabilities or potential liabilities so secured and an indication of the nature of the security given. Particulars shall also be given of any other charge on the assets of the company to secure the liabilities of any other person, including, where practicable, the amount secured.
There shall be stated, where practicable: Particulars shall be given of:
There shall be disclosed for each of Assets items 5 to 8 in the balance sheet format the amount of transferable securities included under those items: In the case of each amount shown in respect of listed securities under sub-paragraph (1)(a) above, there shall also be disclosed the aggregate market value of those securities, if different from the amount shown. There shall also be disclosed for each of Assets items 5 and 6 the amount of transferablesecurities included under those items that are held as financial fixed assets and the amount of those that are not so held, together with the criterion used by the directors to distinguish those held as financial fixed assets.
The aggregate amount of all property (other than land) leased by the company to other persons shall be disclosed, broken down so as to show the aggregate amount included in each relevant balance sheet item.
The aggregate amount, in sterling (or the currency in which the accounts are drawn up), of all assets denominated in a currency other than sterling (or the currency used), together with the aggregate amount, in sterling (or the currency used), of all liabilities so denominated, is to be disclosed. For the purposes of this paragraph an appropriate rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date shall be used to determine the amounts concerned.
Where any amount shown under either of the following items is material, particulars shall be given of each type of asset or liability included therein, including an explanation of the nature of the asset or liability and the amount included with respect to assets or liabilities of that type:
Assets item 13 (Other assets)
Liabilities item 4 (Other liabilities).
The following shall be disclosed with respect to unmatured forward transactions outstanding at the balance sheet date: Transactions falling within sub-paragraph (1) shall include all those in relation to which income or expenditure is to be included in:
Particulars shall be given of any case where the cost of any asset is for the first time determined under paragraph 38 of this Part of this Schedule. Where any outstanding loans made under the authority of section 153(4)(b), (bb) or (c) or section 155 of this Act (various cases of financial assistance by a company for purchase of its own shares) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet, the aggregate amount of those loans shall be disclosed for each item in question. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Particulars shall be given of any special circumstances which affect liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for the financial year or liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for succeeding financial years. The following amounts shall be stated: These amounts shall be stated separately in respect of each of the amounts which is shown under the following items in the profit and loss account, that is to say format 1 item 16, format 2 item A10 (Tax on [profit] [loss] on ordinary activities) and format 1 item 21, format 2 item A13 (Tax on extraordinary [profit] [loss]).
A company shall disclose, with respect to income included in the following items in the profit and loss account formats, the amount of that income attributable to each of the geographical markets in which the company has operated during the financial year: In analysing for the purposes of this paragraph the source of any income, the directors shall have regard to the manner in which the company’s activities are organised. For the purposes of this paragraph, markets which do not differ substantially from each other shall be treated as one market. Where in the opinion of the directors the disclosure of any information required by this paragraph would be seriously prejudicial to the interests of the company, that information need not be disclosed, but the fact that any such information has not been disclosed must be stated.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A company providing any management and agency services to customers shall disclose that fact, if the scale of such services provided is material in the context of its business as a whole.
Any amounts charged to the profit and loss account representing charges incurred during the year with respect to subordinated liabilities shall be disclosed.
Where any amount to be included in any of the following items is material, particulars shall be given of each individual component of the figure, including an explanation of their nature and amount:
In format 1:
Items 7 and 10 (Other operating income and charges)
Items 18 and 19 (Extraordinary income and charges);
In format 2:
Items A6 and B7 (Other operating charges and income)
Items A12 and B10 (Extraordinary charges and income).
Where any amount relating to any preceding financial year is included in any item in the profit and loss account, the effect shall be stated. The effect shall be stated of any transactions that are exceptional by virtue of size or incidence though they fall within the ordinary activities of the company.
The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation: . . . . . . “Financial fixed assets” means loans and advances and securities held as fixed assets; participating interests and shareholdings in group undertakings shall be regarded as financial fixed assets; “Fungible assets” means assets of any description which are substantially indistinguishable one from another; “Investment property” means land held to earn rent or for capital appreciation. “Lease” includes an agreement for a lease; “Listed security” means a security listed on a recognised stock exchange, or on any stock exchange of repute outside Great Britain and the expression “unlisted security” shall be construed accordingly; “Long lease” means a lease in the case of which the portion of the term for which it was granted remaining unexpired at the end of the financial year is not less than 50 years; “Repayable on demand”, in connection with deposits, loans or advances, means those amounts which can at any time be withdrawn or demanded without notice or for which a maturity or period of notice of not more than 24 hours or one working day has been agreed; “Sale and repurchase transaction” means a transaction which involves the transfer by a credit institution or customer (“the transferor”) to another credit institution or customer (“the transferee”) of assets subject to an agreement that the same assets, or (in the case of fungible assets) equivalent assets, will subsequently be transferred back to the transferor at a specified price on a date specified or to be specified by the transferor; but the following shall not be regarded as sale and repurchase transactions: forward exchange transactions, options, transactions involving the issue of debt securities with a commitment to repurchase all or part of the issue before maturity or any similar transactions; “Sale and option to resell transaction” means a transaction which involves the transfer by a credit institution or customer (“the transferor”) to another credit institution or customer (“the transferee”) of assets subject to an agreement that the transferee is entitled to require the subsequent transfer of the same assets, or (in the case of fungible assets) equivalent assets, back to the transferor at the purchase price or another price agreed in advance on a date specified or to be specified; and “Short lease” means a lease which is not a long lease.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, references to “derivatives” include commodity-based contracts that give either contracting party the right to settle in cash or in some other financial instrument, except when such contracts–
were entered into for the purpose of, and continue to meet, the company’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements,
were designated for such purpose at their inception, and
are expected to be settled by delivery of the commodity.
The expressions listed in sub-paragraph (2) have the same meaning in paragraphs 44A to 44F, 58A to 58C and 82A of this Part of this Schedule as they have in Council Directives 78/660/EEC on the annual accounts of certain types of companies and 86/635/EEC on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of banks and other financial institutions, as amended. Those expressions are “available for sale financial asset”, “business combination”, “commodity-based contracts”, “derivative”, “equity instrument”, “exchange difference”, “fair value hedge accounting system”, “financial fixed asset”, “financial instrument”, “foreign entity”, “hedge accounting”, “hedge accounting system”, “hedged items”, “hedging instrument”, “held for trading purposes”, “held to maturity”, “monetary item”, “receivables”, “reliable market” and “trading portfolio”.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule a loan or advance (including a liability comprising a loan or advance) is treated as falling due for repayment, and an instalment of a loan or advance is treated as falling due for payment, on the earliest date on which the lender could require repayment or (as the case may be) payment, if he exercised all options and rights available to him.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule amounts which in the particular context of any provision of this Part are not material may be disregarded for the purposes of that provision.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation:
references in this Part to provisions for depreciation or diminution in value of assets are to any amount written off by way of providing for depreciation or diminution in value of assets;
any reference in the profit and loss account formats or the notes thereto set out in Section B of this Part to the depreciation of, or amounts written off, assets of any description is to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value of assets of that description; and
references in this Part to provisions for liabilities are to any amount retained as reasonably necessary for the purpose of providing for any liability the nature of which is clearly defined and which is either likely to be incurred, or certain to be incurred but uncertain as to amount or as to the date on which it will arise.
In the application of this Part of this Schedule to Scotland, “land of freehold tenure” means land in respect of which the company is the proprietor of the dominium utile or, in the case of land not held on feudal tenure, is the owner; “land of leasehold tenure” means land of which the company is the tenant under a lease ; and the reference to ground-rents, rates and other outgoings includes feu-duty and ground annual.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation:
“Social security costs” means any contributions by the company to any state social security or pension scheme, fund or arrangement;
“Pension costs” includes any costs incurred by the company in respect of any pension scheme established for the purpose of providing pensions for persons currently or formerly employed by the company, any sums set aside for the future payment of pensions directly by the company to current or former employees and any pensions paid directly to such persons without having first been set aside; and
any amount stated in respect of the item “social security costs” or in respect of the item “wages and salaries” in the company’s profit and loss account shall be determined by reference to payments made or costs incurred in respect of all persons employed by the company during the financial year who are taken into account in determining the relevant annual number for the purposes of section 231A(1)(a) .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Any difference between: arising as a result of the application of paragraph 45 of Part I of this Schedule may be credited to (where (a) is less than (b)), or deducted from (where (a) is greater than (b)), (as the case may be) consolidated reserves.
the amount included in the consolidated accounts for the previous financial year with respect to any undertaking included in the consolidation or the group’s interest in any associated undertaking, together with the amount of any transactions undertaken to cover any such interest; and
the opening amount for the financial year in respect of those undertakings and in respect of any such transactions
Any income and expenditure of undertakings included in the consolidation and associated undertakings in a foreign currency may be translated for the purposes of the consolidated accounts at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the financial year.
This paragraph applies where a company prepares individual accounts in accordance with the special provisions of this Part relating to . . . insurance companies. If in the financial year to which the accounts relate the company has issued any shares or debentures, the directors’ report shall state the reason for making the issue, the classes of shares or debentures issued and, as respects each class, the number of shares or amount of debentures issued and the consideration received by the company for the issue.
This paragraph applies where a company prepares group accounts in accordance with the special provisions of this Part relating to . . . insurance groups. If in the course of the financial year to which the accounts relate the group carried on business of two or more classes . . . that in the opinion of the directors differ substantially from each other, there shall be contained in the directors’ report a statement of— In sub-paragraph (2) “the group” means the undertakings included in the consolidation. For the purposes of this paragraph classes of business which in the opinion of the directors do not differ substantially from each other shall be treated as one class.
the proportions in which the turnover for the year (so far as stated in the accounts in respect of the year in pursuance of that Schedule) is divided amongst those classes (describing them), and
as regards business of each class, the extent or approximate extent (expressed, in either case, in monetary terms) to which, in the opinion of the directors, the carrying on of business of that class contributed to, or restricted, the profit or loss of the company for that year before taxation.
This paragraph applies where a company prepares individual or group accounts in accordance with the special provisions of this Part relating to . . . insurance companies or groups. There shall be stated in the directors’ report— The average number of persons employed shall be determined by adding together the number of persons employed (whether throughout the week or not) in each week of the financial year and dividing that total by the number of weeks in the financial year. The aggregate amount of the remuneration paid or payable means the total amount of remuneration paid or payable in respect of the financial year; and for this purpose remuneration means gross remuneration and includes bonuses, whether payable under contract or not. The information required by this paragraph need not be given if the average number of persons employed is less than 100. No account shall be taken for the purposes of this paragraph of persons who worked wholly or mainly outside the United Kingdom. This paragraph does not apply to a company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a company incorporated in Great Britain.
For the purposes of the preceding two paragraphs, classes of business which, in the opinion of the directors, do not differ substantially from each other, are to be treated as one class.
If at the end of the financial year the company does not have subsidiaries, there shall be contained in the directors' report a statement of— The number to be stated under that sub-paragraph is the quotient derived by dividing, by the number of weeks in the financial year, the number derived by ascertaining, in relation to each of those weeks, the number of persons who, under contracts of service, were employed in the week (whether throughout it or not) by the company and adding up the numbers ascertained.
If at the end of the financial year the company has subsidiaries, there shall be contained in the directors' report a statement of— The number to be stated under that sub-paragraph is the quotient derived by dividing, by the number of weeks in the financial year, the number derived by ascertaining, in relation to each of those weeks, the number of persons who, under contracts of service, were employed between them in the week (whether throughout it or not) by the company and its subsidiaries and adding up the numbers ascertained.
The remuneration to be taken into account under paragraphs 5(1)(b) and 6(1)(b) is the gross remuneration paid or payable in respect of the financial year ; and for this purpose " remuneration " includes bonuses (whether payable under contract or not).
Paragraphs 5 and 6 are qualified as follows. Neither paragraph applies if the number that, apart from this sub-paragraph, would fall to be stated under paragraph 5(1)(a) or 6(1)(a) is less than 100. Neither paragraph applies to a company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a company incorporated in Great Britain. For purposes of both paragraphs, no regard is to be had to any person who worked wholly or mainly outside the United Kingdom.
The directors' report shall contain particulars of any matters (other than those required to be dealt with in it by section 261(5) and the preceding provisions of this Schedule) so far as they are material for the appreciation of the state of the company's affairs by its members, being matters the disclosure of which will not, in the opinion of the directors, be harmful to the business of the company or of any of its subsidiaries.
Paragraphs 2 to 6 below apply where a company has prepared accounts in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII relating to banking companies and paragraphs 7 to 13 below apply where a company has prepared accounts in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII relating to insurance companies.
Section 264(2) shall apply as if the reference to paragraph 89 of Schedule 4 therein was a reference to paragraph 85(c) of Part I of Schedule 9.
for subsection (2) there were substituted—, and
there were added at the end of the section—.
Section 269 shall apply as if:
there were substituted for the words “are shown as an asset” in sub-section (1) the words “are included as an asset”; and
the reference to paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 in sub-section (2)(b) was to paragraph 27 of Part I of Schedule 9.
Section 269 shall apply as if the reference to paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 in subsection (2)(b) were a reference to paragraph 35 of Part I of Schedule 9A.
In the case of Companies Act accounts, sections 270(2) and 275 shall apply as if the reference to provisions of any of the kinds mentioned in paragraphs 88 and 89 of Schedule 4 were a reference to provisions of any of the kinds mentioned in paragraph 84 of Part I of Schedule 9A and to any amount included under Liabilities items Ba (fund for future appropriations), C (technical provisions) and D (technical provisions for linked liabilities) in a balance sheet drawn up in accordance with the balance sheet format set out in section B of Part I of Schedule 9A.
Sections 272 and 273 shall apply as if the references in section 272(3) to sections 226, 226A and 226B and Schedule 4 were references to section 255 and Part I of Schedule 9A.
Section 276 shall apply as if the references to paragraphs 12(a) and 34(3)(a) of Schedule 4 were references to paragraphs 16(a) and 29(3)(a) of Part I of Schedule 9A.
Sections 272 and 273 apply as if in section 272(3)—
for the references to section 226 and Schedule 4 there were substituted references to section 255 and Part I of Schedule 9A, and
immediately before paragraph (a) there were inserted “except where the company is entitled to avail itself, and has availed itself, of any of the provisions of paragraph . . . 28 of Schedule 9A”.
Section 275 applies as if—
for subsection (1) there were substituted—; and
“fixed assets” were defined to include any other asset which is not a current asset.
Sections 270(2) and 275 shall apply as if the references therein to paragraphs 88 and 89 of Schedule 4 were to paragraph 85 of Part I of Schedule 9.
in subsection (2) the following were substituted for paragraph (b)—;
which were laid or filed in respect of the last preceding accounting reference period in respect of which accounts so prepared were laid or filed; and for this purpose accounts are laid or filed if section 241(1) or (as the case may be) (3) has been complied with in relation to them
in subsection (4)(b) the words " or filed" were inserted after " laid ".
Sections 272 and 273 shall apply as if in section 272(3) there were substituted, for the references to sections 226, 226A and 226B and Schedule 4, references to section 255 and Part I of Schedule 9.
in subsection (2), immediately before paragraph (a) there were inserted " except where the company is entitled to avail itself, and has availed itself, of any of the provisions of Part III of Schedule 9 ", and
at the end of subsection (4) there were added the words " or delivered to the registrar of companies according as those accounts have been laid or filed ".
Section 276 shall apply as if the references to paragraphs 12(a) and 34(3)(a) of Schedule 4 were to paragraphs 19(a) and 44(3)(a) of Schedule 9 .
for the references to section 228 and Schedule 4 there were substituted references to section 258 and Schedule 9, and
immediately before paragraph (a) there were inserted " except where the company is entitled to avail itself, and has availed itself, of any of the provisions of Part III of Schedule 9 ".
Section 264(2) shall apply as if for the words in parentheses there were substituted “(“liabilities””to include any provision for other risks and charges within paragraph 84(c) of Part I of Schedule 9A and any amount included under Liabilities items Ba (fund for future appropriations), C (technical provisions) and D (technical provisions for linked liabilities) in a balance sheet drawn up in accordance with the balance sheet format set out in section B of Part I of Schedule 9A).
for subsection (1) there were substituted—; and
" fixed assets " were defined to include any other asset which is not a current asset.
A person intending to apply for the making of an order under any of sections 296 to 299 by the court having jurisdiction to wind up a company shall give not less than 10 days' notice of his intention to the person against whom the order is sought; and on the hearing of the application the last-mentioned person may appear and himself give evidence or call witnesses.
An application to a court with jurisdiction to wind up companies for the making of such an order against any person may be made by the Secretary of State or the official receiver, or by the liquidator or any past or present member or creditor of any company in relation to which that person has committed or is alleged to have committed an offence or other default
On the hearing of an application made by the Secretary of State or the official receiver or the liquidator the applicant shall appear and call the attention of the court to any matters which seem to him to be relevant, and may himself give evidence or call witnesses.
As regards the court to which application must be made for leave under a disqualification order made under any of sections 296 to 299, the following applies. Where the application is for leave to promote or form a company, it is any court with jurisdiction to wind up companies. Where the application is for leave to be a liquidator or director of, or otherwise to take part in the management of a company, or to be a receiver or manager of a company's property, it is any court having jurisdiction to wind up that company.
On the hearing of an application for leave made by a person against whom a disqualification order has been made on the application of the Secretary of State, the official receiver or the liquidator, the Secretary of State, official receiver or liquidator shall appear and call the attention of the court to any matters which seem to him to be relevant, and may himself give evidence or call witnesses.
In the case of a person who is or has been a director of a company which has gone into liquidation as mentioned in section 300(1) and is being wound up by the court, any application under that section shall be made by the official receiver or, in Scotland, the Secretary of State. In any other case an application shall be made by the Secretary of State,
Where the official receiver or the Secretary of State intends to make an application under the section in respect of any person, he shall give not less than 10 days' notice of his intention to that person.
On the hearing of an application under section 300 by the official receiver or the Secretary of State, or of an application for leave by a person against whom an order has been made on the application of the official receiver or Secretary of State—
the official receiver or Secretary of State shall appear and call the attention of the court to any matters which seem to him to be relevant, and may himself give evidence or call witnesses, and
the person against whom the order is sought may appear and himself give evidence or call witnesses.
Sections 296 and 298 (1)(b) do not apply in relation to anything done before 15th June 1982 by a person in his capacity as liquidator of a company or as receiver or manager of a company's property.
Subject to paragraph 9—
section 296 applies in a case where a person is convicted on indictment of an offence which he committed (and, in the case of a continuing offence, has ceased to commit) before 15th June 1982 ; but in such a case a disqualification order under that section shall not be made for a period in excess of 5 years ;
that section does not apply in a case where a person is convicted summarily—
in England and Wales, if he had consented so to be tried before that date, or
in Scotland, if the summary proceedings commenced before that date.
Subject to paragraph 9, section 298 applies in relation to an offence committed or other thing done before 15th June 1982 ; but a disqualification order made on the grounds of such an offence or other thing done shall not be made for a period in excess of 5 years.
The powers of a court under section 299 are not exercisable in a case where a person is convicted of an offence which he committed (and, in the case of a continuing offence, had ceased to commit) before 15th June 1982.
For purposes of section 297(1) and section 299, no account is to be taken of any offence which was committed, or any default order which was made, before 1st June 1977.
An order made under section 28 of the Companies Act 1976 has effect as if made under section 297 of this Act; and an application made before 15th June 1982 for such an order is to be treated as an application for an order under the section last mentioned.
The period which may be specified as the period of disqualification in an order under section 300 may not exceed 5 years if none of the conduct to which the court has regard under subsection (1) of the section occurred after 15th June 1982.
Section 300(1) does not apply unless at least one of the companies there mentioned has gone into liquidation after 1st October 1977 ; and the conduct to which regard may be had under that subsection does not include conduct as director of a company that has gone into liquidation before that date.
Sections 324, 325, 326, 328 and 346.
A reference to an interest in shares or debentures is to be read as including any interest of any kind whatsoever in shares or debentures. Accordingly, there are to be disregarded any restraints or restrictions to which the exercise of any right attached to the interest is or may be subject.
Where property is held on trust and any interest in shares or debentures is comprised in the property, any beneficiary of the trust who (apart from this paragraph) does not have an interest in the shares or debentures is to be taken as having such an interest; but this paragraph is without prejudice to the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule.
A person is taken to have an interest in shares or debentures if— For purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b), a person is taken to be entitled to exercise or control the exercise of a right conferred by the holding of shares or debentures if he— A person is not by virtue of sub-paragraph (1)(b) taken to be interested in shares or debentures by reason only that he—
A person is taken to be interested in shares or debentures if a body corporate is interested in them and— As this paragraph applies for the purposes of section 346(4) and (5), “more than one-half” is substituted for “one-third or more”.
that body corporate or its directors are accustomed to act in accordance with his directions or instructions, or
he is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of one-third or more of the voting power at general meetings of that body corporate.
Where a person is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of one-third or more of the voting power at general meetings of a body corporate, and that body corporate is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of any of the voting power at general meetings of another body corporate (“the effective voting power”), then, for purposes of paragraph 4(b), the effective voting power is taken to be exercisable by that person. As this paragraph applies for the purposes of section 346(4) and (5), “more than one-half” is substituted for “one-third or more”.
A person is taken to have an interest in shares or debentures if, otherwise than by virtue of having an interest under a trust— whether in any case the right or obligation is conditional or absolute. Rights or obligations to subscribe for shares or debentures are not to be taken, for purposes of sub-paragraph (1), to be rights to acquire, or obligations to take, an interest in shares or debentures. This is without prejudice to paragraph 1.
Persons having a joint interest are deemed each of them to have that interest.
It is immaterial that shares or debentures in which a person has an interest are unidentifiable.
So long as a person is entitled to receive, during the lifetime of himself or another, income from trust property comprising shares or debentures, an interest in the shares or debentures in reversion or remainder or (as regards Scotland) in fee, are to be disregarded.
A person is to be treated as uninterested in shares or debentures if, and so long as, he holds them under the law in force in England and Wales as a bare trustee or as a custodian trustee, or under the law in force in Scotland, as a simple trustee.
There is to be disregarded an interest of a person subsisting by virtue of— Unit trust scheme” and “authorised unit trust scheme” have the meaning given in section 237 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
any unit trust scheme declared by an order of the Secretary of State (or any predecessor of his) for the time being in force under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 to be an authorised unit trust scheme for the purposes of that Act;
a scheme made under section 22 of the Charities Act 1960, section 11 of the Trustee Investments Act 1961 or section 1 of the Administration of Justice Act 1965 ; or
the scheme set out in the Schedule to the Church Funds Investment Measure 1958.
There is to be disregarded any interest—
of the Church of Scotland General Trustees or of the Church of Scotland Trust in shares or debentures held by them;
of any other person in shares or debentures held by those Trustees or that Trust otherwise than as simple trustees. “The Church of Scotland General Trustees” are the body incorporated by the order confirmed by the Church of Scotland (General Trustees) Order Confirmation Act 1921; and “the Church of Scotland Trust” is the body incorporated by the order confirmed by the Church of Scotland Trust Order Confirmation Act 1932.
Delivery to a person’s order of shares or debentures in fulfilment of a contract for the purchase of them by him or in satisfaction of a right of his to call for their delivery, or failure to deliver shares or debentures in accordance with the terms of such a contract or on which such a right falls to be satisfied, is deemed to constitute an event in consequence of the occurrence of which he ceases to be interested in them, and so is the lapse of a person’s right to call for delivery of shares or debentures.
An obligation imposed on a person by section 324(1) to notify an interest must, if he knows of the existence of the interest on the day on which he becomes a director, be fulfilled before the expiration of the period of 5 days beginning with the day following that day. Otherwise, the obligation must be fulfilled before the expiration of the period of 5 days beginning with the day following that on which the existence of the interest comes to his knowledge.
An obligation imposed on a person by section 324(2) to notify the occurrence of an event must, if at the time at which the event occurs he knows of its occurrence and of the fact that its occurrence gives rise to the obligation, be fulfilled before the expiration of the period of 5 days beginning with the day following that on which the event occurs. Otherwise, the obligation must be fulfilled before the expiration of a period of 5 days beginning with the day following that on which the fact that the occurrence of the event gives rise to the obligation comes to his knowledge.
In reckoning, for purposes of paragraphs 14 and 15, any period of days, a day that is a Saturday or Sunday, or a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain, is to be disregarded.
Where an event of whose occurrence a director is, by virtue of section 324(2)(a), under obligation to notify a company consists of his entering into a contract for the purchase by him of shares or debentures, the obligation is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of a statement of the price to be paid by him under the contract. An obligation imposed on a director by section 324(2)(b) is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of the price to be received by him under the contract.
An obligation imposed on a director by virtue of section 324(2)(c) to notify a company is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of a statement of the consideration for the assignment (or, if it be the case that there is no consideration, that fact). Where an event of whose occurrence a director is, by virtue of section 324(2)(d), under obligation to notify a company consists in his assigning a right, the obligation is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of a similar statement.
Where an event of whose occurrence a director is, by virtue of section 324(2)(d), under obligation to notify a company consists in the grant to him of a right to subscribe for shares or debentures, the obligation is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of a statement of— Where an event of whose occurrence a director is, by section 324(2)(d), under obligation to notify a company consists in the exercise of a right granted to him to subscribe for shares or debentures, the obligation is not discharged in the absence of inclusion in the notice of a statement of—
In this Part, a reference to price paid or received includes any consideration other than money.
The register must be so made up that the entries in it against the several names appear in chronological order.
An obligation imposed by section 325(2) to (4) must be fulfilled before the expiration of the period of 3 days beginning with the day after that on which the obligation arises; but in reckoning that period, a day which is a Saturday or Sunday or a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain is to be disregarded.
The nature and extent of an interest recorded in the register of a director in any shares or debentures shall, if he so requires, be recorded in the register.
The company is not, by virtue of anything done for the purposes of section 325 or this Part of this Schedule, affected with notice of, or put upon enquiry as to, the rights of any person in relation to any shares or debentures.
The register shall— and shall . . . be open to the inspection of any member of the company without charge and of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.
if the company’s register of members is kept at its registered office, be kept there;
if the company’s register of members is not so kept, be kept at the company’s registered office or at the place where its register of members is kept;
Any member of the company or other person may require a copy of the register, or of any part of it, on payment of such fee as may be prescribed. The company shall cause any copy so required by a person to be sent to him within the period of 10 days beginning with the day after that on which the requirement is received by the company.
The company shall send notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies of the place where the register is kept and of any change in that place, save in a case in which it has at all times been kept at its registered office.
Unless the register is in such a form as to constitute in itself an index, the company shall keep an index of the names inscribed in it, which shall— and the company shall, within 14 days after the date on which a name is entered in the register, make any necessary alteration in the index.
in respect of each name, contain a sufficient indication to enable the information entered against it to be readily found; and
be kept at the same place as the register;
The register shall be produced at the commencement of the company’s annual general meeting and remain open and accessible during the continuance of the meeting to any person attending the meeting.
Northern Ireland Any part of Her Majesty’s dominions outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man Bangladesh Cyprus Dominica The Gambia Ghana Guyana The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China India Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Malta Nigeria Pakistan Republic of Ireland Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Trinidad and Tobago Uganda Zimbabwe
A company keeping an overseas branch register shall give to the registrar of companies notice in the prescribed form of the situation of the office where any overseas branch register is kept and of any change in its situation, and, if it is discontinued, of its discontinuance. Any such notice shall be given within 14 days of the opening of the office or of the change or discontinuance, as the case may be. If default is made in complying with this paragraph, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
An overseas branch register is deemed to be part of the company’s register of members (“the principal register”). It shall be kept in the same manner in which the principal register is by this Act required to be kept, except that the advertisement before closing the register shall be inserted in a newspaper circulating in the district where the overseas branch register is kept.
A competent court in a country or territory where an overseas branch register is kept may exercise the same jurisdiction of rectifying the register as is under this Act exercisable by the court in Great Britain; and the offences of refusing inspection or copies of the register, and of authorising or permitting the refusal, may be prosecuted summarily before any tribunal having summary criminal jurisdiction. This paragraph extends only to those countries and territories where, immediately before the coming into force of this Act, provision to the same effect made by section 120(2) of the Companies Act 1948 had effect as part of the local law.
The company shall— Every such duplicate is deemed for all purposes of this Act to be part of the principal register. If default is made in complying with sub-paragraph (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. Where, by virtue of section 353(1)(b), the principal register is kept at the office of some person other than the company, and by reason of any default of his the company fails to comply with sub-paragraph (1)(b) above he is liable to the same penalty as if he were an officer of the company who was in default.
Subject to the above provisions with respect to the duplicate register, the shares registered in an overseas branch register shall be distinguished from those registered in the principal register; and no transaction with respect to any shares registered in an overseas branch register shall, during the continuance of that registration, be registered in any other register.
A company may discontinue to keep an overseas branch register, and thereupon all entries in that register shall be transferred to some other overseas branch register kept by the company in the same country or territory, or to the principal register.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, any company may, by its articles, make such provisions as it thinks fit respecting the keeping of overseas branch registers.
An instrument of transfer of a share registered in an overseas branch register (other than such a register kept in Northern Ireland) is deemed a transfer of property situated outside the United Kingdom . . . .
If by virtue of the law in force in any country or territory to which this paragraph applies companies incorporated under that law have power to keep in Great Britain branch registers of their members resident in Great Britain, Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that— shall, subject to any modifications and adaptations specified in the Order, apply to and in relation to any such branch registers kept in Great Britain as they apply to and in relation to the registers of companies subject to those sections. The countries and territories to which this paragraph applies are—
The address of the registered office of the company.
If the register of members is, under the provisions of this Act, kept elsewhere than at the registered office of the company, the address of the place where it is kept. If any register of holders of debentures of the company or any duplicate of any such register or part of any such register is, under the provisions of this Act, kept, in England and Wales in the case of a company registered in England and Wales or in Scotland in the case of a company registered in Scotland, elsewhere than at the registered office of the company, the address of the place where it is kept,
A summary, distinguishing between shares issued for cash and shares issued as fully or partly paid up otherwise than in cash, specifying the following particulars—
the amount of the share capital of the company and the number of shares into which it is divided :
the number of shares taken from the commencement of the company up to the date of the return ;
the amount called up on each share ;
the total amount of calls received ;
the total amount of calls unpaid ;
the total amount of the sums (if any) paid by way of commission in respect of any shares or debentures :
the discount allowed on the issue of any shares issued at a discount or so much of that discount as has not been written off at the date on which the return is made :
the total amount of the sums (if any) allowed by way of discount in respect of any debentures since the date of the last return;
the total number of shares forfeited ;
the total number of shares for which share warrants are outstanding at the date of the return and of share warrants issued and surrendered respectively since the date of the last return, and the number of shares comprised in each warrant
Particulars of the total amount of the company's indebtedness in respect of all mortgages and charges (whenever created) of any description specified in section 396(1) or, in the case of a company registered in Scotland, section 410(4).
A list—
containing the names and addresses of all persons who, on the fourteenth day after the company's annual general meeting for the year, are members of the company, and of persons who have ceased to be members since the date of the last return or, in the case of the first return, since the incorporation of the company ;
stating the number of shares held by each of the existing members at the date of the return, specifying shares transferred since the date of the last return (or, in the case of the first return, since the incorporation of the company) by persons who are still members and have ceased to be members respectively and the dates of registration of the transfers;
if the names are not arranged in alphabetical order, having annexed to it an index sufficient to enable the name of any person in the list to be easily found.
All such particulars with respect to the persons who at the date of the return are the directors of the company and any person who at that date is the secretary of the company as are by this Act required to be contained with respect to directors and the secretary respectively in the register of the directors and secretaries of a company.
Order under section 557, as to the time for proving debts and claims. Orders under section 561, as to the attendance of, and production of documents by, persons indebted to, or having property of, or information as to the affairs or property of, a company. Orders under section 645 as to meetings for ascertaining wishes of creditors or contributories. Orders under section 648, as to the examination of witnesses in regard to the property or affairs of a company.
Orders under section 521(1), 525(2) or (3), 549, 672 or 673, restraining or permitting the commencement or the continuance of legal proceedings. Orders under section 532(4), limiting the powers of provisional liquidators. Orders under section 536, 599 or 609, appointing a liquidator to fill a vacancy, or appointing (except to fill a vacancy caused by the removal of a liquidator by the court) a liquidator for a winding up voluntarily or subject to supervision. Orders under section 539, sanctioning the exercise of any power by a liquidator, other than the powers specified in paragraphs (c), (d), (e) and (f) of subsection (1). Orders under section 551, requiring the delivery of property or documents to the liquidator. Orders under section 565, as to the arrest and detention of an absconding contributory and his property. Orders under section 606, for continuance of winding up subject to supervision.
Sections 547, 590.
The committee shall meet at such times as it may from time to time appoint and, failing such appointment, at least once a month; and the liquidator or any member of the committee may also call a meeting of the committee as and when he thinks necessary.
The committee may act by a majority of its members present at a meeting, but shall not act unless a majority of the committee are present
A member of the committee may resign by notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the liquidator.
If a member of the committee becomes bankrupt or compounds or arranges with his creditors or is absent from five consecutive meetings of the committee without leave of those members who together with himself represent the creditors or contributories (as the case may be), his office thereupon becomes vacant
A member of the committee may be removed by an ordinary resolution at a meeting of creditors (if he represents creditors) or of contributories (if he represents contributories) of which 7 days' notice has been given, stating the object of the meeting.
On a vacancy occurring in the committee the liquidator shall forthwith summon a meeting of creditors or of contributories (as the case may require) to fill the vacancy : and the meeting may, by resolution, reappoint the same or appoint another creditor or contributory to fill the vacancy. However, if the liquidator, having regard to the position in the winding up, is of the opinion that it is unnecessary for the vacancy to be filled, he may apply to the court; and the court may make an order that the vacancy be not filled, or be not filled except in circumstances specified by the order. The continuing members of the committee, if not less than two, may act notwithstanding any vacancy in the committee.
Section 610. Section Subject matter 528 Statement of company's affairs to be submitted to official receiver. 529 530 Report by official receiver. 531 Power of court to appoint liquidators. 532 Appointment and powers of provisional liquidator. 533 Appointment, style, etc. of liquidators in England and Wales. 534 Provisions where person other than official receiver is appointed liquidator. 535 Provision as to liquidators in Scotland. 536 (except subs. (5)) General provisions as to liquidators. 540 Exercise and control of liquidator's powers in England and Wales. 541 Books to be kept by liquidator (England and Wales). 542 Payments by liquidator into bank (England and Wales). 543 Audit of liquidator's accounts (England and Wales). 544 Control of Secretary of State over liquidators in England and Wales. 545 Release of liquidators (England and Wales). 546 Meetings of creditors and contributories to determine whether committee of inspection shall be appointed. 547 (with Sch. 17) Constitution, proceedings, etc. of committee of inspection; powers of Secretary of State where no committee. 548 556 Appointment of special manager (England and Wales). 563 Power to order public examination of promoters and officers (England and Wales). 564 567 Delegation to liquidator of certain powers of the court (England and Wales).
Section 614.
For the purposes of this Schedule, " the relevant date " is—
in the case of a company ordered to be wound up compulsorily, the date of the appointment (or first appointment) of a provisional liquidator or, if no such appointment has been made, the date of the winding-up order, unless in either case the company had commenced to be wound up voluntarily before that date, and
otherwise, the date of the passing of the resolution for winding up the company.
All income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and other assessed taxes, assessed on the company up to 5th April next before the relevant date, and not exceeding in the whole one year's assessment.
Any sums due at the relevant date from the company on account of tax deductions for the 12 months next before that date. The sums here referred to—
are those due by way of deduction of income tax from emoluments during the relevant period, which the company was liable to make under section 204 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970, less the amount of the repayments of income tax which the company was liable to make during the same period, and
include amounts due from the company in respect of deductions required to be made by it under section 69 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1975 (construction industry contract workers).
Any value added tax due at the relevant date from the company and having become due within the 12 months next before that date. For purposes of this paragraph, the tax having become due within those 12 months in respect of any prescribed accounting period falling partly within and partly outside those 12 months is taken to be such part of the tax due for the whole of that accounting reference period as is proportionate to the part of the period falling within the 12 months.
The amount of any car tax due at the relevant date from the company and having become due within the 12 months next before that date.
Any amount due— from the company at the relevant date and which became due within the 12 months next before that date.
by way of general betting duty or bingo duty, or
under section 12(1) of the Betting and Gaming Duties Act 1981 (general betting duty and pool betting duty recoverable from agent collecting stakes), or
under section 14 of, or Schedule 2 to, that Act (gaming licence duty),
All local rates due from the company at the relevant date and having become due and payable within 12 months next before that date.
All the debts specified in section 153(2) of the Social Security Act 1975, Schedule 3 to the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, and any corresponding provisions in force in Northern Ireland. (This does not apply if the company is being wound up voluntarily merely for the purposes of reconstruction or amalgamation with another company.)
All wages or salary (whether or not earned wholly or in part by way of commission) of any clerk or servant in respect of services rendered to the company during 4 months next before the relevant date, and ail wages (whether payable for time or for piece work) of any workman or labourer in respect of services so rendered.
All accrued holiday remuneration becoming payable to any clerk, servant, workman or labourer (or in the case of his death to any other person in his right) on the termination of his employment before or by the effect of the winding-up order or resolution. This includes, in relation to any person, all sums which, by virtue either of his contract of employment or of any enactment (including any order made or direction given under an Act), are payable on account of the remuneration which would, in the ordinary course, have become payable to him in respect of a period of holiday had his employment with the company continued until he became entitled to be allowed the holiday.
The following amounts owed by the company to an employee are treated as wages payable by it to him in respect of the period for which they are payable—
a guarantee payment under section 12(1) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 (employee without work to do for a day or part of a day),
remuneration on suspension on medical grounds under section 19 of that Act,
any payment for time off under section 27(3) (trade union duties), 31(3) (looking for work, etc.) or 31A(4) (ante-natal care) of that Act,
statutory sick pay under Part I of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Act 1982, and
remuneration under a protective award made by an industrial tribunal under section 101 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 (redundancy dismissal with compensation).
The remuneration to which priority is to be given under paragraph 9 shall not, in the case of any claimant, exceed £800 ; Provided that where a claimant under paragraph 9 is a labourer in husbandry who has entered into a contract for the payment of a portion of his wages in a lump sum at the end of the year of hiring, he has priority in respect of the whole of that sum, or a part of it, as the court may decide to be due under the contract, proportionate to the time of service up to the relevant date. No increase or reduction of the money sum specified above in this paragraph affects any case where the relevant date (or, where provisions of this Schedule apply by virtue of section 196, the date referred to in subsection (4) of that section) occurred before the coming into force of the increase or reduction.
Where any payment has been made— out of money advanced by some person for that purpose, the person by whom the money was advanced has in the winding up a right of priority in respect of the money so advanced and paid up to the amount by which the sum in respect of which the clerk, servant, workman or labourer, or other person in his right, would have been entitled to priority in the winding up has been diminished by reason of the payment having been made.
to any clerk, servant, workman or labourer in the employment of the company on account of wages or salary, or
to any such clerk, servant, workman or labourer or, in case of his death, to any other person in his right, on account of accrued holiday remuneration,
For purposes of this Schedule—
any remuneration in respect of a period of holiday or of absence from work through sickness or other good cause is deemed to be wages in respect of services rendered to the company in that period ; and
references to remuneration in respect of a period of holiday include any sums which, if they had been paid, would have been treated for purposes of the enactments relating to social security as earnings in respect of that period.
The court shall not under section 619 (including that section as applied by section 657(2)) make a vesting order, where the property disclaimed is of a leasehold nature, in favour of a person claiming under the company, except on the following terms.
The person must by the order be made subject— and in either event (if the case so requires) the liabilities and obligations must be as if the lease had comprised only the property comprised in the vesting order.
to the same liabilities and obligations as those to which the company was subject under the lease in respect of the property at the commencement of the winding up, or
(if the court thinks fit) only to the same liabilities and obligations as if the lease had been assigned to him at that date;
A mortgagee or under-lessee declining to accept a vesting order on such terms is excluded from all interest in and security on the property.
If there is no person claiming under the company who is willing to accept an order on such terms, the court has power to vest the company's estate and interest in the property in any person liable (either personally or in a representative character, and either alone or jointly with the company) to perform the lessee's covenants in the lease, freed and discharged from all estates, incumbrances and interests created therein by the company.
The court shall not under section 657 make a vesting order, where the property disclaimed is held under a lease, in favour of a person claiming under the company (whether as sub-lessee or as creditor in a duly registered or, as appropriate, recorded heritable security over a lease), except on the following terms.
The person must by the order be made subject— and in either event (if the case so requires) the liabilities and obligations must be as if the lease had comprised only the property comprised in the vesting order.
to the same liabilities and obligations as those to which the company was subject under the lease in respect of the property at the commencement of the winding up, or
(if the court thinks fit) only to the same liabilities and obligations as if the lease had been assigned to him at that date;
A creditor or sub-lessee declining to accept a vesting order on such terms is excluded from all interest in and security over the property.
If there is no person claiming under the company who is willing to accept an order on such terms, the court has power to vest the company’s estate and interest in the property in any person liable (either personally or in a representative character, and either alone or jointly with the company) to perform the lessee’s obligations under the lease, freed and discharged from all interests, rights and obligations created by the company in the lease or in relation to the lease.
For the purposes of paragraph 5 above, a heritable security is duly recorded if it is recorded in the Register of Sasines and is duly registered if registered in accordance with the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979.
In this Schedule—
Those particulars shall be included in the company’s next annual return after they are received.
Where the company has converted any of its shares into stock, the return shall give the corresponding information in relation to that stock, stating the amount of stock instead of the number or nominal value of shares.
If when an oversea company delivers documents for registration under section 691 any of its property is situtated in Great Britain and subject to a charge, it is the company’s duty at the same time to deliver the prescribed particulars of the charge, in the prescribed form, to the registrar for registration.
Where a registered oversea company— it is the company’s duty to deliver the prescribed particulars of the charge, in the prescribed form, to the registrar for registration within 21 days after the date of the charge’s creation or, as the case may be, the date of the acquisition.
creates a charge on property situated in Great Britain, or
acquires property which is situated in Great Britain and subject to a charge,
All property belonging to or vested in the company at the date of its registration passes to and vests in the company on registration for all the estate and interest of the company in the property.
Registration does not affect the company’s rights or liabilities in respect of any debt or obligation incurred, or contract entered into, by, to, with or on behalf of the company before registration.
All actions and other legal proceedings which at the time of the company’s registration are pending by or against the company, or the public officer or any member of it, may be continued in the same manner as if the registration had not taken place. However, execution shall not issue against the effects of any individual member of the company on any judgment, decree or order obtained in such an action or proceeding; but in the event of the company’s property and effects being insufficient to satisfy the judgment, decree or order, an order may be obtained for winding up the company.
All provisions contained in any Act of Parliament or other instrument constituting or regulating the company are deemed to be conditions and regulations of the company, in the same manner and with the same incidents as if so much of them as would, if the company had been formed under this Act, have been required to be inserted in the memorandum, were contained in a registered memorandum, and the residue were contained in registered articles. The provisions brought in under this paragraph include, in the case of a company registered as a company limited by guarantee, those of the resolution declaring the amount of the guarantee; and they include also the statement under section 681(5)(a), and any statement under section 684(2).
All the provisions of this Act apply to the company, and to its members, contributories and creditors, in the same manner in all respects as if it had been formed under this Act, subject as follows. Table A does not apply unless adopted by special resolution. Provisions relating to the numbering of shares do not apply to any joint stock company whose shares are not numbered. Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, the company does not have power— The company does not have power to alter any provision contained in a royal charter or letters patent with respect to the company’s objects. Where by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) or (5) a company does not have power to alter a provision, it does not have power to ratify acts of the directors in contravention of the provision.
Provisions of this Act with respect to— apply, notwithstanding any provisions contained in an Act of Parliament, royal charger or other instrument constituting or regulating the company.
the registration of an unlimited company as limited,
the powers of an unlimited company on registration as a limited company to increase the nominal amount of its share capital and to provide that a portion of its share capital shall not be capable of being called up except in the event of winding up, and
the power of a limited company to determine that a portion of its share capital shall not be capable of being called up except in that event,
Nothing in paragraphs 5 to 7 authorises a company to alter any such provisions contained in an instrument constituting or regulating the company as would, if the company had originally been formed under this Act, have been required to be contained in the memorandum and are not authorised to be altered by this Act.
None of the provisions of this Act, and none of the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (except section 996(2)), derogate from any power of altering the company’s constitution or regulations which may, by virtue of any Act of Parliament or other instrument constituting or regulating it, be vested in the company.
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This section applies where the issuing company— Where the shares in the issuing company allotted in consideration for the transfer are issued at a premium, the issuing company shall not be required by section 56 of the 1948 Act to transfer any amount in excess of the minimum premium value to the share premium account. In subsection (2) above “the minimum premium value” means the amount (if any) by which the base value of the shares transferred exceeds the aggregate nominal value of the shares allotted in consideration for the transfer. For the purposes of subsection (3) above, the base value of the shares transferred shall be taken as— whichever is the less. Section 37 of this Act shall not apply in a case to which this section applies.
The following abbreviations are used in this Table:— " 1948 " = Companies Act 1948 (c. 38). " 1967 " = Companies Act 1967 (c. 81). " 1972 Sc." = Companies (Boating Charges and Receivers) (Scotland) Act 1972 (c. 67). " ECA 1972 " = European Communities Act 1972 (c. 68). " SECOBA " = Stock Exchange (Completion of Bargains) Act 1976 (c. 47). " 1976 c. 60 " = Insolvency Act 1976 (c 60). " 1976 " = Companies Act 1976 (c. 69). " 1980 " = Companies Act 1980 (c. 22). " 1981 = Companies Act 1981 (c. 62). " STA 1982 " = Stock Transfer Act 1982 (c. 41). " 1983 (BI) " = Companies (Beneficial Interests) Act 1983 (c. 50). "OinC-1 " = Companies Acts (Pre-Consolidation Amendments) Order 1984 (S.I. 1984/134). " OinC-2 " = Companies Acts (Pre-Consolidation Amendments) (No. 2) Order 1984 (S.I. 1984/1169). Provision Derivation 1 1948 s. 1; 1980 ss. 1(1), (2), 2(1), Sch. 3 para. 2. 2 1948 ss. 2, 3, 4; 1976 s. 30(1), (2); OinC-1 No. 1. 3 1948 ss. 11(a)-(d), 454(2); 1980 s. 2(4), Sch 3 para. 34 4 1948 s. 5(1). 5 1948 s. 5(2)-(5); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 4. 6 1948 s. 5(7)-(9); 1976 Sch. 1. 7 1948 ss. 6, 7, 9; OinC-1 No. 2. 8 1948 ss. 8, 11(b)-(d), 454(2). 9 1948 s. 10; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 2. 10 1948 s. 12; 1976 ss. 21(1)-(5), 23(2), Sch. 2. 11 1980 s. 3(2). 12 1948 s. 12; 1980s. 3(1), (5). 13 1948 s. 13; 1976 ss. 21(5), 38(2), Sch. 2; 1980 s. 3(3), (4,; 1981 s. 99. 14 1948 s. 20. 15 1948 s. 21; 1980 s. 1(3). 16 1948 s. 22. 17 1948 s. 23; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 6. 18 ECA 1972 s. 9(5). 19 1948 s. 24. 20 1948 s. 25. 21 1976 s. 30(6)-(9). 22 1948 s. 26. 23 1948 s. 27; 1983 (BI) s. 2. 24 1948 s. 31; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 7. 25 1948 s. 2(1)(a); 1976 s. 30(3); 1980 ss. 2(2), 78(4)(a), (d), Sch. 3 para. 3. 26 1980 s. 78(4)(a)-(e); 1981 ss. 22, 34, Sch. 3 para. 60. 27 1980 s. 78(1)-(3). 28 1981 s. 24; OinC-1 No. 53. 29 1981 ss. 31(1), (2), (4), (5), 32; OinC-1 No. 55. 30 1981 s. 25(1)-(4), (8). 31 1981 s. 25(5)-(10). 32 1967 s. 46; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 31; OinC-1 No. 33. 33 1980 s.76(1), (2), (4). 34 1948 s. 439; 1976 Sch. 2. 35 ECA 1972 s. 9(1). 36 1948 s. 32; ECA 1972 s. 9(2). 37 1948 s. 33. 38 1948 s. 34. 39 1948 s. 35. 40 SECOBA s. 2(1). 41 1948 s. 36. 42 ECA 1972 s. 9(3) (in part). (4). 43 1980 ss. 2(3), 5(1)-(3), (10) (in part), 78(4); OinC-1 No. 39. 44 1980 s. 5(5), as applying s. 24(2), (2A), (3), (11A), (12) (in part); 1980 s. 87(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 42; OinC-1 No. 40. 45 1980 s. 6. 46 1980 s. 5(10) (in part), (11), (12); 1981 Sch. 2 para. 6(1). 47 1980 s. 5(4), (6)-(9). 48 1980 s. 7(1)-(3). 49 1967 s. 43(1)-(3), (7); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 43; OinC-1 No. 31. 50 1967 s. 43(4), (5). 51 1967 s. 44(1)-(3); 1980 s. 7(4), Sch. 3 para. 44; OinC-1 No. 32. 52 1967 s. 44(4), (5). 53 1980 s. 10(1), (2); OinC-1 No. 41. 54 1980s. 11. 55 1980 s. 10(3)-(5). 56 1948 s. 38(1), (3), (5); 1976 Sch. 2. 57 1948 s. 38(2). 58 1948 s. 45. 59 1948 s. 55(1). 60 1948 s. 55(2)-(4); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 11; SI 1984 No. 716. Art. 7(2). 61 1948 s. 40(1), (2). 62 1948 s. 40(3). 63 1948 s. 37. 64 1948 ss. 41(1)(a), (2)-(4), 45(3), (4). 65 1948 ss. 41(1)(b). etc., 455(1). 66 1948 s. 38(4), (6). 67 1948 s. 43(1), (5). 68 1948 s. 43(1) proviso, (2), (3). 69 1948 s. 43(4). 70 1948 s. 44. 71 1948 s. 46. 72 1948 s. 417(1), (3), (5); 1976 Sch. 2. 73 1948 s. 417(2). 74 1948 s. 419(1) (excl. para. (b)), (2). 75 1948 s. 419(1) (excl. para. (a)), (2). 76 1948 ss. 418, 455(1); 1976 Sch. 1 77 1948 s. 420. 78 1948 ss. 417(4), (6), 421, 422. 79 1948 s. 423. 80 1980s. 14; OinC-1 No.42. 81 1980 s. 15(1), (3), (4). 82 1948 s. 50(1)-(6). 83 1948 s. 47. 84 1980 s. 16 (applying 1948 s. 47(4), (5)). 85 1948 s. 49; 1980 s. 16(2), Sch. 3 para. 8. 86 1948 ss. 50(6), 51(1)-(5), (6)(a); 1976 Sch. 2; OinC-1 No. 3. 87 1948 s. 51(7), inserted by OinC-1 No. 3. 88 1948 s. 52; 1976 Sens. 1. 2; OinC-1 No. 4. 89 1980 s. 17(1)-(5). 90 1980 s. 17(6)-(8); Table A Regs. 131-134. 91 1980s. 17(9). 92 1980s. 17(10). 93 1980s. 17(12). 94 1980 s. 17(11), (13); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 40; OinC-1 No, 43. 95 1980 s. 18. 96 1980 s. 19(1)(b), (2)-(5). 97 1948 s. 53(1), (5); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 9. 98 1948 s. 53(2)-(4). 99 1980 s. 20(1)-(3), (5), (6). 100 1980 s. 21(1), (2); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 41. 101 1980 s. 22(1)-(4). 102 1980s. 23(1)-(5), (7). 103 1980 s. 24(1)-(3), (8), (9), (11A), (12)(aa), (a); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 42; OinC-1 No. 44. 104 1980 s. 26(1)-(4). 105 1980 s. 26(7), (8) (in part). 106 1980 s. 29. 107 1980 s. 87(1), (6). 108 1980 s.24(4)-(7), (11), (12)(b). 109 1980 ss. 26(5), (6), 27(3). 110 1980 ss. 25(1), (3)-(5), 27(1). 111 1980 s. 25(2) (with 1948 s. 52(3) as applied); 1980 s. 27(2). 112 1980 ss. 20(4), (6), 21(3), 22(5), 23(6), 24(10), 26(8). (2) 1980 s. 26(8)(b), applying s. 20(4). (3) 1980 s. 20(4), as applied. (4) 1980 s. 20(6). (5) 1980 s. 23(6), applying s. 20(4). 113 1980 s. 28. 114 1980 s. 30(1). 115 1980 s. 30(2). 116 1980 s. 31 (in part). 117 1980 s. 4. 118 1980 s. 85. 119 1948 s. 59. 120 1948 s. 60. 121 1948 s. 61. 122 1948 s. 62; 1976 Sch. 1. 123 1948 s. 63; 1967 s. 51(1). 124 1948 s. 64; 1967 s. 44(6); 1980 s. 7(4). 125 1980 s. 32(1)-(7) (excl. (6)(a),(b)), (9). 126 1980 s. 32(10). 127 1948 s. 72; 1980 s. 32(8). 128 1980 s. 33(1)-(4), (6). 129 1981 s. 102(1)-(3), (5). 130 1948 s. 56(1), (2); 1980 Sch. 3 para 12; 1981 s. 36. 131 1981 ss. 37, 40(6). 132 1981 s. 38; S.I.1984/2007. 133 1981 s. 40(1), (4), (5), (7). 134 1981 s. 41. 135 1948 s. 66. 136 1948 s. 67. 137 1948 s. 68. 138 1948 s. 69; 1976 s. 38(2); 1981 s. 99. 139 1980 s. 12, with modified application of s. 10. 140 1948 s. 70. 141 1948 s. 71. 142 1980 s. 34. 143 1980 s. 35; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 43. 144 1980 s. 36(1)-(4). 145 1980 s. 36(5) (with s. 37(1)(d)), s. 36(6); 1983 (BI). 146 1980 s. 37(1)-(3), (11); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 44; 1983 (BI). 147 1980 s. 37(2) (in part). (4), (5), (8). 148 1980 s. 37(9), (10); 1983 (BI); OinC-1 Nos. 45, 59. 149 1980 s. 37(6), (7). 150 1980 s. 38. 151 1981 s. 42(1), (2), (12). 152 1981 ss. 42(8)-(10), 62(1). 153 1981 s. 42 (3)-(6), (11). 154 1981 s. 42(7), (11). 155 1981 ss. 43(1)-(6), 44(8), 62(1); OinC-1 No. 57. 156 1981 ss. 43(7), (8), 44(5)-(7). 157 1981 s. 44(1)-(4). 158 1981 s. 43(9). 159 1981 s. 45(1)-(4). 160 1981 s. 45(5)-(9). 161 1981 s. 45(10)-(12). 162 1981 s. 46. 163 1981 ss. 47(2), (3), 49(2). 164 1981 s. 47(4)-(12). 165 1981 s. 48. 166 1981 s. 49(3)-(10). 167 1981 s. 50. 168 1981 s. 51. 169 1981 s. 52. 170 1981 ss. 53, 54(6)(b). 171 1981 s. 54(1)-(6). 172 1981 s. 54(7)-(10). 173 1981 s. 55(1)-(5), (9). 174 1981 s. 55(6)-(8), (10). 175 1981 s. 56. 176 1981 s. 57(1)-(3), (7). 177 1981 s. 57(4)-(6); 1980 s. 11(7)-(9) (as applied). 178 1981 s. 59. 179 1981 s. 61. 180 1981 s. 62(2)-(4). 181 1981 s. 62(1). 182 1948 ss. 73, 74. 183 1948 ss. 75-78; STA 1982 Sch. 2. 184 1948 s. 79. 185 1948 s. 80; SECOBA ss. 1, 7(2); STA 1982 Sch. 2. 186 1948 s. 81; SECOBA s. 2(3). 187 1948 s. 82. 188 1948 s. 83. 189 1948 s. 85. 190 1948 s. 86; 1976 Sch. 1. 191 1948 ss. 87, 110(6); 1967 s. 52(1); 1981 s. 101(2). 192 1948 s. 88. 193 1948 s. 89. 194 1948 s. 90. 195 1948 s. 92. 196 1948 s. 94; F.A. 1952 s. 30(3). 197 1948 s. 93. 198 1981 ss. 63(1), (4), (9), (10), 82(2). 199 1981 s. 63(2), (3), (5), (6). 200 1981 s. 63(7). 201 1981 ss. 63(8), 64. 202 1981 s. 65. 203 1981 s. 66. 204 1981 s. 67(1)-(5), (10). 205 1981 s. 67(6)-(9). 206 1981 s. 68. 207 1981 s. 69. 208 1981 s. 70. 209 1981 s. 71. 210 1981 ss. 72(1)-(7), (9), 81. 211 1981 s. 73. 212 1981 s. 74. 213 1981 ss. 75, 83(8). 214 1981 s. 76(1)-(4), (12). 215 1981 s. 76(5)-(12). 216 1981 ss. 77(1), (2), (5)-(7); OinC-1 No. 58. 217 1981 s. 78. 218 1981 s. 79. 219 1981 s. 80. 220 1981 s. 82(1), (3). 221 1976 s. 12(1)-(5). 222 1976 s. 12(6)-(9). 223 1976 s. 12(10), (11). 224 1976 s. 2(1), (2), (4), (5). 225 1976 s. 3(1)-(7). 226 1976 s. 3(8)-(10) 227 1948 ss. 149(8) (b), 153(1); 1976 s. 1(1)-(4); 1981 s. 1. 228 1948 s. 149(1)-(6) (inserted, 1981 s. 1(1)). 229 1948 ss. 150(1) (as substituted, 1976 s. 8(1)), 150(2), 151(1) (as am. 1976 Sch. 2), (2), (3). 230 1948 s. 152 (as inserted, 1981 s. 2); OinC-1 No. 12. 231 1948 s. 196(1); 1967 ss. 3(1), 4(1), 5(1), 6(1), 7(1), (2), 8(1); 1981 s. 4, Sch. 3 paras. 10, 23, 25, 26. (3) 1967 ss. 3(5) (b), (6), 4(5) (b), (6); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41; 1981 s. 4(8), (9). (4) 1948 s. 198; 1967 ss. 6(5), 7(3). 232 1980 ss. 54(1), (2), (2A), (3), 63(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 51. 233 1980 s. 56(2), (3), (6); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 52. 234 1980 ss. 56(4), (4A), (6), 63(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 52. 235 1948 s. 157(1); 1967 ss. 16(1), 16A(1), 19(1), 23; 1976 Sch. 2; 1980 Sch. 3; 1981 ss. 13(1), 14, Sch. 3 para. 6. (6) 1981 s. 16(1) (partially excluding 1967 ss. 17, 18). 236 1967 s. 14(1), (3) (a); 1976 Sch. 2; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41(3); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 27. 237 1948 s. 196(8); 1967 ss. 6(4), 7(3), 8(4), 14(4)-(6). 23A; 1976 Sch. 2; 1980 s. 59; 1981 s. 15. 238 1948 ss. 155, 156; 1976 Sch. 2. 239 1948 s. 150(1) (as substituted, 1976 s. 8(1); 1976 s. 1(5)). 240 1948 s. 158(1), (3); 1967 s. 24; 1976 Sch. 2. 241 1967 s. 14(2); 1976 s. 1(6)-(8). 242 1976 s.6. 243 1976 ss. 4(1)-(5), 45(3). 244 1976 s. 5. 245 1948 ss. 149(5), (7) (as inserted, 1981 s. 1(1)), 149A(6), 150(3) 1976 s. 8 ; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 20; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 5. 246 1948 s. 158(2), (3); 1967 s. 24. 247 1981 ss. 5(1)-(5), 6(1), 12(7), (9). 248 1981 s. 8(1)-(3), (9)-(11). 249 1981 s. 8(1), (5), (6), (7). 250 1981 ss. 9(1)-(6), 10(1)-(3); OinC-2 No. 10. 251 1981 s. 5(7)-(9). 252 1981 s.12(1)-(6), (12), (13); OinC-1 No. 52. 253 1981 s. 12(7), (8), (10), (11) (including s. 7(2) as applied). 254 1981 s. 11(1)-(5), (9), (10). 255 1980 s. 43(8); 1981 s. 11(6)-(8), (10). 256 1948 s. 454(1), (1A), (2A), (3), (4); 1981 s. 18. 257 1981 Sch. 2 paras. 1-3, 5(7), 8. 258 1948 s. 149A(1)-(5), (7)(a); 1981 s. 1(1). Sch. 2 para. 4(1). 259 1948 s. 152A; 1976 Sch. 2; 1981 s. 2, Sch. 2 para. 4(1); OinC-2 No. 1. 260 1967 s. 11; 1981 Sch. 2 paras. 5(1), (2), 7(1). 261(2) 1948 s. 157(1); 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(2). (3) 1948 s. 163, proviso; 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(3). (4) 1967 s. 22; 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(6). (5) 1967 s. 16; 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(4), (5). (6) 1967 ss. 17, 18. (7) 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (excluding 1967 s. 23A). 262 1967 s. 14(3)(b); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41(3)(b). 263 1980 ss. 39(1)-(3), 45(2); 1981 Sch. 3 para 48(a). 264 1980 ss. 40. 87(4). 265 1980 s. 41(1), (2), (5), (6); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 46. 266 1980 s. 41(3), (4), (7), (8). 267 1980 s. 41(9), (10). 268 1980 s. 42. 269 1980s. 42A; 1981 s. 84. 270 1980 s. 43(1), (2), (8); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 47. 271 1980 s. 43(3), (4), (8). 272 1980 s. 43(5), (8), (9). 273 1980 s. 43(6), (8), (9). 274 1980 s. 43(7); 1981 ss. 60(1), (3), 61. 275 1980 ss. 39(4), (4A), (5)-(7), 40(4), 43(7A); 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 45(1), (2), 47. 276 1980 s. 43A; 1981 s. 85. 277 1980 s. 44; 1981 ss. 60(2), 61. 278 1980 s. 45(1). 279 1981 Sch. 2 para. 6. 280 1980 s. 45(3), (4); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 48(b). 281 1980 s. 45(5). 282 1948 s. 176. 283 1948 ss. 177, 178. 284 1948 s. 179. 285 1948 ss. 180, 183(2)(a). 286 1980 s. 79. 287 1976 s. 23(1), (3), (4). 288 1948 s. 200(1), (4), (6)-(8), (9)(a); 1976 s. 22(1); 1981 s. 95(1)-(3). 289 1948 s. 200(2). (9)(b)-(d) ; 1981 s. 95(2). 290 1948 s. 200(3), (9)(b)-(d). 291 1948 s. 182. 292 1948 s. 183; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 22. 293 1948 s. 185; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 23. 294 1948 s. 186. 295 1948 s. 188(1B), (2D), (2F), (6), (7); 1976 c. 60 s. 9(1), (1A), (2), (5), (7A); 1981 ss. 93, 94. 296 1948 s. 188(1)(a), (2D), (2E); 1981 s. 93. 297 1948 s. 188(1)(b), (2C), (2D); 1981 s. 93. 298 1948 s. 188(1)(c), (2D); 1981 s. 93. 299 1948 s. 188(1A), (2D), (2E); 1981 s. 93. 300 1976 c. 60 s. 9(1), (2), (6), (7A); 1981 s. 94. 301 1976 s. 29; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 36; OinC-1 No. 38. 302 1948 s. 187; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 9; OinC-2 No. 2. 303 1948 s. 184(1), (2), (4)-(6). 304 1948 s. 184(2), (3). 305 1948 s. 201; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 11. 306 1948 s. 202. 307 1948 s. 203. 308 1948 s. 204. 309 1980 ss. 46, 63(1). 310 1948 s. 205; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 26. 311 1948 s. 189. 312 1948 s.191. 313 1948 s. 192. 314 1948 s. 193(1), (2). 315 1948 s. 193(3)-(5). 316 1948 s. 194. 317 1948 s.199; 1980 ss. 60, 63(3), Sch. 3 para. 25. 318 1967 s. 26; 1976 Sch. 1; 1980 ss. 61, 63(4). 319 1980 ss. 47, 63(1). 320 1980 ss. 48(1), (2), 63(1); 1981 s. 110(2); OinC-1 No. 46. 321 1980 s. 48(6)-(8); 1981 s. 110(3). 322 1980 s. 48(3), (4), (5); OinC-1 No. 47, 323 1967 s. 25; 1976 Sch. 2; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 28. 324 1967 s. 27(1), (2), (4), (8)-(11), (13); 1976 Sch. 2. 325 1967 s. 29(1), (2), (14); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 28. 326 1967 s. 29(12), (13). 327 1967 s. 30. 328 1967 s.31; 1976 s.24. 329 1976 s. 25. 330 1980 ss. 49, 63(1). 331 1980 ss. 65(1), (2), (3), (6), 87(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para 56. 332 1980 s. 50(2). 333 1980 s. 50(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 49. 334 1980 s. 50(2A); 1981 s. 111(1). 335 1980 s. 50(3)(a), (b). 336 1980 s. 50(4)(a), (b). 337 1980 s. 50(4)(c), (5). 338 1980 ss. 50(4)(d), (6), (7), 65(1). 339 1980 s. 51; 1981 s. 111(2), Sch. 3 para. 50. 340 1980 s. 65(4), (5). 341 1980 s. 52. 342 1980 s. 53; OinC-2 No. 6. 343 1980 ss. 57(1)-(4), (6), (7), (8), 63(2); OinC-1 No. 49. 344 1980 ss. 57(5), 58(4). 345 1980 s. 62 346 1980 s. 64; 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 54, 55; OinC-2 No. 7. 347 1980 s. 65(8). 348 1948 s. 108(1)(a), (2). 349 1948 s. 108(1)(c), (3), (4)(b), (c). 350 1948 s. 108((1)(b), (3), (4)(a). 351 ECA 1972 s. 9(7) (as am. 1980 Sch. 3 para. 45(2)); 1976 s. 30(5); 1980 s. 77. 352 1948 s. 110(1), (4)-(6); 1981 s. 101(1), (2). 353 1948 s. 110(2)-(4); 1976 Sch. 1. 354 1948 s. 111. 355 1948 s. 112. 356 1948 s. 113; 1967 s. 52(2). 357 1948 s. 114. 358 1948 s. 115. 359 1948 s. 116. 360 1948 s. 117. 361 1948 s. 118. 362 1948 s. 119(1). (4), 122. 363 1948 s. 124; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 4; OinC-1 No. 7. 364 1948 s. 125(1)-(4); 1976 Sch. 1; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 4; OinC-1 Nos. 8, 9. 365 1948 s. 126; OinC-1 No. 10. 366 1948 s. 131(1), (5). 367 1948 s. 131(2)-(4), (5). 368 1948 s. 132. 369 1948 s. 133. 370 1948 s. 134; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 16. 371 1948 s. 135. 372 1948 s. 136. 373 1948 s. 137. 374 1948 s. 138. 375 1948 s. 139. 376 1948 s. 140(1)-(3), (6), (7). 377 1948 s. 140(4), (5). 378 1948 s. 141. 379 1948 s. 142. 380 1948 s 143; 1967 s. 51(2); 1980 s. 14(6). Sch. 3 para. 17; 1981 ss. 25(6), 49(10); OinC-1 No. 11. 381 1948 s. 144. 382 1948 s. 145; 1980 s. 63(3); OinC-1 No. 50. 383 1948 s. 146. 384 1976 s. 14(1)-(5), (7) 385 1976 s. 14(8). 386 1976 s. 14(6), (7), (10). 387 1967 s. 14(7); 1976 s. 15(6). 388 1976 s. 15(1)-(5). 389 1948 s. 161; 1967 s. 13(1), (6); 1976 s. 13. 390 1976 s. 16(1)-(7) 391 1976 s. 17. 392 1976 s. 18. 393 1976 s. 19(1), (2). 394 1976 s. 20 395 1948 s. 95(1). 396 1948 s. 95(2), (6), (7), (10)(a), (b); S.I. 1972/1268, Art. 16(2). 397 1948 s. 95(8), (9); 1976 Sch. 1; 1980 Sch. 3 paras 15, 52. 398 1948 s. 95(3)-(5). 399 1948 s. 96. 400 1948 s. 97. 401 1948 s.98; 1976 s. 38(2); 1981 s.99. 402 1948 s. 99. 403 1948 s. 100; 1976 Sch. 1. 404 1948 s.101. 405 1948 s. 102; 1976 Sch. 1. 406 1948 s. 103. 407 1948 s. 104. 408 1948 s. 105. 409 1948 s. 106; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 3; OinC-1 No. 5. 410 1948 s. 106A(1), (2), (10); 1972 Sc. ss. 6, 32(2), Sch.; S.I. 1972/1268; OinC-2 No. 5. 411 1948 s. 106A(3), (4). 412 1948 s. 106A(5). 413 1948 s. 106A(6), (7), (8); 1976 Sch. 1; 1980 Sch. 3 paras. 15, 52. 414 1948 s. 106A(9). 415 1948 s. 106B. 416 1948 s. 106C. 417 1948 s. 106D. 418 1948 s. 106E; 1976 s. 38(2); 1981 s. 99. 419 1948 s. 106F; 1976 Sch. 1. 420 1948 s. 106G. 421 194S s. 106H. 422 1948 s. 106I. 423 1948 s. 106J. 424 1948 s. 106K; OinC-1 No. 6. 425 1948 s. 206. 426 1948 s. 207. 427 1948 s. 208. 428 1948 s. 209(1), (5). 429 1948 s. 209(2); 1976 Sch. 1. 430 1948 s. 209(3), (4). 431 1948 s. 164; 1981 s. 86(1), (2). 432 1948 s. 165; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 21; 1981 s. 86(3). 433 1948 s. 166; 1967 s. 41. 434 1948 s. 167(1), (1A), (2), (5); 1967 ss. 39(a), (b), 50; 1981 s. 87, Sch. 3 para. 32; OinC-1 No. 13. 435 1948 s. 167(1B); 1981 s. 87(1). 436 1948 s. 167(3); 1967 s. 39; 1981 s. 87(2). 437 1948 s. 168; 1981 s. 88(1). 438 1967 s. 37(1), (2). 439 1948 s. 170; 1967 ss. 37(3), 40(1)-(4); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 7. 440 1967 s. 35(1). 441 1948 s. 171; 1981 s. 88(2). 442 1948 s. 172(1)-(4); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 8. 443 1948 s. 172(5), (6); 1981 s. 89. 444 1948 s. 173; 1981 s. 90. 445 1948 s. 174(1), (8). 446 1967 s. 32. 447 1967 s. 109. 448 1967 s. 110. 449 1967 s. 111; 1973 c. 58 Sch. 1 para. 16; 1976 s. 39(2); 1980 s. 84(3); 1981 s. 104(1)-(3); OinC-1 No. 34. 450 1967 s. 113; 1974 c. 49 Sch. 1; 1982 c. 50. 451 1967 s. 114. 452 1948 s. 175; 1967 ss. 32(6), 116 (as am. 1974 c. 49 Sch. 1, 1982 c. 50 Sch. 5 para. 6); 1981 s. 103(1), (3). 453 1967 s. 42. 454 1948 s. 174(2), (2A), (2B). 455 1948 s. 174(5)-(7); 1981 ss. 72(8), 77(4), 91(7). 456 1948 s. 174(3), (3A), (3B), (3C), (4), (4A); 1981 ss. 72(8), 77(3), (4), 91(4)-(6). 457 1948 s. 174(3D), (3E), (3F); 1981 ss. 72(8), 77(4), 91(4). 458 1948 s. 332(3); 1981 s. 96. 459 1980 s. 75(1), (9). 460 1980 s. 75(2), (10). 461 1980 s. 75(3)-(8). 462 1972 Sc. ss. 1(1), 2, 3 1979 c. 33 s. 29(2). 463 1972 Sc. s. 1(2)-(4). 464 1972 Sc. s. 5. 465 1972 Sc. s. 30(2), (3). 466 1972 Sc. ss. 5(1), 7. 467 1972 Sc. s. 11; OinC-2 No. 4. 468 1972 Sc. s. 12. 469 1972 Sc. s. 13. 470 1972 Sc. s. 14(1)-(6), (8). 471 1972 Sc. s. 15. 472 1972 Sc. s. 16. 473 1972 Sc. s. 17. 474 1972 Sc. s. 18. 475 1972 Sc. s. 19. 476 1972 Sc. s. 20. 477 1972 Sc. s. 21. 478 1972 Sc. s. 22. 479 1972 Sc. s. 23. 480 1972 Sc. s. 24. 481 1972 Sc. s. 25; OinC-1 No. 35. 482 1972 Sc. s. 26. 483 1972 Sc. s. 27. 484 1972 Sc. s. 28. 485 1972 Sc. s. 29. 486 1972 Sc. s. 31. 487 1972 Sc. s. 32. 488 1972 Sc. s. 31(5). 489 1948 s. 366. 490 1948 s. 367. 491 1948 s. 368. 492 1948 s. 369. 493 1948 s. 370. 494 1948 s. 371. 495 1948 s. 372(1), (3)-(5), (7); 1976 Sch. 1. 496 1948 s. 373. 497 1948 s. 372(2), (3), (4), (5)-(7); OinC-1 No. 18. 498 1948 s. 374; OinC-1 No. 19. 499 1948 s. 375. 500 1948 s. 376. 501 1948 s. 211. 302 1948 s. 212(1), (3). 503 1948 s. 212(2); 1981 s. 58(5). 504 1981 ss. 58(1)-(5), 61. 505 1967 s. 44(7); 1980 s. 7(4). 506 1967 s. 43(6). 507 1948 s. 213; 1981 ss. 58(6), 61. 508 1948 s. 214. 509 1948 s .215. 510 1948 s. 216. 511 1948 s. 394(3)(f), (g). 512 1948 s. 218(1), (3), (5). (6), (8); 1976 c. 60 s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Parts I, II. 513 1948 ss. 218(7), 219(1). 514 1948 s. 219(3). 515 1948 s. 220; 1976 c. 60 s. 1(1), (2). Sch. 1 Pts. I, II. 516 1948 s. 221. 517 1948 s. 222; 1972 Sc. s. 4; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 27. 518 1948 s. 223; 1976 c. 60 s. 1(1), (2), Sch. 1 Pts. I, II; S.I. 1984/1199. 519 1948 s. 224; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 28; 1981 s. 59(7). 520 1948 s. 225. 521 1948 ss. 226, 396. 522 1948 s. 227. 523 1948 s. 228. 524 1948 s. 229. 525 1948 ss. 230, 231, 232, 397. 526 1948 s. 233. 527 1948 s. 234. 528 1948 s. 235(1)-(3), (5), (8). 529 1948 s. 235(4), (6), (7); 1967 s. 50. 530 1948 s. 236. 531 1948 s. 237. 532 1948 s. 238. 533 1948 s. 239. 534 1948 s. 240. 535 1948 s. 241. 536 1948 s. 242. 537 1948 s. 243. 538 1948 s. 244. 539 1948 s. 245. 540 1948 s. 246. 541 1948 s. 247. 542 1948 s. 248; 1976 c. 60 ss. 1(1), (2), 3, Sch. 2 para. 3. 543 1948 s. 249; 1976 c. 60 s. 2; OinC-1 No. 14. 544 1948 s. 250. 545 1948 s. 251. 546 1948 s. 252. 547 1948 ss. 253(1), 255. 548 1948 s. 254. 549 1948 s. 256. 550 1948 s. 257. 551 1948 s. 258. 552 1948 s. 259. 553 1948 s. 260. 554 1948 s. 261. 555 1948 s. 262. 556 1948 s. 263. 557 1948 s. 264. 558 1948 s. 265. 559 1948 s. 266. 560 1948 s. 267. 561 1948 s. 268. 562 1948 s. 269. 563 1948 s. 270(1)-(3). 564 1948 s. 270(4)-(9). 565 1948 s. 271. 566 1948 s. 272. 567 1948 s. 273. 568 1948 s. 274. 569 1948 s. 275. 570 1948 s. 276. 571 1948 s. 277. 572 1948 ss. 143(4)(e), 278. 573 1948 s. 279. 574 1948 s. 280. 575 1948 s. 281. 576 1948 s. 282. 577 1948 s. 283(1)-(3); 1981 s. 105(1). 578 1948 s. 283(4). 579 1948 s. 284. 580 1948 s. 285. 581 1948 s. 286. 582 1948 s. 287. 583 1948 s. 288. 584 1948 s. 289. 585 1948 s. 290. 586 1948 s. 291. 587 1948 s. 292. 588 1948 s. 293; 1981 s. 106. 589 1948 s. 294. 590 1948 s. 295. 591 1948 s. 296. 592 1948 s. 297. 593 1948 s. 298. 594 1948 s. 299. 595 1948 s. 300. 596 1948 s. 301. 597 1948 s. 302. 598 1948 s. 303. 599 1948 s. 304. 600 1948 s. 305. 601 1948 s. 306. 602 1948 s. 307. 603 1948 s. 308(1). 604 1948 s. 309. 605 1948 s. 310. 606 1948 s. 311. 607 1948 s. 312. 608 1948 s. 313. 609 1948 s. 314. 610 1948 s. 315. 611 1948 s. 316. 612 1948 s. 317. 613 1948 s. 318. 614 1948 s. 319. 615 1948 s. 320; OinC-1 No. 15. 616 1948 s. 321. 617 1948 s. 322; 1972 Sc. s. 8; OinC-1 No. 16. 618 1948 s. 323(1)1 (2), (8). 619 1948 s. 323(3)-(7). 620 1948 s. 324. 621 1948 s. 325; Charging Orders Act 1979 s. 4. 622 1948 s. 326; 1976 c. 60 s. 1(1), (2), Sch. 1 Pts. I, II. 623 1948 s. 327. 624 1948 s. 328(1)(d), (e), (i), (j), (k), (o), s. 328(2), (3); 1976 c. 60 s. 1, Sch. 1 Pt. I; OinC-2 No. 3. 625 1948 s. 330. 626 1948 s. 328(1)(a)—(c), (g), (h), (l), proviso, (3). 627 1948 s. 329. 628 1948 s. 328(1)(f), proviso, (3). 629 1948 s. 328(1)(p), (3). 630 1948 s. 332(1), (2), (4). 631 1948 s. 333. 632 1948 s. 334(1)-(3). (4); 1981 s. 92(1). 633 1948 s. 334(5), (6); 1981 s. 92(1)-(4). 634 1948 s. 335. 635 1948 s. 336. 636 1948 s. 337. 637 1948 s. 338. 638 1948 s. 339. 639 1948 s. 340. 640 1948 s. 341. 641 1948 s. 342. 642 1948 s. 343; 1976 c. 60 Sch. 2. 643 1948 s. 344. 644 1948 s. 345. 645 1948 s. 346. 646 1948 s. 347. 647 1948 s. 348; OinC-1 No. 17. 648 1948 s. 349. 649 1948 s. 350. 650 1948 s. 351. 651 1948 s. 352. 652 1948 s. 353(1)-(5), (7). 653 1948 s. 353(6). 654 1948 s. 354; 1981 s. 108(5). 655 1981 s. 108(1)-(4). 656 1948 s. 355. 657 1948 s. 355(2), (9). 658 1948 s. 356. 659 1980 s. 74(4), (5), (6)(b), (7), (8). 660 1948 s. 362. 661 1948 s. 363. 662 1948 s. 364. 663 1948 s. 365(1), (3), (5); 1967 s. 50; 1970 c. 8 s. 1(3)(c) 664 1976 c. 60 s. 1(2), (4). 665 1948 s. 398; 1981 c. 65 Sch. 6. 666 1948 s. 399(1)-(5), (8), (9); 1972 Sc. s. 4; 1981 c. 65 Sch. 6. 667 1948 s. 399(6)(a); 1976 c. 60 s. 1(2), (4), Sch. 1 Pts. I, II; S.I. 1984/1199. 668 1948 s. 399(6)(b). 669 1948 s. 399(6)(c), (d), (e). 670 1948 s. 400. 671 1948 ss. 401, 455(1). 672 1948 s. 402. 673 1948 s. 403. 674 1948 s. 404. 675 1948 s. 377. 676 1948 s. 378. 677 1948 s. 379; 1967 s. 53(2). 678 1948 s. 380. 679 1948 s. 381. 680 1948 s. 382(1), excl. proviso (v)-(vii); 1976 Sch. 1; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 29. 681 1948 s. 382(1) proviso (v)-(vii), (2)-(4); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 29; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 13. 682 1981 s. 26(1), (2). 683 1948 s. 383. 684 1948 s. 384; 1976 Sch. 1; 1981 Sch. 3 para 14; OinC-1 Nos. 20, 21, 24. 685 1980 ss. 2(3), 13(1)-(5), (7). 686 1948 ss. 385, 386, 387; 1976 Sch. 1; OinC-1 No. 22. 687 1981 s. 26(3); OinC-1 Nos. 23, 54. 688 1948 s. 390; 1976 s. 38(2), Sch. 2; 1980 s. 13(6), Sch. 3 para. 31; 1981 s. 99. 689 1948 ss. 391, 392, 393, 394. 690 1948 s. 395. 691 1948 s. 407(1), (2); 1976 Sch. 1; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 15; OinC-l No. 25. 692 1948 s 409(1), (2); 1976 Sch. 2; OinC-1 No. 26. 693 1948 s. 411. 694 1976 s. 31; 1981 s. 27. 695 1948 s. 411 696 1948 s. 413. 697 1948 s. 414; 1976 s. 31(5). 698 1948 s. 415. 699 1948 s. 416; 1981 s. 109. 700 1976 s. 9(1)-(3), (3A), (3B); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 49; 1981 s. 19; OinC-1 No. 37. 701 1976 ss. 2, 3 (as applied by s. 10). 702 1976 s. 6 (as applied by s. 11(2), (3)). 703 1976 s. 11(1), (4). 704 1948 s. 424; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 16. 705 1981 ss. 23(2), 97. 706 1976 s. 35. 707 1976 s. 36. 708 1948 s. 425(2); 1976 s.37; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 37. 709 1948 s. 426(1); 1976 Sch. 2; 1981 ss. 98(1), 99. 710 1948 s. 426(2)-(6); 1976 s. 38(3); 1981 ss. 98(2), 99. 711 ECA 1972 s. 9(3); 1976 ss. 1(10), 22(3), 23(6); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 45(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 34. 712 1948 s. 427. 713 1948 s. 428; 1976 s. 16(8); 1980 s. 84(1); 1981 s. 115(1). 714 1981 s. 23; S.I. 1982/1654. 715 1981 s. 100. 716 1948 s. 434(1); 1967 s. 120; 1979 c. 37 Sch. 7. 717 1967 s. 121. 718 1948 s. 435. 719 1980 s. 74(1)-(3), (6)(a). 720 1948 ss. 433, 454(2)(a). 721 1948 s. 441. 722 1948 s. 436; 1967 s. 56(6), Sch. 4; 1976 Sch. 2. 723 SECOBA s. 3 1976 Sch. 2; 1980 Sch. 3 para. 48. 724 1977 s. 38 s. 7. 725 1948 s. 437. 726 1948 s. 447. 727 1948 s. 448. 728 1948 s. 449. 729 1948 s. 451; 1976 s. 38(1); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 33; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 18. 730 (4) 1980 s. 80(2). (5) 1948 s. 440(2). 731 1967 ss. 49(2)-(5), 115(1); 1972 Sc. s. 28(4); 1980 s. 84(2); 1981 s. 115(2). 732 1948 ss. 174(7), 446; 1967 s. 27(10); 1967 s. 91, as applied ibid. s. 115(2); 1976 s. 25(4); 1981 s. 72(9). 733 1967 ss. 89, as applied ibid. s. 115(2), 102(3); 1981 s. 81. 734 1967 s. 88, as applied ibid. s. 115(2). 735 1948 s. 455. 736 1948 ss. 150(4), 154. 737 1980 s. 87(1). 738 1980 s. 87(2), (3). 739 1980 s. 87(1), (4)(b). 740 1948 s. 455(3). 741 1948 s. 455(1), (2); 1980 s. 63(1), (5). 742 1948 ss. 149(8)(a), (b), 149A(7)(a), 455(1); 1967 s. 56(2); 1976 s. 1(9); 1980 s. 87(1); 1981 ss. 1. 21(1), (3), Sch. 2 para. 5(7), Sch. 3 para. 33. 743 1980s. 87(1). 744 1948 ss. 154(5), 406, 455(1); 1976 s. 1(9); 1980 s. 87(1). Sch 3. para. 35; OinC-1 No. 27. 745 (Northern Ireland). 746 (Commencement). 747 (Citation). Sch. 1 1948 s. 200(2), (3); 1976 s. 21(1), (2); 1981 s. 95(2). Sch. 2 1983 (BI) ss. 2-5, Sch. Sch. 3 1948 s. 417(1)(b). Sch. 4; 1976 a 33. para. 1 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 1-3, 22. 2 1948 Sch. 4 para. 4. 3 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 5, 6; 1976 s. 33. 4 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 7, 25. 5 1948 Sch. 4 para. 8. 6 1948 Sch. 4 para. 9(2). 7 1948 Sch. 4 para. 9(1). 8 1948 Sch. 4 para. 10. 9 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 23, 24, 26. 10 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 11-13, 22. 11 1948 Sch. 4 para. 14. 12 1948 Sch. 4 para. 15. 13 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 16, 22. 14 1948 Sch. 4 para. 17. 15 1948 Sch. 4 para. 18. 16 1948 Sch. 4 para. 19. 17 1948 Sch. 4 para. 20. 18 1948 Sch. 4 para. 21. 19 1948 Sch. 4 para. 27. 20 1948 Sch. 4 para. 28. 21 1948 Sch. 4 para. 29. 22(1) 1948 Sch. 4 para. 30. (3) 1948 Sch. 4 paras. 20, 21(1). Sch. 4 1948 Sch. 8, substituted by 1981 s. 1. para. 38(2) OinC-1 No. 29. 60 1983 (BI) s. 2. 75(4) S.I. 1984/1859. Part VI 1948 Sch. 8 Part VA, inserted by S.I. 1982/1092. Sch. 5 para. 1 1967 s. 3(1); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41; 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 23, 24. 2 1967 s. 3(2); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 24. 3 1967 s. 3(3). 4 1967 s. 3(4). 5 1967 s. 3(5). 6 1967 s. 3(2). 7 1967 s. 4(1); 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 23, 24. 8 1967 s. 4(1A); 1981 s. 3(1). 9 1967 s. 4(2); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 24. 10 1967 s. 4(3); 1981 s. 3(2)(a). 11 1967 s. 4(4); 1981 s. 3(2)(b). 12 1967 s. 4(5); 1981 s. 3(2)(c). 13 1967 s. 4(7). 14 1981 s. 4(1). 15 1981 s. 4(2). 16 1981 s. 4(3); OinC-2 No. 8. 17 1981 s. 4(4)-(7); OinC-2 No. 9. 18 1981 s. 4(8). 19 1981 s. 4(10). 20 1967 s. 5(1); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 41; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 23. 21 1967 s. 5(2). 22 1948 s. 196(1)(a), (2); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 10. 23 1967 s. 6(6); S.I. 1982/1698. 24 1967 s. 6(1)(a), (7)(a). 25 1967 s. 6(1)(b), (2), (7)(b); S.I. 1979/1618 para. 3; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 6. 26 1967 s. 6(3). 27 1967 s. 7(1)-(3); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 26. 28 1948 s. 196(1)(b), (3). 29 1948 s. 196(1)(c),(4). 30 1948 s. 196(5). 31 1948 s. 196(6); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 10. 32 1948 s. 196(7). 33 1948 s. 196(3), (9). 34 1948 s. 196(1); 1967 ss. 6(1), 7(1). 35 1967 s. 8(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 26; S.I. 1982/1698. 36 1967 s. 8(2), (3). 37 1967 s. 8(5). Sch. 6 para. 1 1980 s. 54(1); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 51. 2 1980s. 54(2). 3 1980 s. 54(4). 4 1980 s. 54(5). 5 1980 s. 54(6); 1981 Sch. 3 para. 51. 6 1980 s. 54(7). 7 S.I. 1984/1860. 8 S.I. 1984/1860. 9 1980 s. 55; OinC-1 No. 48. 10 S.I. 1984/1860. 11 1980 s. 58(1), (2). 12 1980 ss. 58(3), 87(4); 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 53, 62. 13 1980 s. 62. 14 1980 ss. 64, 65(1), (3), (4), (6). 15 1980 s. 56(1). 16 1980 ss. 56(2), (2A), (3), 62; 1981 Sch. 3 para. 52. 17 1980 ss. 56(8), 64, 65(1), (2), (3). 18 1980 s. 56(1), (4). 19 1980 s. 56(4). 20 1980 s. 56(5). 21 1980 ss. 56(8), 64, 65(2), (6). Sch. 7 para. 1 1967 s. 16(1)(a). 2 1967 s. 16(1)(e), (4), (4A); 1981 s. 13(4). 3 1967 s. 19(1); S.I. 1980/1055. 4 1967 s. 19(2); S.I. 1980/1055. 5 1967 s. 19(3)-(5). 6 1967 s. 16(1)(f); 1981 s. 13(3). 7 1967 s. 16A(1), inserted 1981 s. 14. 8 1967 s. 16A(2), inserted 1981 s. 14. 9 S.I. 1980/1160. 10 1967 s. (1)(g), (5)-(7); 1974 c. 37 s. 79(3). 11 1967 s. 16(1)(h), (1A), (8); 1982 c. 46 s. 1. Sch. 8 Part I para. 1 1981 ss. 6(2)-(8), 7(1)-(8). 2 1981 ss. 6(2)(a), (3), 7(1). 3 1981 s. 6(2)(b), (6). 4 1981 s. 6(2)(d). 5 1981 s. 6(2)(c), (5). 6 1981 s. 6(4). 7 1981 s. 6(7)(a), (8). 8 1981 s. 6(7)(b). 9 1981 s. 7(2), (3). 10 1981 s. 7(4)-(6), (8). 11 1981 s. 7(7). Part II 1981 s. 10(4), (5). Part III 1981 s. 10(3)-(5). Sch. 9 1948 Sch. 8A (formerly Sch. 8, renumbered 8A by 1981 s. 1(2)), as amended by 1967 s. 9, Sch. 2. para. 2 1948 Sch. 8A para. 2(a), as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4); OinC-1 No. 30 5(2) 1948 Sch. 8A para. 5(2)(c), as amended by 1976 Sch. 2. 6 1948 Sch. 8A para. 5A, as amended by 1976 Sch. 2. 10 1948 Sch. 8A para. 8(1), (3), as amended by 1976 Sch. 2, and modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4). 13 1948 Sch. 8A para. 11, with insertions by 1980 Sch. 3 para. 39(2), amendments by S.I. 1970/1333, 1976 Sch. 2 and 1980 Sch. 3 para. 39(2), and modification by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4). 14 1948 Sch. 8A para. 12, with amendment by 1976 Sch. 2 and modification by 1981 Sch 2 para 4(4). 17 1948 Sch. 8A para. 13A(5), as amended by SI. 1979/1618. 19 1948 Sch. 8A para. 15, with amendments by S.I. 1973/1150 and 1981 s. 40(3); 1983 (BI). 22 1948 Sch. 8A para. 18, as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4). 23 1948 Sch. 8A para. 19, as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4)(f). 24 1948 Sch. 8A para. 19A, inserted by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4). 27 1948 Sch. 8A para. 23, as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(5); S.I. 1970/327. 28 1948 Sch. 8A para. 24, as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(5). 30 1948 Sch. 8A para. 26, as modified by 1981 Sch. 2 para. 4(4). Part IV 1948 Sch. 8A Part IIIA, inserted by S.I. 1982/1092; as amended by S.I. 1984/1859. para. 33 1948 Sch. 8A para. 28, as amended by 1976 Sch. 2. Sch. 10 para. 1 1967 s. 16(1)(b); 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(4). 2 1967 s. 17(1); 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(4). 3 1967 s. 17(2); 1981 Sch. 2 para. 5(4). 4 1967 s. 17(3). 5 1967 s. 18(1), (3). 6 1967 s. 18(2), (3). 7 1967 s. 18(4). 8 1967 s. 18(5), (6). 9 1967 s. 16(1)(f). Sch. 11 1981 Sch. 2 para. 6(1)-(4). Sch. 12 Part I 1948 s. 188(2D), (3), (4): 1981 s. 93. Part II 1976 c. 60 s. 9(2), (3), (4). Part III 1948 s. 188(1C0, (2)(a), (b), (2A), (2B); 1976 c. 60 s. 9(1A), (9); 1981 s. 93(5). Sch.13 1967 ss. 27-29; 1981 Sch. 3 paras. 28, 29. Sch. 14 Part I 1948 s. 119(1). Part II 1948 ss. 119(2), (3), 120,121; 1976 Sch. 1. Part III 1948 s. 123. Sch. 15 1948 Sch. 6 Part I. para. 4 1948 Sch. 6 para. 4, OinC-1 No. 28. Sch. 16 1948 Sch. 10. Sch. 17 1948 ss. 253(2)-(8), 295(2). Sch. 18 1948 Sch. 11. Sch. 19 para. 1 1948 s. 319(8)(d). 2 1948 s. 319(1)(a)(ii); F.A. 1966 Sch. 6 para. 14. 3 F.A. 1952 s. 30(2), (4), (5); F.A. (No. 2) 1975 s. 69. 4 V.A.T. Act 1983 (c. 55) Sch. 7 para. 12(1)(c). 5 Car Tax Act 1983 (c. 53) Sch. 1 para. 4(1)(c). 6 1981 c. 63 s. 30(1), (2). 7 1948 s. 319(1)(a)(i). 8 1948 s. 319(1)(e), as amended by Social Security Act 1973 (c. 38 and Social Security Pensions Act 1975 (c. 60). 9 1948 s. 319(1)(b). 10 1948 s. 319(1)(b), (d), (8)(b). 11 1978 s. 44 s. 121(1)(c), (2); 1980 c. 42 Sch. 1 para. 15; 1982 c. 24 Sch. 2 para. 12. 12 1948 s. 319(1)(c). 13 1948 s. 319(2); 1976 c. 60 s. 1, Sch. 1 Parts I, II. 14 1948 s. 319(4). 15 1948 s. 319(8)(a), (c). Sch. 20 Part I 1948 s. 323(6) proviso. Part II 1948 s. 355(9). Sch. 21 para. 1 1948 s. 394(7). 2 1948 s. 391. 3 1948 s. 392. 4 1948 s. 393. 5 1948 s. 394(2); 1980 Sch. 3 para. 32(a). 6 1948 s. 394(3)(a)-(e). 7 1948 s. 394(4). 8 1948 s. 394(5). 9 1948 s. 394(6). Sch. 22 1948 Sch. 14, as amended by 1967 s. 54, ECA 1972 s. 9(8), 1976 s. 41, SECOBA s. 4, 1980 s. 67, 1981 s. 20; OinC-1 No. 36. Sch. 23 1948 Sch. 13. Sch. 24 The derivation of any entry in this Schedule is the cumulative effect of the original provision of the Act of 1948, 1967, 1972 Sc., 1976, 1980 or 1981 in so far as it provided a penalty for contravention, with the effect (in certain cases) of section 80 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Act of 1980. The derivation may also include provisions of the general law relating to the trial and punishment of statutory offences of greater or lesser gravity. 1980 Sch. 2 was amended by OinC-1 No. 51. OinC-2 Nos. 2, 3 and 4 amended 1948 ss. 187 and 328 and 1972 Sc. s. 11 in respect of punishment of contraventions of those sections in Scotland. Sch. 25 1981 s. 38.
The particulars referred to in paragraph 1(1)(a) are— In the case of a company which is not incorporated in a Member State, those particulars also include— The particulars referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(d)(i) above are— The particulars referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(d)(ii) above are—
References to capitalising any work or costs are to treating that work or those costs as a fixed asset.
References to the historical cost accounting rules shall be read in accordance with paragraph 29.
A loan is treated as falling due for repayment, and an instalment of a loan is treated as falling due for payment, on the earliest date on which the lender could require repayment or (as the case may be) payment, if he exercised all options and rights available to him.
References to provisions for depreciation or diminution in value of assets are to any amount written off by way of providing for depreciation or diminution in value of assets. Any reference in the profit and loss account formats set out in Part I of this Schedule to the depreciation of, or amounts written off, assets of any description is to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value of assets of that description.
" Related company ", in relation to any company, means any body corporate (other than one which is a group company in relation to that company) in which that company holds on a long-term basis a qualifying capital interest for the purpose of securing a contribution to that company's own activities by the exercise of any control or influence arising from that interest. In this paragraph " qualifying capital interest" means, in relation to any body corporate, an interest in shares comprised in the equity share capital of that body corporate of a class carrying rights to vote in all circumstances at general meetings of that body corporate. Where— it shall be presumed to hold that interest on the basis and for the purpose mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), unless the contrary is shown. In this sub-paragraph " relevant shares" means, in relation to any body corporate, any such shares in that body corporate as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (2).
trade discounts,
value added tax, and
any other taxes based on the amounts so derived.
References to provisions for liabilities are to any amount retained as reasonably necessary for the purposes of providing for any liability the nature of which is clearly defined and which is either likely to be incurred, or certain to be incurred but uncertain as to amount or as to the date on which it will arise.
abbreviations of any of those words or expressions where they appear at the end of the name; and
type and case of letters, accents, spaces between letters and punctuation marks;
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A company which by any provision of this Act is either required or entitled to include in its name, as its last part, any of the words specified in subsection (4) below may, instead of those words, include as the last part of the name the abbreviations there specified as alternatives in relation to those words.
A reference in this Act to the name of a company or to the inclusion of any of those words in a company's name includes a reference to the name including (in place of any of the words so specified) the appropriate alternative, or to the inclusion of the appropriate alternative, as the case may be.
A provision of this Act requiring a company not to include any of those words in its name also requires it not to include the abbreviated alternative specified in subsection (4).
For the purposes of this section—
the alternative of " limited " is " ltd.";
the alternative of " public limited company" is p.l.c. ;
the alternative of " cyfyngedig " is " cyf."; and
the alternative of "cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus" is " c.c.c.".
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A company may by special resolution change its name (but subject to section 31 in the case of a company which has received a direction under subsection (2) of that section from the Secretary of State).
Where a company has been registered by a name which— the Secretary of State may within 12 months of that time, in writing, direct the company to change its name within such period as he may specify. Section 26(3) applies in determining under this subsection whether a name is the same as or too like another.
is the same as or, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, too like a name appearing at the time of the registration in the registrar's index of company names, or
is the same as or, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, too like a name which should have appeared in that index at that time,
If it appears to the Secretary of State that misleading information has been given for the purpose of a company's registration with a particular name, or that undertakings or assurances have been given for that purpose and have not been fulfilled, he may within 5 years of the date of its registration with that name in writing direct the company to change its name within such period as he may specify.
Where a direction has been given under subsection (2) or (3), the Secretary of State may by a further direction in writing extend the period within which the company is to change its name, at any time before the end of that period.
A company which fails to comply with a direction under this section, and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Where a company changes its name under this section, the registrar of companies shall (subject to section 26) enter the new name on the register in place of the former name, and shall issue a certificate of incorporation altered to meet the circumstances of the case; and the change of name has effect from the date on which the altered certificate is issued.
A change of name by a company under this section does not affect any rights or obligations of the company or render defective any legal proceedings by or against it; and any legal proceedings that might have been continued or commenced against it by its former name may be continued or commenced against it by its new name.
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specify words or expressions for the registration of which as or as part of a company's corporate name his approval is required under section 26(2)(b), and
in relation to any such word or expression, specify a Government department or other body as the relevant body for purposes of the following subsection.
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in the case of a company seeking to be registered under this Part, the person making the statutory declaration required by section 12(3),
in the case of a company seeking to be registered under section 680, the persons making the statutory declaration required by section 686(2), and
in any other case, a director or secretary of the company concerned.
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the requisite statutory declaration, or
a copy of the special resolution changing the company's name,
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Certain companies are exempt from requirements of this Act relating to the use of " limited " as part of the company name.
A private company limited by guarantee is exempt from those requirements, and so too is a company which on 25th February 1982 was a private company limited by shares with a name which, by virtue of a licence under section 19 of the Companies Act 1948, did not include " limited "; but in either case the company must, to have the exemption, comply with the requirements of the following subsection.
Those requirements are that—
the objects of the company are (or. in the case of a company about to be registered, are to be) the promotion of commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity or any profession, and anything incidental or conducive to any of those objects; and
the company's memorandum or articles—
require its profits (if any) or other income to be applied in promoting its objects,
prohibit the payment of dividends to its members, and
require all the assets which would otherwise be available to its members generally to be transferred on its winding up either to another body with objects similar to its own or to another body the objects of which are the promotion of charity and anything incidental or conducive thereto (whether or not the body is a member of the company).
A statutory declaration that a company complies with the requirements of subsection (3) may be delivered to the registrar of companies, who may accept the declaration as sufficient evidence of the matters stated in it; and the registrar may refuse to register a company by a name which does not include the word " limited " unless such a declaration has been delivered to him.
The statutory declaration must be in the prescribed form and be made—
in the case of a company to be formed, by a solicitor engaged in its formation or by a person named as director or secretary in the statement delivered under section 10(2);
in the case of a company to be registered in pursuance of section 680, by two or more directors or other principal officers of the company ; and
in the case of a company proposing to change its name so that it ceases to have the word " limited " as part of its name, by a director or secretary of the company.
References in this section to the word " limited " include (in an appropriate case) its Welsh equivalent (" cyfyngedig "), and the appropriate alternative (" ltd." or " cyf.", as the case may be).
A company which is exempt from requirements relating to the use of " limited " and does not include that word as part of its name, is also exempt from the requirements of this Act relating to the publication of its name and the sending of lists of members to the registrar of companies.
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A company which is exempt under section 30 and whose name does not include " limited" shall not alter its memorandum or articles of association so that it ceases to comply with the requirements of subsection (3) of that section.
If it appears to the Secretary of State that such a company— he may, in writing, direct the company to change its name by resolution of the directors within such period as may be specified in the direction, so that its name ends with " limited ". A resolution passed by the directors in compliance with a direction under this subsection is subject to section 380 of this Act (copy to be forwarded to the registrar of companies within 15 days).
has carried on any business other than the promotion of any of the objects mentioned in that subsection, or
has applied any of its profits or other income otherwise than in promoting such objects, or
has paid a dividend to any of its members,
A company which has received a direction under subsection (2) shall not thereafter be registered by a name which does not include " limited ", without the approval of the Secretary of State.
References in this section to the word " limited " include (in an appropriate case) its Welsh equivalent (" cyfyngedig"), and the appropriate alternative (" ltd." or " cyf.", as the case may be).
A company which contravenes subsection (1), and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
A company which fails to comply with a direction by the Secretary of State under subsection (2), and any officer of the company who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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If in the Secretary of State's opinion the name by which a company is registered gives so misleading an indication of the nature of its activities as to be likely to cause harm to the public, he may direct it to change its name.
The direction must, if not duly made the subject of an application to the court under the following subsection, be complied with within a period of 6 weeks from the date of the direction or such longer period as the Secretary of State may think fit to allow.
The company may, within a period of 3 weeks from the date of the direction, apply to the court to set it aside; and the court may set the direction aside or confirm it and, if it confirms the direction, shall specify a period within which it must be complied with.
If a company makes default in complying with a direction under this section, it is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Where a company changes its name under this section, the registrar shall (subject to section 26) enter the new name on the register in place of the former name, and shall issue a certificate of incorporation altered to meet the circumstances of the case; and the change of name has effect from the date on which the altered certificate is issued.
A change of name by a company under this section does not affect any of the rights or obligations of the company, or render defective any legal proceedings by or against it; and any legal proceedings that might have been continued or commenced against it by its former name may be continued or commenced against it by its new name.
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A person who is not a public company is guilty of an offence if he carries on any trade, profession or business under a name which includes, as its last part, the words " public limited company" or their equivalent in Welsh (" cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus").
A public company is guilty of an offence if, in circumstances in which the fact that it is a public company is likely to be material to any person, it uses a name which may reasonably be expected to give the impression that it is a private company.
A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) or (2) and, if that person is a company, any officer of the company who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a dally default fine.
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In favour of a person dealing with a company in good faith, any transaction decided on by the directors is deemed to be one which it is within the capacity of the company to enter into, and the power of the directors to bind the company is deemed to be free of any limitation under the memorandum or articles.
A party to a transaction so decided on is not bound to enquire as to the capacity of the company to enter into it or as to any such limitation on the powers of the directors, and is presumed to have acted in good faith unless the contrary is proved.
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Contracts on behalf of a company may be made as follows—
a contract which if made between private persons would be by law required to be in writing, and if made according to the law of England and Wales to be under seal, may be made on behalf of the company in writing under the company's common seal;
a contract which if made between private persons would be by law required to be in writing, signed by the parties to be charged therewith, may be made on behalf of the company in writing signed by any person acting under its authority, express or implied;
a contract which if made between private persons would by law be valid although made by parol only, and not reduced into writing, may be made by parol on behalf of the company by any person acting under its authority, express or implied.
A contract made according to this section—
is effectual in law, and binds the company and its successors and all other parties to it;
may be varied or discharged in the same manner in which it is authorised by this section to be made.
A deed to which a company is a party is held to be validly executed according to the law of Scotland on behalf of the company if it is executed in accordance with this Act or is sealed with the company's common seal and subscribed on behalf of the company by two of the directors, or by a director and the secretary; and such subscription on behalf of the company is binding whether attested by witnesses or not
Where a contract purports to be made by a company, or by a person as agent for a company, at a time when the company has not been formed, then subject to any agreement to the contrary the contract has effect as one entered into by the person purporting to act for the company or as agent for it, and he is personally liable on the contract accordingly.
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A company may, by writing under its common seal, empower any person, either generally or in respect of any specified matters, as its attorney, to execute deeds on its behalf in any place elsewhere than in the United Kingdom.
A deed signed by such an attorney on behalf of the company and under his seal binds the company and has the same effect as if it were under the company's common seal.
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A company whose objects require or comprise the transaction of business in foreign countries may, if authorised by its articles, have for use in any territory, district or place elsewhere than in the United Kingdom, an official seal, which shall be a facsimile of the common seal of the company, with the addition on its face of the name of every territory, district or place where it is to be used.
A deed or other document to which the official seal is duly affixed binds the company as if it had been sealed with the company's common seal.
A company having an official seal for use in any such territory, district or place may, by writing under its common seal, authorise any person appointed for the purpose in that territory, district or place to affix the official seal to any deed or other document to which the company is party in that territory, district or place.
As between the company and a person dealing with such an agent, the agent's authority continues during the period (if any) mentioned in the instrument conferring the authority, or if no period is there mentioned, then until notice of the revocation or determination of the agent's authority has been given to the person dealing with him.
The person affixing the official seal shall certify in writing on the deed or other instrument to which the seal is affixed the date on which and the place at which it is affixed.
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A company is not entitled to rely against other persons on the happening of any of the following events— if the event had not been officially notified at the material time and is not shown by the company to have been known at that time to the person concerned, or if the material time fell on or before the 15th day after the date of official notification (or, where the 15th day was a non-business day, on or before the next day that was not) and it is shown that the person concerned was unavoidably prevented from knowing of the event at that time.
the making of a winding-up order in respect of the company, or the appointment of a liquidator in a voluntary winding up of the company, or
any alteration of the company's memorandum or articles, or
any change among the company's directors, or
(as regards service of any document on the company) any change in the situation of the company's registered office,
In subsection (1)—
" official notification " and " officially notified " have the meanings given by section 711(2) (registrar of companies to give public notice of the issue or receipt by him of certain documents), and
" non-business day" means a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday and any other day which is a bank holiday in the part of Great Britain where the company is registered.
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Subject to this and the following five sections, a private company (other than a company not having a share capital) may be re-registered as a public company if— A company cannot be re-registered under this section if it has previously been re-registered as unlimited.
a special resolution that it should be so re-registered is passed; and
an application for re-registration is delivered to the registrar of companies, together with the necessary documents.
The special resolution must—
alter the company's memorandum so that it states that the company is to be a public company; and
make such other alterations in the memorandum as are necessary to bring it (in substance and in form) into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the memorandum of a public company (the alterations to include compliance with section 25(1) as regards the company's name); and
make such alterations in the company's articles as are requisite in the circumstances.
The application must be in the prescribed form and be signed by a director or secretary of the company; and the documents to be delivered with it are the following—
a printed copy of the memorandum and articles as altered in pursuance of the resolution ;
a copy of a written statement by the company's auditors that in their opinion the relevant balance sheet shows that at the balance sheet date the amount of the company's net assets (within the meaning given to that expression by section 264(2)) was not less than the aggregate of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves;
a copy of the relevant balance sheet, together with a copy of an unqualified report (defined in section 46) by the company's auditors in relation to that balance sheet;
if section 44 applies, a copy of the valuation report under subsection (2)(b) of that section ; and
a statutory declaration in the prescribed form by a director or secretary of the company—
that the special resolution required by this section has been passed and that the conditions of the following two sections (so far as applicable) have been satisfied, and
that, between the balance sheet date and the application for re-registration, there has been no change in the company's financial position that has resulted in the amount of its net assets becoming less than the aggregate of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves.
"Relevant balance sheet" means a balance sheet prepared as at a date not more than 7 months before the company's application under this section.
A resolution that a company be re-registered as a public company may change the company name by deleting the word " company" or the words " and company", or its or their equivalent in Welsh (" cwmni", " a'r cwmni"), including any abbreviation of them.
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The following applies if shares have been allotted by the company between the date as at which the relevant balance sheet was prepared and the passing of the special resolution under section 43, and those shares were allotted as fully or partly paid up as to their nominal value or any premium on them otherwise than in cash.
Subject to the following provisions, the registrar of companies shall not entertain an application by the company under section 43 unless beforehand—
the consideration for the allotment has been valued in accordance with section 108, and
a report with respect to the value of the consideration has been made to the company (in accordance with that section) during the 6 months immediately preceding the allotment of the shares.
Where an amount standing to the credit of any of the company's reserve accounts, or of its profit and loss account, has been applied in paying up (to any extent) any of the shares allotted or any premium on those shares, the amount applied does not count as consideration for the allotment, and accordingly subsection (2) does not apply to it.
Subsection (2) does not apply if the allotment is in connection with an arrangement providing for it to be on terms that the whole or part of the consideration for the shares allotted is to be provided by the transfer to the company or the cancellation of all or some of the shares, or of all or some of the shares of a particular class, in another company (with or without the issue to the company applying under section 43 of shares, or of shares of any particular class, in that other company).
But subsection (4) does not exclude the application of subsection (2), unless under the arrangement it is open to all the holders of the shares of the other company in question (or, where the arrangement applies only to shares of a particular class, all the holders of the other company's shares of that class) to take part in the arrangement. In determining whether that is the case, shares held by or by a nominee of the company allotting shares in connection with the arrangement, or by or by a nominee of a company which is that company's holding company or subsidiary or a company which is a subsidiary of its holding company, are to be disregarded.
Subsection (2) does not apply to preclude an application under section 43, if the allotment of the company's shares is in connection with its proposed merger with another company ; that is, where one of the companies concerned proposes to acquire all the assets and liabilities of the other in exchange for the issue of shares or other securities of that one to shareholders of the other, with or without any cash payment to shareholders.
In this section—
" arrangement" means any agreement, scheme or arrangement, including an arrangement sanctioned in accordance with section 425 (company compromise with creditors and members) or section 582 (liquidator in winding up accepting shares as consideration for sale of company's property), and
"another company" includes any body corporate and any body to which letters patent have been issued under the Chartered Companies Act 1837.
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For a private company to be re-registered under section 43 as a public company, the following conditions with respect to its share capital must be satisfied at the time the special resolution under that section is passed.
Subject to subsections (5) to (7) below—
the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital must be not less than the authorised minimum, and
each of the company's allotted shares must be paid up at least as to one-quarter of the nominal value of that share and the whole of any premium on it.
Subject to subsection (5), if any shares in the company or any premium on them have been fully or partly paid up by an undertaking given by any person that he or another should do work or perform services (whether for the company or any other person), the undertaking must have been performed or otherwise discharged.
Subject to subsection (5), if shares have been allotted as fully or partly paid up as to their nominal value or any premium on them otherwise than in cash, and the consideration for the allotment consists of or includes an undertaking to the company (other than one to which subsection (3) applies), then either—
the undertaking must have been performed or otherwise discharged, or
there must be a contract between the company and some person pursuant to which the undertaking is to be performed within 5 years from the time the resolution under section 43 is passed.
For the purpose of determining whether subsections (2)(b), (3) and (4) are complied with, certain shares in the company may be disregarded ; and these are—
subject to the next subsection, any share which was allotted before 22nd June 1982, and
any share which was allotted in pursuance of an employees' share scheme and by reason of which the company would, but for this subsection, be precluded under subsection (2)(b) (but not otherwise) from being reregistered as a public company.
A share is not to be disregarded under subsection (5)(a) if the aggregate in nominal value of that share and other shares proposed to be so disregarded is more than one-tenth of the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital; but for this purpose the allotted share capital is treated as not including any shares disregarded under subsection (5)(b).
Any shares disregarded under subsection (5) are treated as not forming part of the allotted share capital for the purposes of subsection (2)(a).
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The following subsections explain the reference in section 43(3)(c) to an unqualified report of the company's auditors on the relevant balance sheet.
If the balance sheet was prepared in respect of an accounting reference period of the company, that reference is to a report made by the auditors and stating without material qualification, that in their opinion the balance sheet—
has been properly prepared in accordance with this Act, and
gives a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at the balance sheet date.
In any other case the reference is to a report by the auditors stating without material qualification that in their opinion the balance sheet— and the accounting provisions referred to in paragraph (a) are sections 228 and 238(1) in Chapter I of Part VII and (where applicable) section 258 in Chapter II of that Part.
complies with the applicable accounting provisions, and
without prejudice to that (but subject to subsection (4) below), gives a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at the balance sheet date;
Where the balance sheet is prepared under Chapter II of Part VII (special category companies), and the company is entitled to avail itself, and has availed itself, of any of the provisions of Part III of Schedule 9, the auditors' report is not required to state that the balance sheet gives a true and fair view of the company's state of affairs as at the balance sheet date.
For purposes of references in this section to the auditors' report, a qualification is not material if, but only if, the auditors in their report state that the thing giving rise to the qualification is not material for the purpose of determining (by reference to the balance sheet) whether at the balance sheet date the amount of the company's net assets was not less than the aggregate of its called up share capital and undistributable reserves.
For the purposes of a report of the auditors falling within subsection (3)— are deemed to have effect in relation to the balance sheet with such modifications as are necessary by reason of the fact that the balance sheet is prepared otherwise than as at the end of an accounting reference period.
section 228 in Chapter I of Part VII, and Schedule 4 (form and content of company accounts), and
(where applicable) section 258 in Chapter II of that Part, and Schedule 9 (the same, in relation to special category companies),
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If the registrar of companies is satisfied, on an application under section 43, that a company may be re-registered under that section as a public company, he shall—
retain the application and other documents delivered to him under the section ; and
issue the company with a certificate of incorporation stating that the company is a public company.
The registrar may accept a declaration under section 43 (3)(e) as sufficient evidence that the special resolution required by that section has been passed and the other conditions of re-registration satisfied.
The registrar shall not issue the certificate if it appears to him that the court has made an order confirming a reduction of the company's capital which has the effect of bringing the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital below the authorised minimum.
Upon the issue to a company of a certificate of incorporation under this section—
the company by virtue of the issue of that certificate becomes a public company ; and
any alterations in the memorandum and articles set out in the resolution take effect accordingly.
The certificate is conclusive evidence—
that the requirements of this Act in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental thereto have been complied with ; and
that the company is a public company.
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In their application to unlimited companies, sections 43 to 47 are modified as follows.
The special resolution required by section 43(1) must, in addition to the matters mentioned in subsection (2) of that section—
state that the liability of the members is to be limited by shares, and what the company's share capital is to be; and
make such alterations in the company's memorandum as are necessary to bring it in substance and in form into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the memorandum of a company limited by shares.
The certificate of incorporation issued under section 47(1) shall, in addition to containing the statement required by paragraph (b) of that subsection, state that the company has been incorporated as a company limited by shares; and—
the company by virtue of the issue of the certificate becomes a public company so limited ; and
the certificate is conclusive evidence of the fact that it is such a company.
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Subject as follows, a company which is registered as limited may be re-registered as unlimited in pursuance of an application in that behalf complying with the requirements of this section.
A company is excluded from re-registering under this section if it is limited by virtue of re-registration under section 44 of the Companies Act 1967 or section 51 of this Act.
A public company cannot be re-registered under this section; nor can a company which has previously been reregistered as unlimited.
An application under this section must be in the prescribed form and be signed by a director or the secretary of the company, and be lodged with the registrar of companies, together with the documents specified in subsection (8) below.
The application must set out such alterations in the company's memorandum as—
if it is to have a share capital, are requisite to bring it (in substance and in form) into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the memorandum of a company to be formed as an unlimited company having a share capital; or
if it is not to have a share capital, are requisite in the circumstances.
If articles have been registered, the application must set out such alterations in them as—
if the company is to have a share capital, are requisite to bring the articles (in substance and in form) into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the articles of a company to be formed as an unlimited company having a share capital; or
if the company is not to have a share capital, are requisite in the circumstances.
If articles have not been registered, the application must have annexed to it, and request the registration of, printed articles; and these must, if the company is to have a share capital, comply with the requirements mentioned in subsection (6)(a) and, if not, be articles appropriate to the circumstances.
The documents to be lodged with the registrar are—
the prescribed form of assent to the company's being registered as unlimited, subscribed by or on behalf of all the members of the company ;
a statutory declaration made by the directors of the company—
that the persons by whom or on whose behalf the form of assent is subscribed constitute the whole membership of the company, and
if any of the members have not subscribed that form themselves, that the directors have taken all reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that each person who subscribed it on behalf of a member was lawfully empowered to do so ;
a printed copy of the memorandum incorporating the alterations in it set out in the application; and
if articles have been registered, a printed copy of them incorporating the alterations set out in the application.
For purposes of this section— to the exclusion of the latter, deemed a member of the company.
subscription to a form of assent by the legal personal representative of a deceased member of a company is deemed subscription by him ; and
a trustee in bankruptcy of a member of a company is,
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The registrar of companies shall retain the application and other documents lodged with him under section 49 and shall—
if articles are annexed to the application, register them; and
issue to the company a certificate of incorporation appropriate to the status to be assumed by it by virtue of that section.
On the issue of the certificate—
the status of the company, by virtue of the issue, is changed from limited to unlimited ; and
the alterations in the memorandum set out in the application and (if articles have been previously registered) any alterations to the articles so set out take effect as if duly made by resolution of the company; and
the provisions of this Act apply accordingly to the memorandum and articles as altered.
The certificate is conclusive evidence that the requirements of section 49 in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with, and that the company was authorised to be re-registered under this Act in pursuance of that section and was duly so re-registered.
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Subject as follows, a company which is registered as unlimited may be re-registered as limited if a special resolution that it should be so re-registered is passed, and the requirements of this section are complied with in respect of the resolution and otherwise.
A company cannot under this section be re-registered as a public company; and a company is excluded from reregistering under it if it is unlimited by virtue of re-registration under section 43 of the Companies Act 1967 or section 49 of this Act.
The special resolution must state whether the company is to be limited by shares or by guarantee and—
if it is to be limited by shares, must state what the share capital is to be and provide for the making of such alterations in the memorandum as are necessary to bring it (in substance and in form) into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the memorandum of a company so limited, and such alterations in the articles as are requisite in the circumstances;
if it is to be limited by guarantee, must provide for the making of such alterations in its memorandum and articles as are necessary to bring them (in substance and in form) into conformity with the requirements of this Act with respect to the memorandum and articles of a company so limited.
The special resolution is subject to section 380 of this Act (copy to be forwarded to registrar within 15 days); and an application for the company to be re-registered as limited, framed in the prescribed form and signed by a director or by the secretary of the company, must be lodged with the registrar of companies, together with the necessary documents, not earlier than the day on which the copy of the resolution forwarded under section 380 is received by him.
The documents to be lodged with the registrar are—
a printed copy of the memorandum as altered in pursuance of the resolution ; and
a printed copy of the articles as so altered.
This section does not apply in relation to the re-registration of an unlimited company as a public company under section 43.
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The registrar shall retain the application and other documents lodged with him under section 51. and shall issue to the company a certificate of incorporation appropriate to the status to be assumed by the company by virtue of that section.
On the issue of the certificate—
the status of the company is, by virtue of the issue, changed from unlimited to limited ; and
the alterations in the memorandum specified in the resolution and the alterations in, and additions to, the articles so specified take effect
The certificate is conclusive evidence that the requirements of section 51 in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with, and that the company was authorised to be re-registered in pursuance of that section and was duly so re-registered.
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A public company may be re-registered as a private company if—
a special resolution complying with subsection (2) below that it should be so re-registered is passed and has not been cancelled by the court under the following section;
an application for the purpose in the prescribed form and signed by a director or the secretary of the company is delivered to the registrar of companies, together with a printed copy of the memorandum and articles of the company as altered by the resolution; and
the period during which an application for the cancellation of the resolution under the following section may be made has expired without any such application having been made ; or
where such an application has been made, the application has been withdrawn or an order has been made under section 54(5) confirming the resolution and a copy of that order has been delivered to the registrar.
The special resolution must alter the company's memorandum so that it no longer states that the company is to be a public company and must make such other alterations in the company's memorandum and articles as are requisite in the circumstances.
A company cannot under this section be re-registered otherwise than as a company limited by shares or by guarantee.
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Where a special resolution by a public company to be re-registered under section 53 as a private company has been passed, an application may be made to the court for the cancellation of that resolution.
The application may be made— but not by a person who has consented to or voted in favour of the resolution.
by the holders of not less in the aggregate than 5 per cent, in nominal value of the company's issued share capital or any class thereof;
if the company is not limited by shares, by not less than 5 per cent, of its members; or
by not less than 50 of the company's members ;
The application must be made within 28 days after the passing of the resolution and may be made on behalf of the persons entitled to make the application by such one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose.
If such an application is made, the company shall forthwith give notice in the prescribed form of that fact to the registrar of companies.
On the hearing of the application, the court shall make an order either cancelling or confirming the resolution and—
may make that order on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, and may (if it thinks fit) adjourn the proceedings in order that an arrangement may be made to the satisfaction of the court for the purchase of the interests of dissentient members ; and
may give such directions and make such orders as it thinks expedient for facilitating or carrying into effect any such arrangement.
The court's order may. if the court thinks fit, provide for the purchase by the company of the shares of any of its members and for the reduction accordingly of the company's capital, and may make such alterations in the company's memorandum and articles as may be required in consequence of that provision.
The company shall, within 15 days from the making of the court's order, or within such longer period as the court may at any time by order direct, deliver to the registrar of companies an office copy of the order.
If the court's order requires the company not to make any. or any specified, alteration in its memorandum or articles, the company has not then power without the leave of the court to make any such alteration in breach of the requirement.
An alteration in the memorandum or articles made by virtue of an order under this section, if not made by resolution of the company, is of the same effect as if duly made by resolution ; and this Act applies accordingly to the memorandum or articles as so altered.
A company which fails to comply with subsection (4) or subsection (7). and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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If the registrar of companies is satisfied that a company may be re-registered under section 53, he shall—
retain the application and other documents delivered to him under that section ; and
issue the company with a certificate of incorporation appropriate to a private company.
On the issue of the certificate—
the company by virtue of the issue becomes a private company; and
the alterations in the memorandum and articles set out in the resolution under section 53 take effect accordingly.
The certificate is conclusive evidence—
that the requirements of section 53 in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with ; and
that the company is a private company.
Every prospectus issued by or on behalf of a company, or by or on behalf of any person who is or has been engaged or interested in the formation of the company, must comply—
with Part I of Schedule 3 to this Act, as respects the matters to be stated in the prospectus, and
with Part II of that Schedule, as respects the reports to be set out.
It is unlawful to issue any form of application for shares in or debentures of a company unless the form is issued with a prospectus which complies with the requirements of this section.
Subsection (2) does not apply if it is shown that the form of application was issued either—
in connection with a bona fide invitation to a person to enter into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares or debentures, or
in relation to shares or debentures which were not offered to the public.
If a person acts in contravention of subsection (2), he is liable to a fine.
This section does not apply— but subject to this, it applies to a prospectus or a form of application whether issued on or with reference to the formation of a company or subsequently.
to the issue to existing members or debenture holders of a company of a prospectus or form of application relating to shares in or debentures of the company, whether an applicant for shares or debentures will or will not have the right to renounce in favour of other persons, or
to the issue of a prospectus or form of application relating to shares or debentures which are or are to be in all respects uniform with shares or debentures previously issued and for the time being listed on a prescribed stock exchange;
A condition requiring or binding an applicant for shares in or debentures of a company to waive compliance with any requirement of section 56, or purporting to affect him with notice of any contract, document or matter not specifically referred to in the prospectus, is void.
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If a company allots or agrees to allot its shares or debentures with a view to all or any of them being offered for sale to the public, any document by which the offer for sale to the public is made is deemed for all purposes a prospectus issued by the company.
All enactments and rules of law as to the contents of prospectuses, and to liability in respect of statements in and omissions from prospectuses, or otherwise relating to prospectuses, apply and have effect accordingly, as if the shares or debentures had been offered to the public for subscription and as if persons accepting the offer in respect of any shares or debentures were subscribers for those shares or debentures. This is without prejudice to the liability (if any) of the persons by whom the offer is made, in respect of mis-statements in the document or otherwise in respect of it.
For purposes of this Act it is evidence (unless the contrary is proved) that an allotment of, or an agreement to allot, shares or debentures was made with a view to their being offered for sale to the public if it is shown—
that an offer of the shares or debentures (or of any of them) for sale to the public was made within 6 months after the allotment or agreement to allot, or
that at the date when the offer was made the whole consideration to be received by the company in respect of the shares or debentures had not been so received.
Section 56 as applied by this section has effect as if it required a prospectus to state, in addition to the matters required by that section—
the net amount of the consideration received or to be received by the company in respect of the shares or debentures to which the offer relates, and
the place and time at which the contract under which those shares or debentures have been or are to be allotted may be inspected.
Subject to the next section, any reference in this Act to offering shares or debentures to the public is to be read (subject to any provision to the contrary) as including a reference to offering them to any section of the public, whether selected as members or debenture holders of the company concerned, or as clients of the person issuing the prospectus, or in any other manner.
The same applies to any reference in this Act. or in a company's articles, to an invitation to the public to subscribe for shares or debentures.
Section 59 does not require an offer or invitation to be treated as made to the public if it can properly be regarded, in all the circumstances, as not being calculated to result, directly or indirectly, in the shares or debentures becoming available for subscription or purchase by persons other than those receiving the offer or invitation, or otherwise as being a domestic concern of the persons receiving and making it.
In particular, a provision in a company's articles prohibiting invitations to the public to subscribe for shares or debentures is not to be taken as prohibiting the making to members or debenture holders of an invitation which can properly be regarded as falling within the preceding subsection.
For purposes of that subsection, an offer of shares in or debentures of a private company, or an invitation to subscribe for such shares or debentures, is to be regarded (unless the contrary is proved) as being a domestic concern of the persons making and receiving the offer or invitation if it falls within any of the following descriptions.
It is to be so regarded if it is made to—
an existing member of the company making the offer or invitation,
an existing employee of that company,
a member of the family of such a member or employee. or
an existing debenture holder.
For purposes of subsection (4)(c), the members of a person's family are—
the person's husband or wife, widow or widower and children (including stepchildren) and their descendants, and
any trustee (acting in his capacity as such) of a trust the principal beneficiary of which is the person him or herself, or any of those relatives.
The offer or invitation is also to be so regarded if it is to subscribe for shares or debentures to be held under an employees share scheme.
The offer or invitation is also to be so regarded if it falls within subsection (4) or (6) and it is made on terms which permit the person to whom it is made to renounce his right to the allotment of shares or issue of debentures, but only in favour—
of such a person as is mentioned in any of the paragraphs of subsection (4), or
where there is an employees' share scheme, of a person entitled to hold shares or debentures under the scheme.
Where application has been made to the Council of The Stock Exchange for admission of any securities to the Official List of the Stock Exchange, then an offer of those securities for subscription or sale to a person whose ordinary business it is to buy or sell shares or debentures (whether as principal or agent) is not deemed an offer to the public for purposes of this Part.
A prospectus inviting persons to subscribe for a company’s shares or debentures and including a statement purporting to be made by an expert shall not be issued unless—
he (the expert) has given and has not, before delivery of a copy of the prospectus for registration, withdrawn his written consent to its issue with the statement included in the form and context in which it is in fact included; and
a statement that he has given and not withdrawn that consent appears in the prospectus.
If a prospectus is issued in contravention of this section, the company and every person who is knowingly a party to the issue of the prospectus is liable to a fine.
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A prospectus issued by or on behalf of a company, or in relation to an intended company, shall be dated; and that date shall, unless the contrary is proved, be taken as its date of publication.
No prospectus shall be issued by or on behalf of a company, or in relation to an intended company, unless on or before the date of its publication there has been delivered to the registrar of companies for registration a copy of the prospectus—
signed by every person who is named in it as a director or proposed director of the company, or by his agent authorised in writing, and
having endorsed on or attached to it any consent to its issue required by section 61 from any person as an expert.
Where the prospectus is such a document as is referred to in section 58, the signatures required by subsection (1) above include those of every person making the offer, or his agent authorised in writing. Where the offer is made by a company or a firm, it is sufficient for the purposes of this subsection if the document is signed on its behalf by two directors or (as the case may be) not less than half of the partners; and a director or partner may sign by his agent authorised in writing.
Every prospectus shall on its face—
state that a copy has been delivered for registration as required by this section, and
specify, or refer to statements in the prospectus specifying, any documents required by this or the following section to be endorsed on or attached to the copy delivered.
The registrar shall not register a prospectus unless it is dated and the copy of it signed as required by this section and unless it has endorsed on or attached to it the documents (if any) specified in subsection (3)(b).
If a prospectus is issued without a copy of it being delivered to the registrar as required by this section, or without the copy so delivered having the required documents endorsed on or attached to it, the company and every person who is knowingly a party to the issue of the prospectus is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In the case of a prospectus issued generally (that is to persons who are not existing members or debenture holders of the company), the following provisions apply in addition to those of section 64.
The copy of the prospectus delivered to the registrar of companies must also have endorsed on or attached to it a copy of any contract required by paragraph 11 of Schedule 3 to be stated in the prospectus or, in the case of a contract not reduced into writing, a memorandum giving full particulars of it.
In the case of a contract wholly or partly in a foreign language—
the copy required by subsection (2) to be endorsed on or attached to the prospectus must be a copy of a translation of the contract into English or (as the case may be) a copy embodying a translation into English of the parts in a foreign language, and
the translation must be certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation.
If the persons making any report required by Part II of Schedule 3 have made in the report, or have (without giving reasons) indicated in it, any such adjustments as are mentioned in paragraph 21 of the Schedule (profits, losses, assets, liabilities), the copy of the prospectus delivered to the registrar must have endorsed on or attached to it a written statement signed by those persons setting out the adjustments and giving the reasons for them.
In the event of non-compliance with or contravention of section 56, a director or other person responsible for the prospectus does not incur any liability by reason of that non-compliance or contravention if—
as regards any matter not disclosed, he proves that he was not cognisant of it, or
he proves that the non-compliance or contravention arose from an honest mistake of fact on his part, or
the non-compliance or contravention was in respect of matters which, in the opinion of the court dealing with the case, were immaterial or was otherwise such as ought (in the court’s opinion, having regard to all the circumstances of the case) reasonably to be excused.
In the event of failure to include in a prospectus a statement with respect to the matters specified in paragraph 13 of Schedule 3 (disclosure of directors’ interests), no director or other person incurs any liability in respect of the failure unless it is proved that he had knowledge of the matters not disclosed.
Nothing in section 56 or 57 or this section limits or diminishes any liability which a person may incur under the general law or this Act apart from those provisions.
Where a prospectus invites persons to subscribe for a company’s shares or debentures, compensation is payable to all those who subscribe for any shares or debentures on the faith of the prospectus for the loss or damage which they may have sustained by reason of any untrue statement included in it.
The persons liable to pay the compensation are—
every person who is a director of the company at the time of the issue of the prospectus,
every person who authorised himself to be named, and is named, in the prospectus as a director or as having agreed to become a director (either immediately or after an interval of time),
every person being a promoter of the company, and
every person who has authorised the issue of the prospectus.
The above has effect subject to the two sections next following; and here and in those sections “promoter” means a promoter who was party to the preparation of the prospectus, or of the portion of it containing the untrue statement, but does not include any person by reason of his acting in a professional capacity for persons engaged in procuring the formation of the company.
A person is not liable under section 67 if he proves—
that, having consented to become a director of the company, he withdrew his consent before the issue of the prospectus, and that it was issued without his authority or consent, or
that the prospectus was issued without his knowledge or consent, and that on becoming aware of its issue he forthwith gave reasonable public notice that it was issued without his knowledge or consent, or
that after issue of the prospectus and before allotment under it he, on becoming aware of any untrue statement in it, withdrew his consent to its issue and gave reasonable public notice of the withdrawal and of the reason for it.
A person is not liable under that section if he proves that—
as regards every untrue statement not purporting to be made on the authority of an expert or of a public official document or statement, he had reasonable ground to believe, and did up to the time of the allotment of the shares or debentures (as the case may be) believe, that the statement was true; and
as regards every untrue statement purporting to be a statement by an expert or contained in what purports to be a copy of or extract from a report or valuation of an expert, it fairly represented the statement, or was a correct and fair copy of or extract from the report or valuation, and he had reasonable ground to believe and did up to the time of issue of the prospectus believe that the person making the statement was competent to make it and that person had given the consent required by section 61 to the issue of the prospectus and had not withdrawn that consent before delivery of a copy of the prospectus for registration or, to the defendant’s knowledge, before allotment under it; and
as regards every untrue statement purporting to be made by an official person or contained in what purports to be a copy of or extract from a public official document, it was a correct and fair representation of the statement or copy of or extract from the document.
Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply in the case of a person liable, by reason of his having given a consent required of him by section 61, as a person who has authorised the issue of the prospectus in respect of an untrue statement purporting to be made by him as an expert.
Where under section 61 the consent of a person is required to the issue of a prospectus and he has given that consent, he is not by reason of his having given it liable under section 67 as a person who has authorised the issue of the prospectus except in respect of an untrue statement purporting to be made by him as an expert.
A person who, apart from this subsection, would under section 67 be liable, by reason of his having given a consent required of him by section 61, as a person who has authorised the issue of a prospectus in respect of an untrue statement purporting to be made by him as an expert is not so liable if he proves—
that, having given his consent under the section to the issue of the prospectus, he withdrew it in writing before the delivery of a copy of the prospectus for registration; or
that, after delivery of a copy of the prospectus for registration and before allotment under it, he, on becoming aware of the untrue statement, withdrew his consent in writing and gave reasonable public notice of the withdrawal and of the reason for it; or
that he was competent to make the statement and that he had reasonable ground to believe, and did up to the time of the allotment of the shares or debentures (as the case may be) believe, that the statement was true.
This section applies where—
the prospectus contains the name of a person as a director of the company, or as having agreed to become a director of it, and he has not consented to become a director, or has withdrawn his consent before the issue of the prospectus, and has not authorised or consented to its issue, or
the consent of a person is required under section 61 to the issue of the prospectus and he either has not given that consent or has withdrawn it before the issue of the prospectus.
The directors of the company (except any without whose knowledge or consent the prospectus was issued) and any other person who authorised its issue are liable to indemnify the person named, or whose consent was required under section 61 (as the case may be), against all damages, costs and expenses to which he may be liable by reason of his name having been inserted in the prospectus or of the inclusion in it of a statement purporting to be made by him as an expert (as the case may be), or in defending himself against any action or legal proceedings brought against him in respect of it.
A person is not deemed for purposes of this section to have authorised the issue of a prospectus by reason only of his having given the consent required by section 61 to the inclusion of a statement purporting to be made by him as an expert.
If a prospectus is issued with an untrue statement included in it, any person who authorised the issue of the prospectus is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both, unless he proves either—
that the statement was immaterial, or
that he had reasonable ground to believe and did, up to the time of the issue of the prospectus, believe that the statement was true.
A person is not deemed for purposes of this section to have authorised the issue of a prospectus by reason only of his having given the consent required by section 61 to the inclusion in it of a statement purporting to be made by him as an expert.
For purposes of sections 56 to 70—
a statement included in a prospectus is deemed to be untrue if it is misleading in the form and context in which it is included, and
a statement is deemed to be included in a prospectus if it is contained in it, or in any report or memorandum appearing on its face, or by reference incorporated in, or issued with, the prospectus.
It is unlawful for a person to issue, circulate or distribute in Great Britain any prospectus offering for subscription shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether the company has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain) unless the prospectus complies with the requirements of the next two subsections.
The prospectus must be dated and contain particulars with respect to the following matters—
the instrument constituting or defining the constitution of the company;
the enactments, or provisions having the force of an enactment, by or under which the incorporation of the company was effected;
an address in Great Britain where that instrument, and those enactments or provisions, or copies of them (and, if they are in a foreign language, a translation of them certified in the prescribed manner), can be inspected;
the date on which, and the country in which, the company was incorporated; and
whether the company has established a place of business in Great Britain and, if so, the address of its principal office in Great Britain.
Subject to the following provisions, the prospectus must comply—
with Part I of Schedule 3, as respects the matters to be stated in the prospectus, and
with Part II of that Schedule, as respects the reports to be set out.
Paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (2) do not apply in the case of a prospectus issued more than 2 years after the company is entitled to commence business.
It is unlawful for a person to issue to any person in Great Britain a form of application for shares in or debentures of such a company or intended company as is mentioned in subsection (1) unless the form is issued with a prospectus which complies with this Chapter and the issue of which in Great Britain does not contravene section 74 or 75 below. This subsection does not apply if it is shown that the form of application was issued in connection with a bona fide invitation to a person to enter into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares or debentures.
This section— but subject to this, it applies to a prospectus or form of application whether issued on or with reference to the formation of a company or subsequently.
does not apply to the issue to a company’s existing members or debenture holders of a prospectus or form of application relating to shares in or debentures of the company, whether an applicant for shares or debentures will or will not have the right to renounce in favour of other persons; and
except in so far as it requires a prospectus to be dated, does not apply to the issue of a prospectus relating to shares or debentures which are or are to be in all respects uniform with shares or debentures previously issued and for the time being listed on a prescribed stock exchange;
A condition requiring or binding an applicant for shares or debentures to waive compliance with any requirement imposed— or purporting to affect an applicant with notice of any contract, document or matter not specifically referred to in the prospectus, is void.
by subsection (2) of section 72, as regards the particulars to be contained in the prospectus, or
by subsection (3) of that section, as regards compliance with Schedule 3,
This section applies in the case of a prospectus offering for subscription shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether it has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain), if the prospectus includes a statement purporting to be made by an expert.
It is unlawful for any person to issue, circulate or distribute in Great Britain such a prospectus if—
the expert has not given, or has before delivery of the prospectus for registration withdrawn, his written consent to the issue of the prospectus with the statement included in the form and context in which it is included, or
there does not appear in the prospectus a statement that he has given and has not withdrawn his consent as above mentioned.
For purposes of this section, a statement is deemed to be included in a prospectus if it is contained in it, or in any report or memorandum appearing on its face, or by reference incorporated in, or issued with, the prospectus.
It is unlawful for a person to issue, circulate or distribute in Great Britain a prospectus offering for subscription shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether the company has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain), unless the prospectus complies with the following condition.
The prospectus must have the effect, where an application is made in pursuance of it, of rendering all persons concerned bound by all the provisions (other than penal provisions) of sections 82, 86 and 87 (restrictions on allotment), so far as applicable.
The following applies where— “Issued generally” means issued to persons who are not existing members or debenture holders of the company.
it is proposed to offer to the public by a prospectus issued generally any shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether the company has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain), and
application is made to a prescribed stock exchange for permission for those shares or debentures to be listed on that stock exchange.
There may on the applicant’s request be given by or on behalf of that stock exchange a certificate that, having regard to the proposals (as stated in the request) as to the size and other circumstances of the issue of shares or debentures and as to any limitation on the number and class of persons to whom the offer is to be made, compliance with Schedule 3 would be unduly burdensome.
If a certificate is given under subsection (2), and if the proposals above mentioned are adhered to and the particulars and information required to be published in connection with the application for permission to the stock exchange are so published, then—
a prospectus giving the particulars and information in the form in which they are so required to be published is deemed to comply with Schedule 3, and
except as respects the requirement for the prospectus to be dated, section 72 does not apply to any issue, after the permission applied for is given, of a prospectus or form of application relating to the shares or debentures.
It is unlawful for a person to issue, circulate or distribute in Great Britain a prospectus offering for subscription shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether the company has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain), unless before the issue, circulation or distribution the requirements of this section have been complied with.
A copy of the prospectus, certified by the chairman and two other directors of the company as having been approved by resolution of the managing body, must have been delivered for registration to the registrar of companies.
The prospectus must state on the face of it that a copy has been so delivered to the registrar of companies; and the following must be endorsed on or attached to that copy of the prospectus—
any consent to the issue of the prospectus which is required by section 74;
a copy of any contract required by paragraph 11 of Schedule 3 to be stated in the prospectus or, in the case of a contract not reduced into writing, a memorandum giving full particulars of it; and
where the persons making any report required by Part II of Schedule 3 have made in it or have, without giving the reasons, indicated in it any such adjustments as are mentioned in paragraph 21 of the Schedule, a written statement signed by those persons setting out the adjustments and giving the reasons for them.
If in the case of a prospectus deemed by virtue of a certificate under section 76 to comply with Schedule 3, a contract or a copy of it, or a memorandum of a contract, is required to be available for inspection in connection with application under that section to the stock exchange, a copy or (as the case may be) a memorandum of the contract must be endorsed on or attached to the copy of the prospectus delivered to the registrar for registration.
References in subsections (3)(b) and (4) to the copy of a contract are, in the case of a contract wholly or partly in a foreign language, to a copy of a translation of the contract into English, or a copy embodying a translation into English of the parts in a foreign language (as the case may be); and—
the translation must in either case be certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation, and
the reference in subsection (4) to a copy of a contract required to be available for inspection includes a copy of a translation of it or a copy embodying a translation of parts of it.
A person who is knowingly responsible for the issue, circulation or distribution of a prospectus, or for the issue of a form of application for shares or debentures, in contravention of any of sections 72 to 77 is liable to a fine.
Sections 67, 68 and 69 extend to every prospectus offering for subscription shares in or debentures of a company incorporated or to be incorporated outside Great Britain (whether the company has or has not established, or when formed will or will not establish, a place of business in Great Britain), substituting for any reference to section 61 a reference to section 74.
In the event of non-compliance with or contravention of any of the requirements of section 72(2) as regards the particulars to be contained in the prospectus, or section 72(3) as regards compliance with Schedule 3, a director or other person responsible for the prospectus incurs no liability by reason of the non-compliance or contravention if—
as regards any matter not disclosed, he proves that he was not cognisant of it, or
he proves that the non-compliance or contravention arose from an honest mistake of fact on his part, or
the non-compliance or contravention was in respect of matters which, in the opinion of the court dealing with the case, were immaterial or were otherwise such as ought, in the court’s opinion, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, reasonably to be excused.
In the event of failure to include in a prospectus to which this Chapter applies a statement with respect to the matters contained in paragraph 13 of Schedule 3, no director or other person incurs any liability in respect of the failure unless it is proved that he had knowledge of the matters not disclosed.
Nothing in section 72 or 73 or this section, limits or diminishes any liability which a person may incur under the general law or this Act, apart from those provisions.
Where a document by which the shares or debentures of a company incorporated outside Great Britain are offered for sale to the public would, if the company had been a company incorporated under this Act, have been deemed by virtue of section 58 to be a prospectus issued by the company, that document is deemed, for the purposes of this Chapter, a prospectus so issued.
An offer of shares or debentures for subscription or sale to a person whose ordinary business it is to buy or sell shares or debentures (whether as principal or agent) is not deemed an offer to the public for those purposes.
In this Chapter “shares” and “debentures” have the same meaning as when those expressions are used, elsewhere in this Act, in relation to a company incorporated under this Act.
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The directors of a company shall not exercise any power of the company to allot relevant securities, unless they are, in accordance with this section, authorised to do so by—
the company in general meeting; or
the company's articles.
In this section " relevant securities " means— and a reference to the allotment of relevant securities includes the grant of such a right but (subject to subsection (6) below), not the allotment of shares pursuant to such a right.
shares in the company other than shares shown in the memorandum to have been taken by the subscribers to it or shares allotted in pursuance of an employees' share scheme, and
any right to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares in the company (other than shares so allotted);
Authority under this section may be given for a particular exercise of the power or for its exercise generally, and may be unconditional or subject to conditions.
The authority must state the maximum amount of relevant securities that may be allotted under it and the date on which it will expire, which must be not more than 5 years from whichever is relevant of the following dates— but such an authority (including an authority contained in the articles) may be previously revoked or varied by the company in general meeting.
in the case of an authority contained in the company's articles at the time of its original incorporation, the date of that incorporation ; and
in any other case, the date on which the resolution is passed by virtue of which the authority is given;
The authority may be renewed or further renewed by the company in general meeting for a further period not exceeding 5 years; but the resolution must state (or restate) the amount of relevant securities which may be allotted under the authority or, as the case may be, the amount remaining to be allotted under it, and must specify the date on which the renewed authority will expire.
In relation to authority under this section for the grant of such rights as are mentioned in subsection (2)(b), the reference in subsection (4) (as also the corresponding reference in subsection (5)) to the maximum amount of relevant securities that may be allotted under the authority is to the maximum amount of shares which may be allotted pursuant to the rights.
The directors may allot relevant securities, notwithstanding that authority under this section has expired, if they are allotted in pursuance of an offer or agreement made by the company before the authority expired and the authority allowed it to make an offer or agreement which would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after the authority expired.
A resolution of a company to give, vary, revoke or renew such an authority may, notwithstanding that it alters the company's articles, be an ordinary resolution; but it is in any case subject to section 380 of this Act (copy to be forwarded to registrar within 15 days).
A director who knowingly and wilfully contravenes, or permits or authorises a contravention of, this section is liable to a fine.
Nothing in this section affects the validity of any allotment.
This section does not apply to any allotment of relevant securities by a company, other than a public company registered as such on its original incorporation, if it is made in pursuance of an offer or agreement made before the earlier of the following two dates— but any resolution to give, vary or revoke an authority for the purposes of section 14 of the Companies Act 1980 or this section has effect for those purposes if passed at any time after the end of April 1980.
the date of the holding of the first general meeting of the company after its registration or re-registration as a public company, and
22nd June 1982;
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A private limited company (other than a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital) commits an offence if it—
offers to the public (whether for cash or otherwise) any shares in or debentures of the company; or
allots or agrees to allot (whether for cash or otherwise) any shares in or debentures of the company with a view to all or any of those shares or debentures being offered for sale to the public (within the meaning given to that expression by sections 58 to 60).
A company guilty of an offence under this section, and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine.
Nothing in this section affects the validity of any allotment or sale of shares or debentures, or of any agreement to allot or sell shares or debentures.
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No allotment shall be made of a company's shares or debentures in pursuance of a prospectus issued generally, and no proceedings shall be taken on applications made in pursuance of a prospectus so issued, until the beginning of the third day after that on which the prospectus is first so issued or such later time (if any) as may be specified in the prospectus.
The beginning of that third day, or that later time, is " the time of the opening of the subscription lists ".
In subsection (1), the reference to the day on which the prospectus is first issued generally is to the day when it is first so issued as a newspaper advertisement; and if it is not so issued as a newspaper advertisement before the third day after that on which it is first so issued in any other manner, the reference is to the day on which it is first so issued in any manner.
In reckoning for this purpose the third day after another day—
any intervening day which is a Saturday or Sunday, or is a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain, is to be disregarded; and
if the third day (as so reckoned) is itself a Saturday or Sunday, or a bank holiday, there is to be substituted the first day after that which is none of them.
The validity of an allotment is not affected by any contravention of subsections (1) to (4); but in the event of contravention, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
As applying to a prospectus offering shares or debentures for sale, the above provisions are modified as follows—
for references to allotment, substitute references to sale; and
for the reference to the company and every officer of it who is in default, substitute a reference to any person by or through whom the offer is made and who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the contravention.
An application for shares in or debentures of a company which is made in pursuance of a prospectus issued generally is not revocable until after the expiration of the third day after the time of the opening of the subscription lists, or the giving before the expiration of that day of the appropriate public notice ; and that notice is one given by some person responsible under sections 67 to 69 for the prospectus and having the effect under those sections of excluding or limiting the responsibility of the giver.
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No allotment shall be made of any share capital of a company offered to the public for subscription unless—
there has been subscribed the amount stated in the prospectus as the minimum amount which, in the opinion of the directors, must be raised by the issue of share capital in order to provide for the matters specified in paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 (preliminary expenses, purchase of property, working capital, etc.); and
the sum payable on application for the amount so stated has been paid to and received by the company.
For purposes of subsection (1)(b), a sum is deemed paid to the company, and received by it, if a cheque for that sum has been received in good faith by the company and the directors have no reason for suspecting that the cheque will not be paid.
The amount so stated in the prospectus is to be reckoned exclusively of any amount payable otherwise than in cash and is known as " the minimum subscription ".
If the above conditions have not been complied with on the expiration of 40 days after the first issue of the prospectus, all money received from applicants for shares shall be forthwith repaid to them without interest.
If any of the money is not repaid within 48 days after the issue of the prospectus, the directors of the company are jointly and severally liable to repay it with interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum from the expiration of the 48th day; except that a director is not so liable if he proves that the default in the repayment of the money was not due to any misconduct or negligence on his part.
Any condition requiring or binding an applicant for shares to waive compliance with any requirement of this section is void.
This section does not apply to an allotment of shares subsequent to the first allotment of shares offered to the public for subscription.
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No allotment shall be made of any share capital of a public company offered for subscription unless— and, where conditions are so specified, no allotment of the capital shall be made by virtue of paragraph (b) unless those conditions are satisfied. This is without prejudice to section 83.
that capital is subscribed for in full; or
the offer states that, even if the capital is not subscribed for in full, the amount of that capital subscribed for may be allotted in any event or in the event of the conditions specified in the offer being satisfied;
If shares are prohibited from being allotted by subsection (1) and 40 days have elapsed after the first issue of the prospectus, all money received from applicants for shares shall be forthwith repaid to them without interest.
If any of the money is not repaid within 48 days after the issue of the prospectus, the directors of the company are jointly and severally liable to repay it with interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum from the expiration of the 48th day; except that a director is not so liable if he proves that the default in repayment was not due to any misconduct or negligence on his part.
This section applies in the case of shares offered as wholly or partly payable otherwise than in cash as it applies in the case of shares offered for subscription (the word " subscribed " In subsection (1) being construed accordingly).
In subsections (2) and (3) as they apply to the case of shares offered as wholly or partly payable otherwise than in cash, references to the repayment of money received from applicants for shares include— and references to interest apply accordingly.
the return of any other consideration so received (including, if the case so requires, the release of the applicant from any undertaking), or
if it is not reasonably practicable to return the consideration, the payment of money equal to its value at the time it was so received,
Any condition requiring or binding an applicant for shares to waive compliance with any requirement of this section is void.
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An allotment made by a company to an applicant in contravention of section 83 or 84 is voidable at the instance of the applicant within one month after the date of the allotment, and not later, and is so voidable notwithstanding that the company is in the course of being wound up.
If a director of a company knowingly contravenes, or permits or authorises the contravention of, any provision of either of those sections with respect to allotment, he is liable to compensate the company and the allottee respectively for any loss, damages or costs which the company or the allottee may have sustained or incurred by the contravention.
But proceedings to recover any such loss, damages or costs shall not be commenced after the expiration of 2 years from the date of the allotment
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The following applies where a prospectus, whether issued generally or not states that application has been or will be made for permission for the shares or debentures offered by it to be listed on any stock exchange.
An allotment made on an application in pursuance of the prospectus is, whenever made, void if the permission has not been applied for before the third day after the first issue of the prospectus or if the permission has been refused before the expiration of 3 weeks from the date of the closing of the subscription lists or such longer period (not exceeding 6 weeks) as may, within those 3 weeks, be notified to the applicant for permission by or on behalf of the stock exchange.
In reckoning for this purpose the third day after another day—
any intervening day which is a Saturday or Sunday, or is a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain, is to be disregarded; and
if the third day (as so reckoned) is itself a Saturday or Sunday, or a bank holiday, there is to be substituted the first day after that which is none of them.
Where permission has not been applied for as above, or has been refused as above, the company shall forthwith repay (without interest) all money received from applicants in pursuance of the prospectus.
If any of the money is not repaid within 8 days after the company becomes liable to repay it, the directors of the company are jointly and severally liable to repay the money with interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum from the expiration of the 8th day, except that a director is not liable if he proves that the default in the repayment of the money was not due to any misconduct or negligence on his part
All money received from applicants in pursuance of the prospectus shall be kept in a separate bank account so long as the company may become liable to repay it under subsection (4); and if default is made in complying with this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
Any condition requiring or binding an applicant for shares or debentures to waive compliance with any requirement of this section is void.
For purposes of this section, permission is not deemed to be refused if it is intimated that the application for it though not at present granted, will be given further consideration.
This section has effect in relation to shares or debentures agreed to be taken by a person underwriting an offer of them by a prospectus as if he had applied for them in pursuance of the prospectus.
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The following has effect as regards the operation of section 86 in relation to a prospectus offering shares for sale.
Subsections (1) and (2) of that section apply, but with the substitution for the reference in subsection (2) to allotment of a reference to sale.
Subsections (4) and (5) of that section do not apply; but—
if the permission referred to in section 86(2) has not been applied for as there mentioned, or has been refused as there mentioned, the offeror of the shares shall forthwith repay (without interest) all money received from applicants in pursuance of the prospectus, and
if any such money is not repaid within 8 days after the offeror becomes liable to repay it he becomes liable to pay interest on the money due, at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum from the end of the 8th day.
Subsections (6) to (9) apply, except that in subsection (6)—
for the first reference to the company there is substituted a reference to the offeror, and
for the reference to the company and every officer of the company who is in default there is substituted a reference to any person by or through whom the offer is made and who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default.
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This section applies to a company limited by shares and to a company limited by guarantee and having a share capital.
When such a company makes an allotment of its shares, the company shall within one month thereafter deliver to the registrar of companies for registration—
a return of the allotments (in the prescribed form) stating the number and nominal amount of the shares comprised in the allotment, the names and addresses of the allottees, and the amount (if any) paid or due and payable on each share, whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium ; and
in the case of shares allotted as fully or partly paid up otherwise than in cash—
a contract in writing constituting the title of the allottee to the allotment together with any contract of sale, or for services or other consideration in respect of which that allotment was made (such contracts being duly stamped), and
a return stating the number and nominal amount of shares so allotted, the extent to which they are to be treated as paid up, and the consideration for which they have been allotted.
Where such a contract as above mentioned is not reduced to writing, the company shall within one month after the allotment deliver to the registrar of companies for registration the prescribed particulars of the contract stamped with the same stamp duty as would have been payable if the contract had been reduced to writing.
Those particulars are deemed an instrument within the meaning of the Stamp Act 1891; and the registrar may. as a condition of filing the particulars, require that the duty payable on them be adjudicated under section 12 of that Act.
If default is made in complying with this section, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine, but subject as follows.
In the case of default in delivering to the registrar within one month after the allotment any document required by this section to be delivered, the company, or any officer liable for the default, may apply to the court for relief; and the court, if satisfied that the omission to deliver the document was accidental or due to inadvertence, or that it is just and equitable to grant relief, may make an order extending the time for the delivery of the document for such period as the court thinks proper.
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Subject to the provisions of this section and the seven sections next following, a company proposing to allot equity securities (defined in section 94)—
shall not allot any of them on any terms to a person unless it has made an offer to each person who holds relevant shares or relevant employee shares to allot to him on the same or more favourable terms a proportion of those securities which is as nearly as practicable equal to the proportion in nominal value held by him of the aggregate of relevant shares and relevant employee shares, and
shall not allot any of those securities to a person unless the period during which any such offer may be accepted has expired or the company has received notice of the acceptance or refusal of every offer so made.
Subsection (3) below applies to any provision of a company's memorandum or articles which requires the company, when proposing to allot equity securities consisting of relevant shares of any particular class, not to allot those securities on any terms unless it has complied with the condition that it makes such an offer as is described in subsection (1) to each person who holds relevant shares or relevant employee shares of that class.
If in accordance with a provision to which this subsection applies— subsection (1) does not apply to the allotment of those securities, and the company may allot them accordingly; but this is without prejudice to the application of subsection (1) in any other case.
a company makes an offer to allot securities to such a holder, and
he or anyone in whose favour he has renounced his right to their allotment accepts the offer,
Subsection (1) does not apply to a particular allotment of equity securities if these are, or are to be, wholly or partly paid up otherwise than in cash; and securities which a company has offered to allot to a holder of relevant shares or relevant employee shares may be allotted to him, or anyone in whose favour he has renounced his right to their allotment, without contravening subsection (1)(b).
Subsection (1) does not apply to the allotment of securities which would, apart from a renunciation or assignment of the right to their allotment, be held under an employees' share scheme.
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This section has effect as to the manner in which offers required by section 89(1), or by a provision to which section 89(3) applies, are to be made to holders of a company's shares.
Subject to the following subsections, an offer shall be in writing and shall be made to a holder of shares either personally or by sending it by post (that is to say, prepaying and posting a letter containing the offer) to him or to his registered address or, if he has no registered address in the United Kingdom, to the address in the United Kingdom supplied by him to the company for the giving of notice to him. If sent by post, the offer is deemed to be made at the time at which the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.
Where shares are held by two or more persons jointly, the offer may be made to the joint holder first named in the register of members in respect of the shares.
In the case of a holder's death or bankruptcy, the offer may be made—
by sending it by post in a prepaid letter addressed to the persons claiming to be entitled to the shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy by name, or by the tide of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description, at the address in the United Kingdom supplied for the purpose by those so claiming, or
(until such an address has been so supplied) by giving the notice in any manner in which it might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.
If the holder—
has no registered address in the United Kingdom and has not given to the company an address in the United Kingdom for the service of notices on him, or
is the holder of a share warrant. the offer may be made by causing it, or a notice specifying where a copy of it can be obtained or inspected, to be published in the Gazette.
The offer must state a period of not less than 21 days during which it may be accepted; and the offer shall not be withdrawn before the end of that period.
This section does not invalidate a provision to which section 89(3) applies by reason that that provision requires or authorises an offer under it to be made in contravention of any of subsections (1) to (6) above; but, to the extent that the provision requires or authorises such an offer to be so made, it is of no effect.
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Section 89(1), section 90(1) to (5) or section 90(6) may, as applying to allotments by a private company of equity securities or to such allotments of a particular description, be excluded by a provision contained in the memorandum or articles of that company.
A requirement or authority contained in the memorandum or articles of a private company, if it is inconsistent with any of those subsections, has effect as a provision excluding that subsection ; but a provision to which section 89(3) applies is not to be treated as inconsistent with section 89(1).
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If there is a contravention of section 89(1), or of section 90(1) to (5) or section 90(6), or of a provision to which section 89(3) applies, the company, and every officer of it who knowingly authorised or permitted the contravention, are jointly and severally liable to compensate any person to whom an offer should have been made under the subsection or provision contravened for any loss, damage, costs or expenses which the person has sustained or incurred by reason of the contravention.
However, no proceedings to recover any such loss, damage, costs or expenses shall be commenced after the expiration of 2 years from the delivery to the registrar of companies of the return of allotments in question or, where equity securities other than shares are granted, from the date of the grant.
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Sections 89 to 92 are without prejudice to any enactment by virtue of which a company is prohibited (whether generally or in specified circumstances) from offering or allotting equity securities to any person.
Where a company cannot by virtue of such an enactment offer or allot equity securities to a holder of relevant shares or relevant employee shares, those sections have effect as if the shares held by that holder were not relevant shares or relevant employee shares.
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The following subsections apply for the interpretation of sections 89 to 96.
" Equity security ", in relation to a company, means a relevant share in the company (other than a share shown in the memorandum to have been taken by a subscriber to the memorandum or a bonus share), or a right to subscribe for, or to convert securities into, relevant shares in the company.
A reference to the allotment of equity securities or of equity securities consisting of relevant shares of a particular class includes the grant of a right to subscribe for, or to convert any securities into, relevant shares in the company or (as the case may be) relevant shares of a particular class; but such a reference does not include the allotment of any relevant shares pursuant to such a right.
" Relevant employee shares", in relation to a company, means shares of the company which would be relevant shares in it but for the fact that they are held by a person who acquired them in pursuance of an employees' share scheme.
" Relevant shares ", in relation to a company, means shares in the company other than—
shares which as respects dividends and capital carry a right to participate only up to a specified amount in a distribution, and
shares which are held by a person who acquired them in pursuance of an employees' share scheme or, in the case of shares which have not been allotted, are to be allotted in pursuance of such a scheme.
A reference to a class of shares is to shares to which the same rights are attached as to voting and as to participation, both as respects dividends and as respects capital, in a distribution.
In relation to an offer to allot securities required by section 89(1) or by any provision to which section 89(3) applies, a reference in sections 89 to 94 (however expressed) to the holder of shares of any description is to whoever was at the close of business on a date, to be specified in the offer and to fall in the period of 28 days immediately before the date of the offer, the holder of shares of that description.
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Where the directors of a company are generally authorised for purposes of section 80, they may be given power by the articles, or by a special resolution of the company, to allot equity securities pursuant to that authority as if— and where the directors make an allotment under this subsection, sections 89 to 94 have effect accordingly.
section 89(1) did not apply to the allotment, or
that subsection applied to the allotment with such modifications as the directors may determine;
Where the directors of a company are authorised for purposes of section 80 (whether generally or otherwise), the company may by special resolution resolve either— and where such a resolution is passed, sections 89 to 94 have effect accordingly.
that section 89(1) shall not apply to a specified allotment of equity securities to be made pursuant to that authority, or
that that subsection shall apply to the allotment with such modifications as may be specified in the resolution ;
The power conferred by subsection (1) or a special resolution under subsection (2) ceases to have effect when the authority to which it relates is revoked or would (if not renewed) expire; but if the authority is renewed, the power or (as the case may be) the resolution may also be renewed, for a period not longer than that for which the authority is renewed, by a special resolution of the company.
Notwithstanding that any such power or resolution has expired, the directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of an offer or agreement previously made by the company, if the power or resolution enabled the company to make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after it expired.
A special resolution under subsection (2), or a special resolution to renew such a resolution, shall not be proposed unless it is recommended by the directors and there has been circulated, with the notice of the meeting at which the resolution is proposed, to the members entitled to have that notice a written statement by the directors setting out—
their reasons for making the recommendation.
the amount to be paid to the company in respect of the equity securities to be allotted, and
the directors' justification of that amount.
A person who knowingly or recklessly authorises or permits the inclusion in a statement circulated under subsection (5) of any matter which is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
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Where a company which is re-registered or registered as a public company is or, but for the provisions of the Companies Act 1980 and the enactments replacing it, would be subject at the time of re-registration or (as the case may be) registration to a pre-1982 pre-emption requirement, sections 89 to 95 do not apply to an allotment of the equity securities which are subject to that requirement.
A " pre-1982 pre-emption requirement" is a requirement imposed (whether by the company's memorandum or articles, or otherwise) before the relevant date in 1982 by virtue of which the company must, when making an allotment of equity securities, make an offer to allot those securities or some of them in a manner which (otherwise than because involving a contravention of section 90(1) to (5) or 90(6)) is inconsistent with sections 89 to 94 ; and " the relevant date in 1982 " is—
except in a case falling within the following paragraph, 22nd June in that year, and
in the case of a company which was re-registered or registered as a public company on an application made before that date, the date on which the application was made.
A requirement which— would have effect under section 91 to the exclusion of any provisions of sections 89 to 94, has effect, so long as the company remains a private company, as if it were contained in the memorandum or articles.
is imposed on a private company (having been so imposed before the relevant date in 1982) otherwise than by the company's memorandum or articles, and
if contained in the company's memorandum or articles,
If on the relevant date in 1982 a company, other than a public company registered as such on its original incorporation. was subject to such a requirement as is mentioned in section 89(2) imposed otherwise than by the memorandum or articles, the requirement is to be treated for purposes of sections 89 to 94 as if it were contained in the memorandum or articles.
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It is lawful for a company to pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any shares in the company, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolute or conditional) for any shares in the company, if the following conditions are satisfied.
The payment of the commission must be authorised by the company's articles ; and—
the commission paid or agreed to be paid must not exceed 10 per cent, of the price at which the shares are issued or the amount or rate authorised by the articles, whichever is the less; and
the amount or rate per cent, of commission paid or agreed to be paid, and the number of shares which persons have agreed for a commission to subscribe absolutely, must be disclosed in the manner required by the following subsection.
Those matters must, in the case of shares offered to the public for subscription, be disclosed in the prospectus; and in the case of shares not so offered—
they must be disclosed in a statement in the prescribed form signed by every director of the company or by his agent authorised in writing, and delivered (before payment of the commission) to the registrar of companies for registration; and
where a circular or notice (not being a prospectus) inviting subscription for the shares is issued, they must also be disclosed in that circular or notice.
If default is made in complying with subsection (3)(a) as regards delivery to the registrar of the statement in prescribed form, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
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Except as permitted by section 97, no company shall apply any of its shares or capital money, either directly or indirectly in payment of any commission, discount or allowance to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any shares in the company, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolute or conditional) for any shares in the company.
This applies whether the shares or money be so applied by being added to the purchase money of any property acquired by the company or to the contract price of any work to be executed for the company, or the money be paid out of the nominal purchase money or contract price, or otherwise.
Nothing in section 97 or this section affects the power of a company to pay such brokerage as has previously been lawful.
A vendor to, or promoter of, or other person who receives payment in money or shares from, a company has, and is deemed always to have had, power to apply any part of the money or shares so received in payment of any commission, the payment of which, if made directly by the company, would have been lawful under section 97 and this section.
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Subject to the following provisions of this Part, shares allotted by a company, and any premium on them, may be paid up in money or money's worth (including goodwill and know-how).
A public company shall not accept at any time, in payment up of its shares or any premium on them, an undertaking given by any person that he or another should do work or perform services for the company or any other person.
If a public company accepts such an undertaking in payment up of its shares or any premium on them, the holder of the shares when they or the premium are treated as paid up (in whole or in part) by the undertaking is liable—
to pay the company in respect of those shares an amount equal to their nominal value, together with the whole of any premium or, if the case so requires, such proportion of that amount as is treated as paid up by the undertaking; and
to pay interest at the appropriate rate on the amount payable under paragraph (a) above.
This section does not prevent a company from allotting bonus shares to its members or from paying up, with sums available for the purpose, any amounts for the time being unpaid on any of its shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium).
The reference in subsection (3) to the holder of shares includes any person who has an unconditional right to be included in the company's register of members in respect of those shares or to have an instrument of transfer of them executed in his favour.
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A company's shares shall not be allotted at a discount
If shares are allotted in contravention of this section, the allottee is liable to pay the company an amount equal to the amount of the discount, with interest at the appropriate rate.
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A public company shall not allot a share except as paid up at least as to one-quarter of its nominal value and the whole of any premium on it
Subsection (1) does not apply to shares allotted in pursuance of an employees' share scheme.
If a company allots a share in contravention of subsection (1), the share is to be treated as if one-quarter of its nominal value, together with the whole of any premium on it, had been received.
But the allottee is liable to pay the company the minimum amount which should have been received in respect of the share under subsection (1) (less the value of any consideration actually applied in payment up, to any extent, of the share and any premium on it), with interest at the appropriate rate.
Subsections (3) and (4) do not apply to the allotment of bonus shares, unless the allottee knew or ought to have known the shares were allotted in contravention of subsection (1).
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A public company shall not allot shares as fully or partly paid up (as to their nominal value or any premium on them) otherwise than in cash if the consideration for the allotment is or includes an undertaking which is to be, or may be, performed more than 5 years after the date of the allotment.
If a company allots shares in contravention of subsection (1), the allottee is liable to pay the company an amount equal to the aggregate of their nominal value and the whole of any premium (or, if the case so requires, so much of that aggregate as is treated as paid up by the undertaking), with interest at the appropriate rate.
Where a contract for the allotment of shares does not contravene subsection (1), any variation of the contract which has the effect that the contract would have contravened the subsection, if the terms of the contract as varied had been its original terms, is void.
Subsection (3) applies also to the variation by a public company of the terms of a contract entered into before the company was re-registered as a public company.
The following subsection applies where a public company allots shares for a consideration which consists of or includes (in accordance with subsection (1)) an undertaking which is to be performed within 5 years of the allotment, but the undertaking is not performed within the period allowed by the contract for the allotment of the shares.
The allottee is then liable to pay the company, at the end of the period so allowed, an amount equal to the aggregate of the nominal value of the shares and the whole of any premium (or, if the case so requires, so much of that aggregate as is treated as paid up by the undertaking), with interest at the appropriate rate.
A reference in this section to a contract for the allotment of shares includes an ancillary contract relating to payment in respect of them.
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A public company shall not allot shares as fully or partly paid up (as to their nominal value or any premium on them) otherwise than in cash unless—
the consideration for the allotment has been independently valued under section 108; and
a report with respect to its value has been made to the company by a person appointed by the company (in accordance with that section) during the 6 months immediately preceding the allotment of the shares; and
a copy of the report has been sent to the proposed allottee.
Where an amount standing to the credit of any of a company's reserve accounts, or of its profit and loss account, is applied in paying up (to any extent) any shares allotted to members of the company or any premiums on shares so allotted, the amount applied does not count as consideration for the allotment, and accordingly subsection (1) does not apply in that case.
Subsection (1) does not apply to the allotment of shares by a company in connection with an arrangement providing for the allotment of shares in that company on terms that the whole or part of the consideration for the shares allotted is to be provided by the transfer to that company (or the cancellation) of all or some of the shares, or of all or some of the shares of a particular class, in another company (with or without the issue to that company of shares, or of shares of any particular class, in that other company).
But subsection (3) does not exclude the application of subsection (1) unless under the arrangement it is open to all the holders of the shares in the other company in question (or, where the arrangement applies only to shares of a particular class, to all the holders of shares in that other company, being holders of shares of that class) to take part in the arrangement. In determining whether that is the case, shares held by or by a nominee of the company proposing to allot the shares in connection with the arrangement, or by or by a nominee of a company which is that company's holding company or subsidiary or a company which is a subsidiary of its holding company, shall be disregarded.
Subsection (1) also does not apply to the allotment of shares by a company in connection with its proposed merger with another company ; that is, where one of the companies proposes to acquire all the assets and liabilities of the other in exchange for the issue of shares or other securities of that one to shareholders of the other, with or without any cash payment to shareholders.
If a company allots shares in contravention of subsection (1) and either— the allottee is liable to pay the company an amount equal to the aggregate of the nominal value of the shares and the whole of any premium (or, if the case so requires, so much of that aggregate as is treated as paid up by the consideration), with interest at the appropriate rate.
the allottee has not received the valuer's report required by that subsection to be sent to him; or
there has been some other contravention of this section or section 108 which the allottee knew or ought to have known amounted to a contravention,
In this section—
"arrangement" means any agreement, scheme or arrangement (including an arrangement sanctioned in accordance with section 425 (company compromise with creditors and members) or section 582 (liquidator in winding up accepting shares as consideration for sale of company property)), and
any reference to a company, except where it is or is to be construed as a reference to a public company, includes any body corporate and any body to which letters patent have been issued under the Chartered Companies Act 1837.
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A public company formed as such shall not, unless the conditions of this section have been complied with, enter into an agreement with a person for the transfer by him during the initial period of one or more non-cash assets to the company or another, if—
that person is a subscriber to the company's memorandum, and
the consideration for the transfer to be given by the company is equal in value at the time of the agreement to one-tenth or more of the company's nominal share capital issued at that time.
The " initial period " for this purpose is 2 years beginning with the date of the company being issued with a certificate under section 117 (or the previous corresponding provision) that it was entitled to do business.
This section applies also to a company re-registered as a public company (except one re-registered under section 8 of the Companies Act 1980 or section 2 of the Consequential Provisions Act), or registered under section 685 (joint stock company) or the previous corresponding provision ; but in that case—
there is substituted a reference in subsection (1)(a) to a person who is a member of the company on the date of registration or re-registration, and
the initial period is then 2 years beginning with that date. In this subsection the reference to a company re-registered as a public company includes a private company so re-registered which was a public company before it was a private company.
The conditions of this section are as follows—
the consideration to be received by the company, and any consideration other than cash to be given by the company, must have been independently valued under section 109;
a report with respect to the consideration to be so received and given must have been made to the company in accordance with that section during the 6 months immediately preceding the date of the agreement ;
the terms of the agreement must have been approved by an ordinary resolution of the company ; and
not later than the giving of the notice of the meeting at which the resolution is proposed, copies of the resolution and report must have been circulated to the members of the company entitled to receive the notice and, if the person with whom the agreement in question is proposed to be made is not then a member of the company so entitled, to that person.
In subsection (4)(a)—
the reference to the consideration to be received by the company is to the asset to be transferred to it or the advantage to the company of the asset's transfer to another person ; and
the specified condition is without prejudice to any requirement to value any consideration for purposes of section 103.
In the case of the following agreements, this section does not apply—
where it is part of the company's ordinary business to acquire, or arrange for other persons to acquire, assets of a particular description, an agreement entered into by the company in the ordinary course of its business for the transfer of an asset of that description to it or to such a person, as the case may be ;
an agreement entered into by the company under the supervision of the court, or of an officer authorised by the court for the purpose, for the transfer of an asset to the company or to another.
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The following subsection applies if a public company enters into an agreement contravening section 104, the agreement being made with the person referred to in subsection (1)(a) or (as the case may be) subsection (3) of that section, and either—
that person has not received the valuer's report required for compliance with the conditions of the section, or
there has been some other contravention of the section or of section 108(1), (2) or (5) or section 109, which he knew or ought to have known amounted to a contravention.
The company is then entitled to recover from that person any consideration given by it under the agreement, or an amount equal to the value of the consideration at the time of the agreement; and the agreement, so far as not carried out, is void.
However, if the agreement is or includes an agreement for the allotment of shares in the company, then—
whether or not the agreement also contravenes section 103, subsection (2) above does not apply to it in so far as it is for the allotment of shares ; and
the allottee is liable to pay the company an amount equal to the aggregate of the nominal value of the shares and the whole of any premium (or, if the case so requires, so much of that aggregate as is treated as paid up by the consideration), with interest at the appropriate rate.
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The valuation and report required by section 103 (or, where applicable, section 44) shall be made by an independent person, that is to say a person qualified at the time of the report to be appointed, or continue to be, an auditor of the company.
However, where it appears to the independent person (from here on referred to as " the valuer ") to be reasonable for the valuation of the consideration, or part of it, to be made (or for him to accept such a valuation) by another person who— he may arrange for or accept such a valuation, together with a report which will enable him to make his own report under this section and provide the note required by subsection (6) below.
appears to him to have the requisite knowledge and experience to value the consideration or that part of it; and
is not an officer or servant of the company or any other body corporate which is that company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of that company's holding company or a partner or employee of such an officer or servant,
The reference in subsection (2)(b) to an officer or servant does not include an auditor.
The valuer's report shall state—
the nominal value of the shares to be wholly or partly paid for by the consideration in question;
the amount of any premium payable on the shares;
the description of the consideration and, as respects so much of the consideration as he himself has valued, a description of that part of the consideration, the method used to value it and the date of the valuation;
the extent to which the nominal value of the shares and any premium are to be treated as paid up—
by the consideration;
in cash.
Where the consideration or part of it is valued by a person other than the valuer himself, the latter's report shall state that fact and shall also—
state the former's name and what knowledge and experience he has to carry out the valuation, and
describe so much of the consideration as was valued by the other person, and the method used to value it, and specify the date of the valuation.
The valuer's report shall contain or be accompanied by a note by him—
in the case of a valuation made by a person other than himself, that it appeared to himself reasonable to arrange for it to be so made or to accept a valuation so made;
whoever made the valuation, that the method of valuation was reasonable in all the circumstances;
that it appears to the valuer that there has been no material change in the value of the consideration in question since the valuation; and
that on the basis of the valuation the value of the consideration, together with any cash by which the nominal value of the shares or any premium payable on them is to be paid up, is not less than so much of the aggregate of the nominal value and the whole of any such premium as is treated as paid up by the consideration and any such cash.
Where the consideration to be valued is accepted partly in payment up of the nominal value of the shares and any premium and partly for some other consideration given by the company, section 103 (and, where applicable, section 44) and the foregoing provisions of this section apply as if references to the consideration accepted by the company included the proportion of that consideration which is properly attributable to the payment up of that value and any premium; and—
the valuer shall carry out, or arrange for, such other valuations as will enable him to determine that proportion ; and
his report shall state what valuations have been made under this subsection and also the reason for, and method and date of, any such valuation and any other matters which may be relevant to that determination.
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Subsections (1) to (3) and (5) of section 108 apply also as respects the valuation and report for the purposes of section 104.
The valuer's report for those purposes shall—
state the consideration to be received by the company. describing the asset in question (specifying the amount to be received in cash) and the consideration to be given by the company (specifying the amount to be given in cash);
state the method and date of valuation :
contain or be accompanied by a note as to the matters mentioned in section 108(6)(a) to (c); and
contain or be accompanied by a note that on the basis of the valuation the value of the consideration to be received by the company is not less than the value of the consideration to be given by it.
A reference in section 104 or this section to consideration given for the transfer of an asset includes consideration given partly for its transfer ; but—
the value of any consideration partly so given is to be taken as the proportion of the consideration properly attributable to its transfer;
the valuer shall carry out or arrange for such valuations of anything else as will enable him to determine that proportion; and
his report for purposes of section 104 shall state what valuation has been made under this subsection and also the reason for and method and date of any such valuation and any other matters which may be relevant to that determination.
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A person carrying out a valuation or making a report under section 103 or 104, with respect to any consideration proposed to be accepted or given by a company, is entitled to require from the officers of the company such information and explanation as he thinks necessary to enable him to carry out the valuation or make the report and provide a note under section 108(6) or (as the case may be) section 109(2)(c).
A person who knowingly or recklessly makes a statement which— is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular. and
is a statement to which this subsection applies,
Subsection (2) applies to any statement made (whether orally or in writing) to a person carrying out a valuation or making a report under section 108 or 109, being a statement which conveys or purports to convey any information or explanation which that person requires, or is entitled to require, under subsection (1) of this section.
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A company to which a report is made under section 108 as to the value of any consideration for which, or partly for which, it proposes to allot shares shall deliver a copy of the report to the registrar of companies for registration at the same time that it files the return of the allotments of those shares under section 88.
A company which has passed a resolution under section 104 with respect to the transfer of an asset shall, within IS days of so doing, deliver to the registrar of companies a copy of the resolution together with the valuer's report required by that section.
If default is made in complying with subsection (1), every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine; but this is subject to the same exception as is made by section 88(6) (relief on application to the court) in the case of default in complying with that section.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (2), it and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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If a person becomes a holder of shares in respect of which— that person is also liable to pay that amount (jointly and severally with any other person so liable), unless he is exempted from liability by subsection (3) below.
there has been a contravention of section 99, 100, 101 or 103: and
by virtue of that contravention, another is liable to pay any amount under the section contravened,
If a company enters into an agreement in contravention of section 104 and— other person is liable to pay any amount under section 105. the person who becomes the holder of the shares is also liable to pay that amount (jointly and severally with any other person so liable), unless he is exempted from liability by the following subsection ; and this applies whether or not the agreement also contravenes section 103.
the agreement is or includes an agreement for the allotment of shares in the company ; and
a person becomes a holder of shares allotted under the agreement; and
by virtue of the agreement and allotment under it, an
A person otherwise liable under subsection (1) or (2) is exempted from that liability if either—
he is a purchaser for value and, at the time of the purchase, he did not have actual notice of the contravention concerned; or
he derived title to the shares (directly or indirectly) from a person who became a holder of them after the contravention and was not liable under subsection (1) or (as the case may be) subsection (2).
References in this section to a holder, in relation to shares in a company, include any person who has an unconditional right to be included in the company's register of members in respect of those shares or to have an instrument of transfer of the shares executed in his favour.
As subsections (1) and (3) apply in relation to the contraventions there mentioned, they also apply—
to a contravention of section 102; and
to a failure to carry out a term of a contract as mentioned in subsections (5) and (6) of that section.
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Where a person is liable to a company under— in relation to payment in respect of any shares in the company, or is liable by virtue of an undertaking given to it in, or in connection with, payment for any such shares, the person so liable may make an application to the court to be exempted in whole or in part from the liability.
section 99, 102, 103 or 105 ;
section 112(1) by reference to a contravention of section 99 or 103 ; or
section 112(2) or (5),
If the liability mentioned in subsection (1) arises in relation to payment in respect of any shares, the court may, on an application under that subsection, exempt the applicant from the liability only—
if and to the extent that it appears to the court just and equitable to do so having regard to the matters mentioned in the following subsection,
if and to the extent that it appears to the court just and equitable to do so in respect of any interest which he is liable to pay the company under any of the relevant sections.
The matters to be taken into account by the court under subsection (2)(a) are—
whether the applicant has paid, or is liable to pay, any amount in respect of any other liability arising in relation to those shares under any of the relevant sections, or of any liability arising by virtue of any undertaking given in or in connection with payment for those shares;
whether any person other than the applicant has paid or is likely to pay (whether in pursuance of an order of the court or otherwise) any such amount; and
whether the applicant or any other person has performed in whole or in part, or is likely so to perform, any such undertaking, or has done or is likely to do any other thing in payment or part payment for the shares.
Where the liability arises by virtue of an undertaking given to the company in, or in connection with, payment for shares in it, the court may, on an application under subsection (1), exempt the applicant from the liability only if and to the extent that it appears to the court just and equitable to do so having regard to—
whether the applicant has paid or is liable to pay any amount in respect of liability arising in relation to the shares under any of the provisions mentioned in that subsection; and
whether any person other than the applicant has paid or is likely to pay (whether in pursuance of an order of the court or otherwise) any such amount.
In determining whether it should exempt the applicant in whole or in part from any liability, the court shall have regard to the following overriding principles, namely—
that a company which has allotted shares should receive money or money's worth at least equal in value to the aggregate of the nominal value of those shares and the whole of any premium or, if the case so requires, so much of that aggregate as is treated as paid up; and
subject to this, that where such a company would, if the court did not grant the exemption, have more than one remedy against a particular person, it should be for the company to decide which remedy it should remain entitled to pursue.
If a person brings proceedings against another (" the contributor ") for a contribution in respect of liability to a company arising under any of sections 99 to 105 or 112, and it appears to the court that the contributor is liable to make such a contribution, the court may exercise the powers of the following subsection.
The court may, if and to the extent that it appears to it, having regard to the respective culpability (in respect of the liability to the company) of the contributor and the person bringing the proceedings, that it is just and equitable to do so—
exempt the contributor in whole or in part from his liability to make such a contribution ; or
order the contributor to make a larger contribution than. but for this subsection, he would be liable to make.
Where a person is liable to a company under section 105 (2), the court may, on application, exempt him in whole or in part from that liability if and to the extent that it appears to the court just and equitable to do so having regard to any benefit accruing to the company by virtue of anything done by him towards the carrying out of the agreement mentioned in that subsection.
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Subject to section 113, an undertaking given by any person, in or in connection with payment for shares in a company, to do work or perform services or to do any other thing, if it is enforceable by the company apart from this Act, is so enforceable notwithstanding that there has been a contravention in relation to it of section 99, 102 or 103.
Where such an undertaking is given in contravention of section 104 in respect of the allotment of shares, it is so enforceable notwithstanding the contravention.
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to a company which has passed and not revoked a resolution to be re-registered under section 43 as a public company, and
to a joint stock company which has passed, and not revoked, a resolution that the company be a public company,
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A company registered as a public company on its original incorporation shall not do business or exercise any borrowing powers unless the registrar of companies has issued it with a certificate under this section or the company is re-registered as a private company.
The registrar shall issue a company with such a certificate if, on an application made to him by the company in the prescribed form, he is satisfied that the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital is not less than the authorised minimum, and there is delivered to him a statutory declaration complying with the following subsection.
The statutory declaration must be in the prescribed form and be signed by a director or secretary of the company ; and it must—
state that the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital is not less than the authorised minimum ;
specify the amount paid up, at the time of the application, on the allotted share capital of the company;
specify the amount, or estimated amount, of the company's preliminary expenses and the persons by whom any of those expenses have been paid or are payable; and
specify any amount or benefit paid or given, or intended to be paid or given, to any promoter of the company, and the consideration for the payment or benefit.
For the purposes of subsection (2), a share allotted in pursuance of an employees' share scheme may not be taken into account in determining the nominal value of the company's allotted share capital unless it is paid up at least as to one-quarter of the nominal value of the share and the whole of any premium on the share.
The registrar may accept a statutory declaration delivered to him under this section as sufficient evidence of the matters stated in it.
A certificate under this section in respect of a company is conclusive evidence that the company is entitled to do business and exercise any borrowing powers.
If a company does business or exercises borrowing powers in contravention of this section, the company and any officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
Nothing in this section affects the validity of any transaction entered into by a company; but, if a company enters into a transaction in contravention of this section and fails to comply with its obligations in that connection within 21 days from being called upon to do so, the directors of the company are jointly and severally liable to indemnify the other party to the transaction in respect of any loss or damage suffered by him by reason of the company's failure to comply with those obligations.
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In this Act, "the authorised minimum" means £50,000, or such other sum as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument specify instead.
An order under this section which increases the authorised minimum may—
require any public company having an allotted share capital of which the nominal value is less than the amount specified in the order as the authorised minimum to increase that value to not less than that amount or make application to be re-registered as a private company;
make, in connection with any such requirement, provision for any of the matters for which provision is made by this Act relating to a company's registration, re-registration or change of name, to payment for any share comprised in a company's capital and to offers of shares in or debentures of a company to the public, including provision as to the consequences (whether in criminal law or otherwise) of a failure to comply with any requirement of the order; and
contain such supplemental and transitional provisions as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate, make different provision for different cases and, in particular, provide for any provision of the order to come into operation on different days for different purposes.
An order shall not be made under this section unless a draft of it has been laid before Parliament and approved by resolution of each House.
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make arrangements on the issue of shares for a difference between the shareholders in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their shares;
accept from any member the whole or a part of the amount remaining unpaid on any shares held by him, although no part of that amount has been called up;
pay dividend in proportion to the amount paid up on each share where a larger amount is paid up on some shares than on others.
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A company limited by shares or a company limited by guarantee and having a share capital, if so authorised by its articles, may alter the conditions of its memorandum in any of the following ways.
The company may—
increase its share capital by new shares of such amount as it thinks expedient;
consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares;
convert all or any of its paid-up shares into stock, and re-convert that stock into paid-up shares of any denomination;
sub-divide its shares, or any of them, into shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the memorandum (but subject to the following subsection);
cancel shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution to cancel them, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person, and diminish the amount of the company's share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.
In any sub-division under subsection (2)(d) the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced share must be the same as it was in the case of the share from which the reduced share is derived.
The powers conferred by this section must be exercised by the company in general meeting.
A cancellation of shares under this section does not for purposes of this Act constitute a reduction of share capital.
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If a company having a share capital has— it shall within one month after so doing give notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies, specifying (as the case may be) the shares consolidated, divided, converted, subdivided, redeemed or cancelled, or the stock re-converted.
consolidated and divided its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares ; or
converted any shares into stock ; or
re-converted stock into shares; or
sub-divided its shares or any of them ; or
redeemed any redeemable shares; or
cancelled any shares (otherwise than in connection with a reduction of share capital under section 135),
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default tine.
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If a company having a share capital (whether or not its shares have been converted into stock) increases its share capital beyond the registered capital, it shall within 15 days after the passing of the resolution authorising the increase, give to the registrar of companies notice of the increase, and the registrar shall record the increase.
The notice must include such particulars as may be prescribed with respect to the classes of shares affected and the conditions subject to which the new shares have been or are to be issued.
There shall be forwarded to the registrar together with the notice a printed copy of the resolution authorising the increase, or a copy of the resolution in some other form approved by the registrar.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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increase the nominal amount of its share capital by increasing the nominal amount of each of its shares (but subject to the condition that no part of the increased capital is to be capable of being called up except in the event and for the purpose of the company being wound up), and
alternatively or in addition, provide that a specified portion of its uncalled share capital is not to be capable of being called up except in that event and for that purpose.
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the holders of three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of that class consent in writing to the variation; or
an extraordinary resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of that class sanctions the variation;
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(12) Called up share capital
the rights are attached to a class of shares by the memorandum or otherwise;
F. Net current assets (liabilities) (11)
and references to disclosure are to public disclosure, except where an institution is not required under its parent law, any enactment (including any subordinate legislation within the meaning of section 21 of the Interpretation Act 1978 ) having effect for Great Britain or its constitution to publicly disclose its accounts, in which case such references are to the disclosure of the accounts to the persons for whose information they have been prepared. For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the following are accounting documents in relation to a financial period of an institution—
Notwithstanding that an item in respect of “development costs” is included under “fixed assets” in the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule, an amount may only be included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs in special circumstances. If any amount is included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs the following information shall be given in a note to the accounts—
The annual return of a company having a share capital shall contain the following information with respect to its share capital . . . .
The application of paragraphs 17 to 19 in relation to goodwill (in any case where goodwill is treated as an asset) is subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, the amount of the consideration for any goodwill acquired by a company shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over a period chosen by the directors of the company. The period chosen shall not exceed the useful economic life of the goodwill in question. In any case where any goodwill acquired by a company is shown or included as an asset in the company’s balance sheet the period chosen for writing off the consideration for that goodwill and the reasons for choosing that period shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
The return shall state the total number of issued shares of the company at the date to which the return is made up and the aggregate nominal value of those shares.
The return shall state with respect to each class of shares in the company—
the nature of the class, and
the total number and aggregate nominal value of issued shares of that class at the date to which the return is made up.
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the memorandum or articles contain provision for the variation of those rights ; and
the variation of those rights is connected with the giving, variation, revocation or renewal of an authority for allotment under section 80 or with a reduction of the company's share capital under section 135 ;
“amount”, in relation to a gain made on the exercise of a share option, means the difference between— the market price of the shares on the day on which the option was exercised; and the price actually paid for the shares; “company contributions”, in relation to a pension scheme and a person, means any payments (including insurance premiums) made, or treated as made, to the scheme in respect of the person by anyone other than the person; “defined benefit scheme”, in relation to a person, means a pension scheme which is not a money purchase scheme in relation to the person; “emoluments” of a person— includes salary, fees and bonuses, sums paid by way of expenses allowance (so far as they are chargeable to United Kingdom income tax or would be if the person were an individual) but, does not include any of the following, namely— the value of any share options granted to him or the amount of any gains made on the exercise of any such options; any company contributions paid, or treated as paid, in respect of him under any pension scheme or any benefits to which he is entitled under any such scheme; or any money or other assets paid to or received or receivable by him under any long term incentive scheme; “long term incentive scheme” has the meaning given by paragraph 10(5); “money purchase benefits”, in relation to a person, means retirement benefits the rate or amount of which is calculated by reference to payments made, or treated as made, by the person or by any other person in respect of that person and which are not average salary benefits; “money purchase scheme”, in relation to a person , means a pension scheme under which all of the benefits that may become payable to or in respect of the person are money purchase benefits in relation to the person; “pension scheme” means a retirement benefits scheme within the meaning given by section 611 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988; “qualifying services”, in relation to any person, means his services as a director of the company, and his services at any time while he is a director of the company— as a director of an undertaking that is a subsidiary undertaking of the company at that time; as a director of any other undertaking of which he is a director by virtue of the company’s nomination (direct or indirect); or otherwise in connection with the management of the affairs of the company or any such subsidiary undertaking or any such other undertaking; “retirement benefits” means relevant benefits within the meaning given by section 612(1) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988; “shares” means shares (whether allotted or not) in the company, or any undertaking which is a group undertaking in relation to the company, and includes a share warrant as defined by section 188(1); “share option” means a right to acquire shares; “value” , in relation to shares received or receivable on any day by a person who is or has been a director of the company, means the market price of the shares on that day. In this Schedule “compensation in respect of loss of office” includes compensation received or receivable by a person for— References in this Schedule to compensation include benefits otherwise than in cash; and in relation to such compensation references in this Schedule to its amount are to the estimated money value of the benefit. References in this Schedule to a person being “connected” with a director, and to a director “controlling” a body corporate, shall be construed in accordance with section 346.
the condition mentioned in subsection (2)(a) or (b) above is satisfied; and
in a case within paragraph (a) of the subsection, no purchase by the company of its own shares in pursuance of that contract is lawful under this Chapter,
If in the course of the financial year the company has carried on business of two or more classes that, in the opinion of the directors, differ substantially from each other, there shall be stated in respect of each class (describing it)— If in the course of the financial year the company has supplied markets that, in the opinion of the directors, differ substantially from each other, the amount of the turnover attributable to each such market shall also be stated. In this paragraph “market” means a market delimited by geographical bounds. In analysing for the purposes of this paragraph the source (in terms of business or in terms of market) of turnover . . ., the directors of the company shall have regard to the manner in which the company’s activities are organised. For the purposes of this paragraph— and any amounts properly attributable to one class of business or (as the case may be) to one market which are not material may be included in the amount stated in respect of another. Where in the opinion of the directors the disclosure of any information required by this paragraph would be seriously prejudicial to the interests of the company, that information need not be disclosed, but the fact that any such information has not been disclosed must be stated. Particulars of staff
in the case of (a), the name of the company and the date on which the winding up terminated; and
any requirement of the memorandum or articles in relation to the variation of rights of that class is complied with to the extent that it is not comprised in that condition.
in the case of (b), the name of the company and the date on which the company ceased to be registered.
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where they are so attached by the memorandum, the articles contain provision with respect to their variation which had been included in the articles at the time of the company's original incorporation; or
where they are so attached otherwise, the articles contain such provision (whenever first so included),
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the necessary quorum at any such meeting other than an adjourned meeting shall be two persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class in question and at an adjourned meeting one person holding shares of the class in question or his proxy;
any holder of shares of the class in question present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.
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This section applies if, in the case of a company whose share capital is divided into different classes of shares—
provision is made by the memorandum or articles for authorising the variation of the rights attached to any class of shares in the company, subject to— and in pursuance of that provision the rights attached to any such class of shares are at any time varied ; or
the consent of any specified proportion of the holders of the issued shares of that class, or
the sanction of a resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of those shares,
the rights attached to any class of shares in the company are varied under section 125(2).
The holders of not less in the aggregate than 15 per cent, of the issued shares of the class in question (being persons who did not consent to or vote in favour of the resolution for the variation), may apply to the court to have the variation cancelled ; and if such an application is made, the variation has no effect unless and until it is confirmed by the court.
Application to the court must be made within 21 days after the date on which the consent was given or the resolution was passed (as the case may be), and may be made on behalf of the shareholders entitled to make the application by such one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose.
The court, after hearing the applicant and any other persons who apply to the court to be heard and appear to the court to be interested in the application, may, if satisfied having regard to all the circumstances of the case, that the variation would unfairly prejudice the shareholders of the class represented by the applicant, disallow the variation and shall, if not so satisfied, confirm it. The decision of the court on any such application is final.
The company shall within 15 days after the making of an order by the court on such an application forward a copy of the order to the registrar of companies; and, if default is made in complying with this provision, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default tine.
" Variation ", in this section, includes abrogation ; and " varied " is to be construed accordingly.
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If a company allots shares with rights which are not stated in its memorandum or articles, or in any resolution or agreement which is required by section 380 to be sent to the registrar of companies, the company shall deliver to the registrar of companies, within one month from allotting the shares, a statement in the prescribed form containing particulars of those rights.
This does not apply if the shares are in all respects uniform with shares previously allotted ; and shares are not for this purpose to be treated as different from shares previously allotted by reason only that the former do not carry the same rights to dividends as the latter during the 12 months immediately following the former's allotment
Where the rights attached to any shares of a company are varied otherwise than by an amendment of the company's memorandum or articles or by a resolution or agreement subject to section 380, the company shall within one month from the date on which the variation is made deliver to the registrar of companies a statement in the prescribed form containing particulars of the variation.
Where a company (otherwise than by any such amendment, resolution or agreement as is mentioned above) assigns a name or other designation, or a new name or other designation, to any class of its shares, it shall within one month from doing so deliver to the registrar of companies a notice in the prescribed form giving particulars of the name or designation so assigned.
If a company fails to comply with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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If a company not having a share capital creates a class of members with rights which are not stated in its memorandum or articles or in a resolution or agreement to which section 380 applies, the company shall deliver to the registrar of companies within one month from the date on which the new class is created a statement in the prescribed form containing particulars of the rights attached to that class.
If the rights of any class of members of the company are varied otherwise than by an amendment of the memorandum or articles or by a resolution or agreement subject to section 380, the company shall within one month from the date on which the variation is made deliver to the registrar a statement in the prescribed form containing particulars of the variation.
If a company (otherwise than by such an amendment, resolution or agreement as is mentioned above) assigns a name or other designation, or a new name or other designation, to any class of its members, it shall within one month from doing so deliver to the registrar a notice in the prescribed form giving particulars of the name or designation so assigned.
If a company fails to comply with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a company issues shares at a premium, whether for cash or otherwise, a sum equal to the aggregate amount or value of the premiums on those shares shall be transferred to an account called “the share premium account”.
The share premium account may be applied by the company in paying up unissued shares to be allotted to members as fully paid bonus shares, or is writing off— or in providing for the premium payable on redemption of debentures of the company.
the company’s preliminary expenses; or
the expenses of, or the commission paid or discount allowed on, any issue of shares or debentures of the company,
Subject to this, the provisions of this Act relating to the reduction of a company’s share capital apply as if the share premium account were part of its paid up share capital.
Sections 131 and 132 below give relief from the requirements of this section, and in those sections references to the issuing company are to the company issuing shares as above mentioned.
With the exception made by section 132(8) (group reconstruction) this section applies where the issuing company has secured at least a 90 per cent. equity holding in another company in pursuance of an arrangement providing for the allotment of equity shares in the issuing company on terms that the consideration for the shares allotted is to be provided—
by the issue or transfer to the issuing company of equity shares in the other company, or
by the cancellation of any such shares not held by the issuing company.
If the equity shares in the issuing company allotted in pursuance of the arrangement in consideration for the acquisition or cancellation of equity shares in the other company are issued at a premium, section 130 does not apply to the premiums on those shares.
Where the arrangement also provides for the allotment of any shares in the issuing company on terms that the consideration for those shares is to be provided by the issue or transfer to the issuing company of non-equity shares in the other company or by the cancellation of any such shares in that company not held by the issuing company, relief under subsection (2) extends to any shares in the issuing company allotted on those terms in pursuance of the arrangement.
Subject to the next subsection, the issuing company is to be regarded for purposes of this section as having secured at least a 90 per cent. equity holding in another company in pursuance of such an arrangement as is mentioned in subsection (1) if in consequence of an acquisition or cancellation of equity shares in that company (in pursuance of that arrangement) it holds equity shares in that company (whether all or any of those shares were acquired in pursuance of that arrangement, or not) of an aggregate nominal value equal to 90 per cent. or more of the nominal value of that company’s equity share capital (excluding any shares in that company held as treasury shares).
Where the equity share capital of the other company is divided into different classes of shares, this section does not apply unless the requirements of subsection (1) are satisfied in relation to each of those classes of shares taken separately.
Shares held by a company which is the issuing company’s holding company or subsidiary, or a subsidiary of the issuing company’s holding company, or by its or their nominees, are to be regarded for purposes of this section as held by the issuing company.
In relation to a company and its shares and capital, the following definitions apply for purposes of this section— and “arrangement” means any agreement, scheme or arrangement (including an arrangement sanctioned under section 899 of the Companies Act 2006 (court sanction for compromise or arrangement with creditors or members) or section 110 of the Insolvency Act (liquidator accepting shares etc. as consideration for sale of company property)).
“equity shares” means shares comprised in the company’s equity share capital; and
“non-equity shares” means shares (of any class) not so comprised;
The relief allowed by this section does not apply if the issue of shares took place before 4th February 1981.
This section applies where the issuing company—
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another company (“the holding company”), and
allots shares to the holding company or to another wholly-owned subsidiary of the holding company in consideration for the transfer to the issuing company of assets other than cash, being assets of any company (“the transferor company”) which is a member of the group of companies which comprises the holding company and all its wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Where the shares in the issuing company allotted in consideration for the transfer are issued at a premium, the issuing company is not required by section 130 to transfer any amount in excess of the minimum premium value to the share premium account.
In subsection (2), “the minimum premium value” means the amount (if any) by which the base value of the consideration for the shares allotted exceeds the aggregate nominal value of those shares.
For the purposes of subsection (3), the base value of the consideration for the shares allotted is the amount by which the base value of the assets transferred exceeds the base value of any liabilities of the transferor company assumed by the issuing company as part of the consideration for the assets transferred.
For the purposes of subsection (4)—
the base value of the assets transferred is to be taken as— whichever is the less; and
the cost of those assets to the transferor company, or
the amount at which those assets are stated in the transferor company’s accounting records immediately before the transfer,
the base value of the liabilities assumed is to be taken as the amount at which they are stated in the transferor company’s accounting records immediately before the transfer.
The relief allowed by this section does not apply (subject to the next subsection) if the issue of shares took place before the date of the coming into force of the Companies (Share Premium Account) Regulations 1984 (which were made on 21st December 1984).
To the extent that the relief allowed by this section would have been allowed by section 38 of the Companies Act 1981 as originally enacted (the text of which section is set out in Schedule 25 to this Act), the relief applies where the issue of shares took place before the date of the coming into force of those Regulations, but not if the issue took place before 4th February 1981.
Section 131 does not apply in a case falling within this section.
An amount corresponding to one representing the premiums or part of the premiums on shares issued by a company which by virtue of section 131 or 132 of this Act, or section 12 of the Consequential Provisions Act, is not included in the company’s share premium account may also be disregarded in determining the amount at which any shares or other consideration provided for the shares issued is to be included in the company’s balance sheet.
References in this Chapter (however expressed) to— include (respectively) the acquisition of any of those shares by, and the issue or allotment or (as the case may be) the transfer of any of those shares to or by, nominees of that company; and the reference in section 132 to the company transferring the shares is to be construed accordingly.
the acquisition by a company of shares in another company; and
the issue or allotment of shares to, or the transfer of shares to or by, a company,
References in this Chapter to the transfer of shares in a company include the transfer of a right to be included in the company’s register of members in respect of those shares.
In sections 131 to 133 “company”, except in references to the issuing company, includes any body corporate.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument make such provision as appears to him to be appropriate—
for relieving companies from the requirements of section 130 in relation to premiums other than cash premiums, or
for restricting or otherwise modifying any relief from those requirements provided by this Chapter.
Regulations under this section may make different provision for different cases or classes of case and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
No such regulations shall be made unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
Subject to confirmation by the court, a company limited by shares or a company limited by guarantee and having a share capital may, if so authorised by its articles, by special resolution reduce its share capital in any way.
In particular, and without prejudice to subsection (1), the company may— and the company may, if and so far as is necessary, alter its memorandum by reducing the amount of its share capital and of its shares accordingly.
extinguish or reduce the liability on any of its shares in respect of share capital not paid up; or
either with or without extinguishing or reducing liability on any of its shares, cancel any paid-up share capital which is lost or unrepresented by available assets; or
either with or without extinguishing or reducing liability on any of its shares, pay off any paid-up share capital which is in excess of the company’s wants;
A special resolution under this section is in this Act referred to as “a resolution for reducing share capital”.
Where a company has passed a resolution for reducing share capital, it may apply to the court for an order confirming the reduction.
If the proposed reduction of share capital involves either— and in any other case if the court so directs, the next three subsections have effect, but subject throughout to subsection (6).
diminution of liability in respect of unpaid share capital; or
the payment to a shareholder of any paid-up share capital,
Every creditor of the company who — is entitled to object to the reduction of capital.
at the date fixed by the court is entitled to any debt or claim which, if that date were the commencement of the winding up of the company, would be admissible in proof against the company, and
can show that there is a real likelihood that the reduction would result in the company being unable to discharge his debt or claim when it fell due,
The court shall settle a list of creditors entitled to object, and for that purpose—
shall ascertain, as far as possible without requiring an application from any creditor, the names of those creditors and the nature and amount of their debts or claims; and
may publish notices fixing a day or days within which creditors not entered on the list are to claim to be so entered or are to be excluded from the right of objecting to the reduction of capital.
If a creditor entered on the list whose debt or claim is not discharged or has not determined does not consent to the reduction, the court may, if it thinks fit, dispense with the consent of that creditor, on the company securing payment of his debt or claim by appropriating (as the court may direct) the following amount—
if the company admits the full amount of the debt or claim or, though not admitting it, is willing to provide for it, then the full amount of the debt or claim;
if the company does not admit, and is not willing to provide for, the full amount of the debt or claim, or if the amount is contingent or not ascertained, then an amount fixed by the court after the like enquiry and adjudication as if the company were being wound up by the court.
If a proposed reduction of share capital involves either the diminution of any liability in respect of unpaid share capital or the payment to any shareholder of any paid-up share capital, the court may, if having regard to any special circumstances of the case it thinks proper to do so, direct that subsections (3) to (5) of this section shall not apply as regards any class or any classes of creditors.
The court, if satisfied with respect to every creditor of the company who under section 136 is entitled to object to the reduction of capital that either— may make an order confirming the reduction on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.
his consent to the reduction has been obtained; or
his debt or claim has been discharged or has determined, or has been secured,
Where the court so orders, it may also—
if for any special reason it thinks proper to do so, make an order directing that the company shall, during such period (commencing on or at any time after the date of the order) as is specified in the order, add to its name as its last words the words “and reduced”; and
make an order requiring the company to publish (as the court directs) the reasons for reduction of capital or such other information in regard to it as the court thinks expedient with a view to giving proper information to the public and (if the court thinks fit) the causes which led to the reduction.
Where a company is ordered to add to its name the words “and reduced”, those words are, until the expiration of the period specified in the order, deemed to be part of the company’s name.
The registrar of companies, on production to him of an order of the court confirming the reduction of a company’s share capital, and the delivery to him of a copy of the order and of a minute (approved by the court) showing, with respect to the company’s share capital as altered by the order— shall register the order and minute (but subject to section 139).
the amount of the share capital;
the number of shares into which it is to be divided, and the amount of each share; and
the amount (if any) at the date of the registration deemed to be paid up on each share,
On the registration of the order and minute, and not before, the resolution for reducing share capital as confirmed by the order so registered takes effect.
Notice of the registration shall be published in such manner as the court may direct.
The registrar shall certify the registration of the order and minute; and the certificate—
may be either signed by the registrar, or authenticated by his official seal;
is conclusive evidence that all the requirements of this Act with respect to the reduction of share capital have been complied with, and that the company’s share capital is as stated in the minute.
The minute when registered is deemed to be substituted for the corresponding part of the company’s memorandum, and is valid and alterable as if it had been originally contained therein.
The substitution of such a minute for part of the company’s memorandum is deemed an alteration of the memorandum for purposes of section 20.
This section applies where the court makes an order confirming a reduction of a public company’s capital which has the effect of bringing the nominal value of its allotted share capital below the authorised minimum.
The registrar of companies shall not register the order under section 138 unless the court otherwise directs, or the company is first re-registered as a private company.
The court may authorise the company to be so re-registered without its having passed the special resolution required by section 53; and where that authority is given, the court shall specify in the order the alterations in the company’s memorandum and articles to be made in connection with that re-registration.
The company may then be re-registered as a private company, if an application in the prescribed form and signed by a director or secretary of the company is delivered to the registrar, together with a printed copy of the memorandum and articles as altered by the court’s order.
On receipt of such an application, the registrar shall retain it and the other documents delivered with it and issue the company with a certificate of incorporation appropriate to a company that is not a public company; and—
the company by virtue of the issue of the certificate becomes a private company, and the alterations in the memorandum and articles set out in the court’s order take effect; and
the certificate is conclusive evidence that the requirements of this section in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental thereto have been complied with, and that the company is a private company.
Where a company’s share capital is reduced, a member of the company (past or present) is not liable in respect of any share to any call or contribution exceeding in amount the difference (if any) between the amount of the share as fixed by the minute and the amount paid on the share or the reduced amount (if any), which is deemed to have been paid on it, as the case may be.
But the following two subsections apply if—
a creditor, entitled in respect of a debt or claim to object to the reduction of share capital, by reason of his ignorance of the proceedings for reduction of share capital, or of their nature and effect with respect to his claim, is not entered on the list of creditors; and
after the reduction of capital, the company is unable (within the meaning of section 123 of the Insolvency Act) to pay the amount of his debt or claim.
Every person who was a member of the company at the date of the registration of the order for reduction and minute is then liable to contribute for the payment of the debt or claim in question an amount not exceeding that which he would have been liable to contribute if the company had commenced to be wound up on the day before that date.
If the company is wound up, the court, on the application of the creditor in question and proof of ignorance referred to in subsection (2)(a), may (if it thinks fit) settle accordingly a list of persons so liable to contribute, and make and enforce calls and orders on the contributories settled on the list, as if they were ordinary contributories in a winding up.
Nothing in this section affects the rights of the contributories among themselves.
If an officer of the company— he is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
wilfully conceals the name of a creditor entitled to object to the reduction of capital; or
wilfully misrepresents the nature or amount of the debt or claim of any creditor; or
aids, abets or is privy to any such concealment or misrepresentation as is mentioned above,
Where the net assets of a public company are half or less of its called-up share capital, the directors shall, not later than 28 days from the earliest day on which that fact is known to a director of the company, duly convene an extraordinary general meeting of the company for a date not later than 56 days from that day for the purpose of considering whether any, and if so what, steps should be taken to deal with the situation.
If there is a failure to convene an extraordinary general meeting as required by subsection (1), each of the directors of the company who— is liable to a fine.
knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the failure, or
after the expiry of the period during which that meeting should have been convened, knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the failure to continue,
Nothing in this section authorises the consideration, at a meeting convened in pursuance of subsection (1), of any matter which could not have been considered at that meeting apart from this section.
Subject to the following provisions, a company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital shall not acquire its own shares, whether by purchase, subscription or otherwise.
If a company purports to act in contravention of this section, the company is liable to a fine, and every officer of the company who is in default is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both; and , subject to subsection (2A), the purported acquisition is void.
A company limited by shares may acquire any of its own fully paid shares otherwise than for valuable consideration; and subsection (1) does not apply in relation to—
the redemption or purchase of shares in accordance with Chapter VII of this Part,
the acquisition of shares in a reduction of capital duly made,
the purchase of shares in pursuance of an order of the court under section 5 (alteration of objects), section 54 (litigated objection to resolution for company to be re-registered as private) or section 996 of the Companies Act 2006 (relief to members unfairly prejudiced), or
the forfeiture of shares, or the acceptance of shares surrendered in lieu, in pursuance of the articles, for failure to pay any sum payable in respect of the shares.
Where a company purchases qualifying shares out of distributable profits under section 162, any contravention by the company of any provision of section 162B(1) or (2) shall not render the acquisition void under subsection (2) above.
Subject to section 145, where shares are issued to a nominee of a company mentioned in section 143(1), or are acquired by a nominee of such a company from a third person as partly paid up, then, for all purposes—
the shares are to be treated as held by the nominee on his own account; and
the company is to be regarded as having no beneficial interest in them.
Subject to that section, if a person is called on to pay any amount for the purpose of paying up, or paying any premium on, any shares in such a company which were issued to him, or which he otherwise acquired, as the company’s nominee and he fails to pay that amount within 21 days from being called on to do so, then— are jointly and severally liable with him to pay that amount.
if the shares were issued to him as subscriber to the memorandum by virtue of an undertaking of his in the memorandum, the other subscribers to the memorandum, or
if the shares were otherwise issued to or acquired by him, the directors of the company at the time of the issue or acquisition,
If in proceedings for the recovery of any such amount from any such subscriber or director under this section it appears to the court— the court may relieve him, either wholly or partly, from his liability on such terms as the court thinks fit.
that he is or may be liable to pay that amount, but
that he has acted honestly and reasonably and, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, he ought fairly to be excused from liability,
Where any such subscriber or director has reason to apprehend that a claim will or might be made for the recovery of any such amount from him, he may apply to the court for relief; and the court has the same power to relieve him as it would have had in proceedings for the recovery of that amount.
Section 144(1) does not apply to shares acquired otherwise than by subscription by a nominee of a public company, where a person acquires shares in the company with financial assistance given to him directly or indirectly by the company for the purpose of or in connection with the acquisition, and the company has a beneficial interest in the shares.
Section 144(1) and (2) do not apply—
to shares acquired by a nominee of a company when the company has no beneficial interest in those shares, or
to shares issued in consequence of an application made before 22nd December 1980, or transferred in pursuance of an agreement to acquire them made before that date.
Schedule 2 to this Act has effect for the interpretation of references in this section to a company having, or not having, a beneficial interest in shares.
Except as provided by section 148, the following applies to a public company— Schedule 2 to this Act has effect for the interpretation of references in this subsection to the company having a beneficial interest in shares.
where shares in the company are forfeited, or surrendered to the company in lieu, in pursuance of the articles, for failure to pay any sum payable in respect of the shares;
where shares in the company are acquired by it (otherwise than by any of the methods mentioned in section 143(3)(a) to (d)) and the company has a beneficial interest in the shares;
where shares in the company are surrendered to the company in pursuance of section 102C(1)(b) of the Building Societies Act 1986;
where the nominee of the company acquires shares in the company from a third person without financial assistance being given directly or indirectly by the company and the company has a beneficial interest in the shares; or
where a person acquires shares in the company with financial assistance given to him directly or indirectly by the company for the purpose of or in connection with the acquisition, and the company has a beneficial interest in the shares.
Unless the shares or any interest of the company in them are previously disposed of, the company must, not later than the end of the relevant period from their forfeiture or surrender or, in a case within subsection (1)(b), (c) or (d), their acquisition—
cancel them and diminish the amount of the share capital by the nominal value of the shares cancelled, and
where the effect of cancelling the shares will be that the nominal value of the company’s allotted share capital is brought below the authorised minimum, apply for re-registration as a private company, stating the effect of the cancellation.
For this purpose “the relevant period” is—
3 years in the case of shares forfeited or surrendered to the company in lieu of forfeiture, or acquired as mentioned in subsection (1)(b) or (c);
one year in the case of shares acquired as mentioned in subsection (1)(d).
The company and, in a case within subsection (1)(c) or (d), the company’s nominee or (as the case may be) the other shareholder must not exercise any voting rights in respect of the shares; and any purported exercise of those rights is void.
The directors may take such steps as are requisite to enable the company to carry out its obligations under section 146(2) without complying with sections 135 and 136 (resolution to reduce share capital; application to court for approval).
The steps taken may include the passing of a resolution to alter the company’s memorandum so that it no longer states that the company is to be a public company; and the resolution may make such other alterations in the memorandum as are requisite in the circumstances.Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Companies Act 2006 (resolutions affecting a company's constitution) applies to such a resolution.
The application for re-registration required by section 146(2)(b) must be in the prescribed form and be signed by a director or secretary of the company, and must be delivered to the registrar of companies together with a printed copy of the memorandum and articles of the company as altered by the resolution.
If the registrar is satisfied that the company may be re-registered under section 146, he shall retain the application and other documents delivered with it and issue the company with a certificate of incorporation appropriate to a company that is not a public company; and—
the company by virtue of the issue of the certificate becomes a private company, and the alterations in the memorandum and articles set out in the resolution take effect accordingly, and
the certificate is conclusive evidence that the requirements of sections 146 to 148 in respect of re-registration and of matters precedent and incidental to it have been complied with, and that the company is a private company.
Where, after shares in a private company— the company is re-registered as a public company, sections 146 and 147, and also section 149, apply to the company as if it had been a public company at the time of the forfeiture, surrender or acquisition, but with the modification required by the following subsection.
are forfeited in pursuance of the company’s articles or are surrendered to the company in lieu of forfeiture, or
are acquired by the company (otherwise than by such surrender or forfeiture, and otherwise than by any of the methods mentioned in section 143(3)), the company having a beneficial interest in the shares, or
are acquired by the nominee of a company in the circumstances mentioned in section 146(1)(c), or
are acquired by any person in the circumstances mentioned in section 146(1)(d),
That modification is to treat any reference to the relevant period from the forfeiture, surrender or acquisition as referring to the relevant period from the re-registration of the company as a public company.
Schedule 2 to this Act has effect for the interpretation of the reference in subsection (1)(b) to the company having a beneficial interest in shares.
Where a public company or a nominee of a public company acquires shares in the company or an interest in such shares, and those shares are (or that interest is) shown in a balance sheet of the company as an asset, an amount equal to the value of the shares or (as the case may be) the value to the company of its interest in them shall be transferred out of profits available for dividend to a reserve fund and are not then available for distribution.
If a public company required by section 146(2) to apply to be re-registered as a private company fails to do so before the end of the relevant period referred to in that subsection, Chapter 1 of Part 20 of the Companies Act 2006 (restriction on public offers) applies to it as if it were a private company such as is mentioned in that section; but, subject to this, the company continues to be treated for the purpose of this Act as a public company until it is so re-registered.
If a company when required to do so by section 146(2) (including that subsection as applied by section 148(1)) fails to cancel any shares in accordance with paragraph (a) of that subsection or to make an application for re-registration in accordance with paragraph (b) of it, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
A lien or other charge of a public company on its own shares (whether taken expressly or otherwise), except a charge permitted by any of the following subsections, is void. This is subject to section 6 of the Consequential Provisions Act (saving for charges of old public companies on their own shares).
In the case of any description of company, a charge on its own shares is permitted if the shares are not fully paid and the charge is for any amount payable in respect of the shares.
In the case of a company whose ordinary business— a charge of the company on its own shares is permitted (whether the shares are fully paid or not) if it arises in connection with a transaction entered into by the company in the ordinary course of its business.
includes the lending of money, or
consists of the provision of credit or the bailment (in Scotland, hiring) of goods under a hire purchase agreement, or both,
In the case of a company which is re-registered or is registered under section 680 as a public company, a charge on its own shares is permitted if the charge was in existence immediately before the company’s application for re-registration or (as the case may be) registration. This subsection does not apply in the case of such a company as is referred to in section 6(3) of the Consequential Provisions Act (old public company remaining such after 22nd March 1982, not having applied to be re-registered as public company).
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Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, where a person is acquiring or is proposing to acquire shares in a company, it is not lawful for the company or any of its subsidiaries to give financial assistance directly or indirectly for the purpose of that acquisition before or at the same time as the acquisition takes place.
Subject to those provisions, where a person has acquired shares in a company and any liability has been incurred (by that or any other person), for the purpose of that acquisition, it is not lawful for the company or any of its subsidiaries to give financial assistance directly or indirectly for the purpose of reducing or discharging the liability so incurred.
If a company acts in contravention of this section, it is liable to a fine, and every officer of it who is in default is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
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In this Chapter—
" financial assistance " means—
financial assistance given by way of gift,
financial assistance given by way of guarantee, security or indemnity, other than an indemnity in respect of the indemnifier's own neglect or default, or by way of release or waiver,
financial assistance given by way of a loan or any other agreement under which any of the obligations of the person giving the assistance are to be fulfilled at a time when in accordance with the agreement any obligation of another party to the agreement remains unfulfilled, or by way of the novation of, or the assignment of rights arising under, a loan or such other agreement, or
any other financial assistance given by a company the net assets of which are thereby reduced to a material extent or which has no net assets ;
" distributable profits ", in relation to the giving of any financial assistance—
means those profits out of which the company could lawfully make a distribution equal in value to that assistance, and
includes, in a case where the financial assistance is or includes a non-cash asset, any profit which, if the company were to make a distribution of that asset, would under section 276 (distributions in kind) be available for that purpose. and
" distribution " has the meaning given by section 263(2).
In subsection (1)(a)(iv), " net assets" means the aggregate of the company's assets, less the aggregate of its liabilities (" liabilities " to include any provision for liabilities or charges within paragraph 89 of Schedule 4).
In this Chapter—
a reference to a person incurring a liability includes his changing his financial position by making an agreement or arrangement (whether enforceable or unenforceable, and whether made on his own account or with any other person) or by any other means, and
a reference to a company giving financial assistance for the purpose of reducing or discharging a liability incurred by a person for the purpose of the acquisition of shares includes its giving such assistance for the purpose of wholly or partly restoring his financial position to what it was before the acquisition took place.
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Section 151(1) does not prohibit a company from giving financial assistance for the purpose of an acquisition of shares in it or its holding company if—
the company's principal purpose in giving that assistance is not to give it for the purpose of any such acquisition, or the giving of the assistance for that purpose is but an incidental part of some larger purpose of the company, and
the assistance is given in good faith in the interests of the company.
Section 151(2) does not prohibit a company from giving financial assistance if—
the company's principal purpose in giving the assistance is not to reduce or discharge any liability incurred by a person for the purpose of the acquisition of shares in the company or its holding company, or the reduction or discharge of any such liability is but an incidental part of some larger purpose of the company, and
the assistance is given in good faith in the interests of the company.
Section 151 does not prohibit—
a distribution of a company's assets by way of dividend lawfully made or a distribution made in the course of the company's winding up,
the allotment of bonus shares ,
a reduction of capital confirmed by order of the court under section 137,
a redemption or purchase of shares made in accordance with Chapter VII of this Part,
anything done in pursuance of an order of the court under section 425 (compromises and arrangements with creditors and members),
anything done under an arrangement made in pursuance of section 582 (acceptance of shares by liquidator in winding up as consideration for sale of property), or
anything done under an arrangement made between a company and its creditors which is binding on the creditors by virtue of section 601 (winding up imminent or in progress).
Section 151 does not prohibit—
where the lending of money is part of the ordinary business of the company, the lending of money by the company in the ordinary course of its business,
the provision by a company in accordance with an employees' share scheme of money for the acquisition of fully paid shares in the company or its holding company,
the making by a company of loans to persons (other than directors) employed in good faith by the company with a view to enabling those persons to acquire fully paid shares in the company or its holding company to be held by them by way of beneficial ownership.
In the case of a public company, section 153(4) authorises the giving of financial assistance only if the company has net assets which are not thereby reduced or, to the extent that those assets are thereby reduced, if the assistance is provided out of distributable profits.
For this purpose the following definitions apply—
“net assets” means the amount by which the aggregate of the company’s assets exceeds the aggregate of its liabilities (taking the amount of both assets and liabilities to be as stated in the company’s accounting records immediately before the financial assistance is given);
“liabilities” includes any amount retained as reasonably necessary for the purpose of providing for any liability the nature of which is clearly defined and which is either likely to be incurred, or certain to be incurred but uncertain as to amount or as to the date on which it will arise.
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Section 151 does not prohibit a private company from giving financial assistance in a case where the acquisition of shares in question is or was an acquisition of shares in the company or, if it is a subsidiary of another private company, in that other company if the following provisions of this section, and sections 156 to 158, are complied with as respects the giving of that assistance.
The financial assistance may only be given if the company has net assets which are not thereby reduced or, to the extent that they are reduced, if the assistance is provided out of distributable profits. Section 154(2) applies for the interpretation of this subsection.
This section does not permit financial assistance to be given by a subsidiary, in a case where the acquisition of shares in question is or was an acquisition of shares in its holding company, if it is also a subsidiary of a public company which is itself a subsidiary of that holding company.
Unless the company proposing to give the financial assistance is a wholly-owned subsidiary, the giving of assistance under this section must be approved by special resolution of the company in general meeting.
Where the financial assistance is to be given by the company in a case where the acquisition of shares in question is or was an acquisition of shares in its holding company, that holding company and any other company which is both the company's holding company and a subsidiary of that other holding company (except, in any case, a company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary) shall also approve by special resolution in general meeting the giving of the financial assistance.
The directors of the company proposing to give the financial assistance and, where the shares acquired or to be acquired are shares in its holding company, the directors of that company and of any other company which is both the company's holding company and a subsidiary of that other holding company shall before the financial assistance is given make a statutory declaration in the prescribed form, complying with the section next following.
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A statutory declaration made by a company's directors under section 155(6) shall contain such particulars of the financial assistance to be given, and of the business of the company of which they are directors, as may be prescribed, and shall identify the person to whom the assistance is to be given.
The declaration shall state that the directors have formed the opinion, as regards the company's initial situation immediately following the date on which the assistance is proposed to be given, that there will be no ground on which it could then be found to be unable to pay its debts; and either—
if it is intended to commence the winding up of the company within 12 months of that date, that the company will be able to pay its debts in full within 12 months of the commencement of the winding up, or
in any other case, that the company will be able to pay its debts as they fall due during the year immediately following that date.
In forming their opinion for purposes of subsection (2), the directors shall take into account the same liabilities (including contingent and prospective liabilities) as would be relevant under section 517 (winding up by the court) to the question whether the company is unable to pay its debts.
The directors' statutory declaration shall have annexed to it a report addressed to them by their company's auditors stating that—
they have enquired into the state of affairs of the company, and
they are not aware of anything to indicate that the opinion expressed by the directors in the declaration as to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (2) of this section is unreasonable in all the circumstances.
The statutory declaration and auditors' report shall be delivered to the registrar of companies—
together with a copy of any special resolution passed by the company under section 155 and delivered to the registrar in compliance with section 380, or
where no such resolution is required to be passed, within 15 days after the making of the declaration.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (5), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
A director of a company who makes a statutory declaration under section 155 without having reasonable grounds for the opinion expressed in it is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
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A special resolution required by section 155 to be passed by a company approving the giving of financial assistance must be passed on the date on which the directors of that company make the statutory declaration required by that section in connection with the giving of that assistance, or within the week immediately following that date.
Where such a resolution has been passed, an application may be made to the court for the cancellation of the resolution— but the application shall not be made by a person who has consented to or voted in favour of the resolution.
by the holders of not less in the aggregate than 10 per cent, in nominal value of the company's issued share capital or any class of it, or
if the company is not limited by shares, by not less than 10 per cent, of the company's members;
Subsections (3) to (10) of section 54 (litigation to cancel resolution under section 53) apply to applications under this section as to applications under section 54.
A special resolution passed by a company is not effective for purposes of section 155—
unless the declaration made in compliance with subsection (6) of that section by the directors of the company, together with the auditors' report annexed to it, is available for inspection by members of the company at the meeting at which the resolution is passed,
if it is cancelled by the court on an application under this section.
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This section applies as to the time before and after which financial assistance may not be given by a company in pursuance of section 155.
Where a special resolution is required by that section to be passed approving the giving of the assistance, the assistance shall not be given before the expiry of the period of 4 weeks beginning with— unless, as respects that resolution (or, if more than one, each of them), every member of the company which passed the resolution who is entitled to vote at general meetings of the company voted in favour of the resolution.
the date on which the special resolution is passed, or
where more than one such resolution is passed, the date on which the last of them is passed,
If application for the cancellation of any such resolution is made under section 157, the financial assistance shall not be given before the final determination of the application unless the court otherwise orders.
The assistance shall not be given after the expiry of the period of 8 weeks beginning with— unless the court, on an application under section 157, otherwise orders.
the date on which the directors of the company proposing to give the assistance made their statutory declaration under section 155, or
where that company is a subsidiary and both its directors and the directors of any of its holding companies made such a declaration, the date on which the earliest of the declarations is made,
Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, a company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital may, if authorised to do so by its articles, issue shares which are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the company or the shareholder.
No redeemable shares may be issued at a time when there are no issued shares of the company which are not redeemable.
Redeemable shares may not be redeemed unless they are fully paid; and the terms of redemption must provide for payment on redemption.
Subject to the next subsection and to sections 171 (private companies redeeming or purchasing own shares out of capital) and 178(4) (terms of redemption or purchase enforceable in a winding up)—
redeemable shares may only be redeemed out of distributable profits of the company or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purposes of the redemption; and
any premium payable on redemption must be paid out of distributable profits of the company.
If the redeemable shares were issued at a premium, any premium payable on their redemption may be paid out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purposes of the redemption, up to an amount equal to— whichever is the less; and in that case the amount of the company’s share premium account shall be reduced by a sum corresponding (or by sums in the aggregate corresponding) to the amount of any payment made by virtue of this subsection out of the proceeds of the issue of the new shares.
the aggregate of the premiums received by the company on the issue of the shares redeemed, or
the current amount of the company’s share premium account (including any sum transferred to that account in respect of premiums on the new shares),
Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, redemption of shares may be effected on such terms and in such manner as may be provided by the company’s articles.
Shares redeemed under this sectionredeemed under this Chapter shall be treated as cancelled on redemption, and the amount of the company’s issued share capital shall be diminished by the nominal value of those shares accordingly; but the redemption of shares by a company is not to be taken as reducing the amount of the company’s authorised share capital.
Without prejudice to subsection (4), where a company is about to redeem shares, it has power to issue shares up to the nominal value of the shares to be redeemed as if those shares had never been issued.
Redeemable shares may not be issued unless the following conditions are satisfied as regards the terms and manner of redemption.
The date on or by which, or dates between which, the shares are to be or may be redeemed must be specified in the company’s articles or, if the articles so provide, fixed by the directors, and in the latter case the date or dates must be fixed before the shares are issued.
Any other circumstances in which the shares are to be or may be redeemed must be specified in the company’s articles.
The amount payable on redemption must be specified in, or determined in accordance with, the company’s articles, and in the latter case the articles must not provide for the amount to be determined by reference to any person’s discretion or opinion.
Any other terms and conditions of redemption shall be specified in the company’s articles.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a company to provide in its articles for any matter for which provision is made by this Act.
For the purposes of section 47 of the Finance Act 1973, the issue of shares by a company in place of shares redeemed under section 160 constitutes a chargeable transaction if, and only if, the actual value of the shares so issued exceeds the value of the shares redeemed at the date of their redemption.
Where the issue of the shares does constitute a chargeable transaction for those purposes, the amount on which stamp duty on the relevant document relating to that transaction is chargeable under section 47(5) of the Finance Act 1973 is the difference between—
the amount on which that duty would be so chargeable if the shares had not been issued in place of shares redeemed under section 160 ; and
the value of the shares redeemed at the date of their redemption.
Subject to the following subsection, for the purposes of subsections (1) and (2) shares issued by a company— are to be regarded as issued in place of the shares redeemed or (as the case may be) about to be redeemed.
up to the nominal amount of any shares which the company has redeemed under section 160 ; or
in pursuance of section 160(5) before the redemption of shares which the company is about to redeem under that section,
Shares issued in pursuance of section 160(5) are not to be regarded for purposes of subsections (1) and (2) of this section as issued in place of the shares about to be redeemed, unless those shares are redeemed within one month after the issue of the new shares.
Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, a company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital may, if authorised to do so by its articles, purchase its own shares (including any redeemable shares).
Sections 159 and 160 apply to the purchase by a company under this section of its own shares as they apply to the redemption of redeemable shares. This is subject to subsections (2A) and (2B).
A company may not under this section purchase its shares if as a result of the purchase there would no longer be any member of the company holding shares other than redeemable shares or shares held as treasury shares .
The terms and manner of a purchase under this section need not be determined by the articles as required by section 160(3).
Where a company makes a purchase of qualifying shares out of distributable profits under this section, section 162A applies to the shares purchased; and accordingly section 160(4) does not apply to those shares.
For the purposes of this Chapter “qualifying shares” are shares which— and in paragraph (a) “the official list” has the meaning given in section 103(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
are included in the official list in accordance with the provisions of Part 6 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ,
are traded on the market known as the Alternative Investment Market established under the rules of London Stock Exchange plc,
are officially listed in an EEA State, or
are traded on a market established in an EEA State which is a regulated market which appears on the list drawn up by that State pursuant to Article 47 of Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on markets in financial instruments,
A purchase by a company of its own shares is “off-market” if the shares either—
are purchased otherwise than on a recognised investment exchange, or
are purchased on a recognised investment exchange but are not subject to a marketing arrangement on that investment exchange.
For this purpose, a company’s shares are subject to a marketing arrangement on a recognised stock exchange if either—
they are listed Part 6 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; or
the company has been afforded facilities for dealings in those shares to take place on that investment exchange without prior permission for individual transactions from the authority governing that investment exchange and without limit as to the time during which those facilities are to be available.
A purchase by a company of its own shares is a “market purchase” if it is a purchase made on a recognised stock exchange, other than a purchase which is an off-market purchase by virtue of subsection (1)(b).
“Recognised investment exchange” means a recognised investment exchange other than an overseas investment exchange.
Expressions used in the definition contained in subsection (4) have the same meaning as in Part 18 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A company may only make an off-market purchase of its own shares in pursuance of a contract approved in advance in accordance with this section or under section 165 below.
The terms of the proposed contract must be authorised by a special resolution of the company before the contract is entered into; and the following subsections apply with respect to that authority and to resolutions conferring it.
Subject to the next subsection, the authority may be varied, revoked or from time to time renewed by special resolution of the company.
In the case of a public company, the authority conferred by the resolution must specify a date on which the authority is to expire; and in a resolution conferring or renewing authority that date must not be later than 18 months after that on which the resolution is passed.
A special resolution to confer, vary, revoke or renew authority is not effective if any member of the company holding shares to which the resolution relates exercises the voting rights carried by any of those shares in voting on the resolution and the resolution would not have been passed if he had not done so. For this purpose—
a member who holds shares to which the resolution relates is regarded as exercising the voting rights carried by those shares not only if he votes in respect of them on a poll on the question whether the resolution shall be passed, but also if he votes on the resolution otherwise than on a poll;
notwithstanding anything in the company’s articles, any member of the company may demand a poll on that question; and
a vote and a demand for a poll by a person as proxy for a member are the same respectively as a vote and a demand by the member.
Such a resolution is not effective for the purposes of this section unless (if the proposed contract is in writing) a copy of the contract or (if not) a written memorandum of its terms is available for inspection by members of the company both— A memorandum of contract terms so made available must include the names of any members holding shares to which the contract relates; and a copy of the contract so made available must have annexed to it a written memorandum specifying any such names which do not appear in the contract itself.
at the company’s registered office for not less than 15 days ending with the date of the meeting at which the resolution is passed, and
at the meeting itself.
A company may agree to a variation of an existing contract so approved, but only if the variation is authorised by a special resolution of the company before it is agreed to; and subsections (3) to (6) above apply to the authority for a proposed variation as they apply to the authority for a proposed contract, save that a copy of the original contract or (as the case may require) a memorandum of its terms, together with any variations previously made, must also be available for inspection in accordance with subsection (6).
Where qualifying shares are purchased by a company out of distributable profits in accordance with section 162, the company may—
hold the shares (or any of them), or
deal with any of them, at any time, in accordance with section 162D.
Where shares are held under subsection (1)(a) then, for the purposes of section 352, the company must be entered in the register as the member holding those shares.
In this Act, references to a company holding shares as treasury shares are references to the company holding shares which—
were (or are treated as having been) purchased by it in circumstances in which this section applies, and
have been held by the company continuously since they were so purchased.
A contingent purchase contract is a contract entered into by a company and relating to any of its shares—
which does not amount to a contract to purchase those shares, but
under which the company may (subject to any conditions) become entitled or obliged to purchase those shares.
A company may only make a purchase of its own shares in pursuance of a contingent purchase contract if the contract is approved in advance by a special resolution of the company before the contract is entered into; and subsections (3) to (7) of section 164 apply to the contract and its terms.
For this purpose “the excess shares” means such number of the shares, held by the company as treasury shares at the time in question, as resulted in the limit being exceeded.
Where a company has shares of only one class, the aggregate nominal value of shares held as treasury shares must not at any time exceed 10 per cent. of the nominal value of the issued share capital of the company at that time.
Where the share capital of a company is divided into shares of different classes, the aggregate nominal value of the shares of any class held as treasury shares must not at any time exceed 10 per cent. of the nominal value of the issued share capital of the shares in that class at that time.
Where subsection (1) or (2) is contravened by a company, the company must dispose of or cancel the excess shares, in accordance with section 162D, before the end of the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which that contravention occurs.
A company shall not make a market purchase of its own shares unless the purchase has first been authorised by the company in general meeting.
That authority—
may be general for that purpose, or limited to the purchase of shares of any particular class or description, and
may be unconditional or subject to conditions.
The authority must—
specify the maximum number of shares authorised to be acquired,
determine both the maximum and the minimum prices which may be paid for the shares, and
specify a date on which it is to expire.
The authority may be varied, revoked or from time to time renewed by the company in general meeting, but this is subject to subsection (3) above; and in a resolution to confer or renew authority, the date on which the authority is to expire must not be later than 18 months after that on which the resolution is passed.
A company may under this section make a purchase of its own shares after the expiry of the time limit imposed to comply with subsection (3)(c), if the contract of purchase was concluded before the authority expired and the terms of the authority permitted the company to make a contract of purchase which would or might be executed wholly or partly after its expiration.
A resolution to confer or vary authority under this section may determine either or both the maximum and minimum prices for purchase by—
specifying a particular sum, or
providing a basis or formula for calculating the amount of the price in question without reference to any person’s discretion or opinion.
Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Companies Act 2006 (resolutions affecting a company's constitution) applies to a resolution of a company conferring, varying, revoking or renewing authority under this section.
This section applies to shares which are held by a company as treasury shares (“the treasury shares”).
The company must not exercise any right in respect of the treasury shares, and any purported exercise of such a right is void.
The rights to which subsection (2) applies include any right to attend or vote at meetings (including meetings summoned under section 896 of the Companies Act 2006).
No dividend may be paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to members on a winding up) may be made, to the company in respect of the treasury shares.
Nothing in this section is to be taken as preventing—
an allotment of shares as fully paid bonus shares in respect of the treasury shares, or
the payment of any amount payable on the redemption of the treasury shares (if they are redeemable shares).
Any shares allotted as fully paid bonus shares in respect of the treasury shares shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as if they were purchased by the company at the time they were allotted, in circumstances in which section 162A(1) applied.
The rights of a company under a contract approved under section 164 or 165, or under a contract for a purchase authorised under section 166, are not capable of being assigned.
An agreement by a company to release its rights under a contract approved under section 164 or 165 is void unless the terms of the release agreement are approved in advance by a special resolution of the company before the agreement is entered into; and subsections (3) to (7) of section 164 apply to approval for a proposed release agreement as to authority for a proposed variation of an existing contract.
Where shares are held as treasury shares, a company may at any time—
sell the shares (or any of them) for cash,
transfer the shares (or any of them) for the purposes of or pursuant to an employees' share scheme, or
cancel the shares (or any of them).
For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), “cash”, in relation to a sale of shares by a company, means—
cash (including foreign currency) received by the company, or
a cheque received by the company in good faith which the directors have no reason for suspecting will not be paid, or
a release of a liability of the company for a liquidated sum, or
an undertaking to pay cash to the company on or before a date not more than 90 days after the date on which the company agrees to sell the shares.
But if the company receives a notice under section 979 of the Companies Act 2006(right of offeror to buy out minority shareholders) that a person desires to acquire any of the shares, the company must not, under subsection (1), sell or transfer the shares to which the notice relates except to that person.
If under subsection (1) the company cancels shares held as treasury shares, the company must diminish the amount of the issued share capital by the nominal value of the shares cancelled; but the cancellation is not to be taken as reducing the amount of the company’s authorised share capital.
The directors may take such steps as are requisite to enable the company to cancel its shares under subsection (1) without complying with sections 135 and 136 (resolution to reduce issued share capital; application to court for approval).
A payment made by a company in consideration of— must be made out of the company’s distributable profits.
acquiring any right with respect to the purchase of its own shares in pursuance of a contract approved under section 165, or
the variation of a contract approved under section 164 or 165, or
the release of any of the company’s obligations with respect to the purchase of any of its own shares under a contract approved under section 164 or 165 or under a contract for a purchase authorised under section 166,
If the requirements of subsection (1) are not satisfied in relation to a contract—
" prospectus" means any prospectus, notice, circular, advertisement, or other invitation, offering to the public for subscription or purchase any shares in or debentures of a company;
in a case within paragraph (b), no such purchase following the variation is lawful under this Chapter, and
in a case within paragraph (c), the purported release is void.
If shares held as treasury shares cease to be qualifying shares, the company must forthwith cancel the shares in accordance with section 162D.
For the purposes of subsection (1), shares are not to be regarded as ceasing to be qualifying shares by virtue only of—
the suspension of their listing in accordance with the applicable rules in the EEA State in which the shares are officially listed, or
the suspension of their trading in accordance with—
in the case of shares traded on the market known as the Alternative Investment Market, the rules of London Stock Exchange plc, and
in any other case, the rules of the regulated market on which they are traded.
For the purposes of this section “regulated market” means a market which appears on the list drawn up by an EEA State pursuant to Article 47 of Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on markets in financial instruments .
Within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which any shares purchased by a company under this Chapter are delivered to it, the company shall deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form stating with respect to shares of each class purchased the number and nominal value of those shares and the date on which they were delivered to the company.
In the case of a public company, any return under subsection (1) or (1B) shall also state—
the aggregate amount paid by the company for the shares; and
the maximum and minimum prices paid in respect of shares of each class purchased.
But in the case of a company which has purchased its own shares in circumstances in which section 162A applies, the requirement to deliver a return under subsection (1) shall apply only where some or all of the shares have been cancelled forthwith after the date of their delivery in accordance with section 162D(1) and in those circumstances the particulars required by that subsection to be stated with respect to the shares purchased shall apply only to such of the shares as have been so cancelled.
Particulars of shares delivered to the company on different dates and under different contracts may be included in a single return under either subsection (1) or (1B) to the registrar; and in such a case the amount required to be stated under subsection (2)(a) is the aggregate amount paid by the company for all the shares to which the return relates.
Where a company has purchased its own shares in circumstances in which section 162A applies, the company shall within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which such shares are delivered to it (except where all of the shares have been cancelled forthwith after the date of their delivery in the circumstances referred to in subsection (1A)) deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form stating with respect to shares of each class purchased (other than any shares which have been cancelled in the circumstances referred to in subsection (1A)) the number and nominal value of each of those shares which are held as treasury shares and the date on which they were delivered to the company.
Where a company enters into a contract approved under section 164 or 165, or a contract for a purchase authorised under section 166, the company shall keep at its registered office— from the conclusion of the contract until the end of the period of 10 years beginning with the date on which the purchase of all the shares in pursuance of the contract is completed or (as the case may be) the date on which the contract otherwise determines.
if the contract is in writing, a copy of it; and
if not, a memorandum of its terms,
Every copy and memorandum so required to be kept shall . . . be open to inspection without charge—
by any member of the company, and
if it is a public company, by any other person.
If default is made in delivering to the registrar any return required by this section, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If default is made in complying with subsection (4), or if an inspection required under subsection (5) is refused, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In the case of a refusal of an inspection required under subsection (5) of a copy or memorandum, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it.
The obligation of a company under subsection (4) to keep a copy of any contract or (as the case may be) a memorandum of its terms applies to any variation of the contract so long as it applies to the contract.
Where shares held as treasury shares are sold, the proceeds of sale shall be dealt with in accordance with this section.
Where the proceeds of sale are equal to or less than the purchase price paid by the company for the shares, the proceeds shall be treated for the purposes of Part 23 of the Companies Act 2006 as a realised profit of the company.
Where the proceeds of sale exceed the purchase price paid by the company for the shares—
that part of the proceeds of sale that is equal to the purchase price paid shall be treated for the purposes of Part 8 as a realised profit of the company, and
a sum equal to the excess shall be transferred to the company’s share premium account.
The purchase price paid by the company for the shares shall be determined by the application of a weighted average price method.
Where the shares were allotted to the company as fully paid bonus shares, the purchase price paid for them shall, for the purposes of subsection (4), be treated as being nil.
Where under this Chapter shares of a company are redeemed or purchased wholly out of the company’s profits, the amount by which the company’s issued share capital is diminished in accordance with section 160(4) on cancellation of the shares redeemed or purchased , or in accordance with section 162D(4) on cancellation of shares held as treasury shares, shall be transferred to a reserve, called “the capital redemption reserve”.
Of the shares are redeemed or purchased wholly or partly out of the proceeds of a fresh issue and the aggregate amount of those proceeds is less than the aggregate nominal value of the shares redeemed or purchased, the amount of the difference shall be transferred to the capital redemption reserve.
But subsection (2) does not apply if the proceeds of the fresh issue are applied by the company in making a redemption or purchase of its own shares in addition to a payment out of capital under section 171.
The provisions of this Act relating to the reduction of a company’s share capital apply as if the capital redemption reserve were paid-up share capital of the company, except that the reserve may be applied by the company in paying up its unissued shares to be allotted to members of the company as fully paid bonus shares.
If a company contravenes any provision of sections 162A to 162F every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
Subsection (2) applies in relation to any shares held by a company as treasury shares if—
the company is or was required to make a return under section 169(1B) in relation to the shares, and
the shares have—
been cancelled in accordance with section 162D(1), or
been sold or transferred for the purposes of or pursuant to an employees' share scheme under section 162D(1).
Within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which such shares are cancelled or disposed of, the company shall deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form stating with respect to shares of each class cancelled or disposed of—
the number and nominal value of those shares, and
the date on which they were cancelled or disposed of.
Particulars of shares cancelled or disposed of on different dates may be included in a single return to the registrar.
If default is made in delivering to the registrar any return required by this section, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, a private company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital may, if so authorised by its articles, make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase under section 160 or (as the case may be) section 162, of its own shares otherwise than out of its distributable profits or the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares.
References below in this Chapter to payment out of capital are (subject to subsection (6)) to any payment so made, whether or not it would be regarded apart from this section as a payment out of capital.
The payment which may (if authorised in accordance with the following provisions of this Chapter) be made by a company out of capital in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own shares is such an amount as, taken together with— is equal to the price of redemption or purchase; and the payment permissible under this subsection is referred to below in this Chapter as the permissible capital payment for the shares.
any available profits of the company, and
the proceeds of any fresh issue of shares made for the purposes of the redemption or purchase,
Subject to subsection (6), if the permissible capital payment for shares redeemed or purchased is less than their nominal amount, the amount of the difference shall be transferred to the company’s capital redemption reserve.
Subject to subsection (6), if the permissible capital payment is greater than the nominal amount of the shares redeemed or purchased— may be reduced by a sum not exceeding (or by sums not in the aggregate exceeding) the amount by which the permissible capital payment exceeds the nominal amount of the shares.
the amount of any capital redemption reserve, share premium account or fully paid share capital of the company, and
any amount representing unrealised profits of the company for the time being standing to the credit of any revaluation reserve maintained by the company in accordance with regulations made under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006,
Where the proceeds of a fresh issue are applied by a company in making any redemption or purchase of its own shares in addition to a payment out of capital under this section, the references in subsections (4) and (5) to the permissible capital payment are to be read as referring to the aggregate of that payment and those proceeds.
The reference in section 171(3)(a) to available profits of the company is to the company’s profits which are available for distribution (within the meaning of Part 23 of the Companies Act 2006); but the question whether a company has any profits so available and the amount of any such profits are to be determined for purposes of that section in accordance with the following subsections, instead of Chapter 2 of that Part.
Subject to the next subsection, that question is to be determined by reference to the following items as stated in the relevant accounts for determining the permissible capital payments for shares— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
profits, losses, assets and liabilities,
the following provisions–
in the case of Companies Act individual accounts, provisions of any of the kinds mentioned in paragraphs 88 and 89 of Schedule 4 (depreciation, diminution in value of assets, retentions to meet liabilities, etc., and
in the case of IAS individual accounts, provisions of any kind), and
share capital and reserves (including undistributable reserves),
The relevant accounts for this purpose are such accounts, prepared as at any date within the period for determining the amount of the permissible capital payment, as are necessary to enable a reasonable judgment to be made as to the amounts of any of the items mentioned in subsection (2)(a) to (c) above.
For purposes of determining the amount of the permissible capital payment for shares, the amount of the company’s available profits (if any) determined in accordance with subsections (2) and (3) is treated as reduced by the amount of any distributions lawfully made by the company after the date of the relevant accounts and before the end of the period for determining the amount of that payment.
The reference in subsection (4) to distributions lawfully made by the company includes—
financial assistance lawfully given out of distributable profits in a case falling within section 154 . . . ,
any payment lawfully made by the company in respect of the purchase by it of any shares in the company (except a payment lawfully made otherwise than out of distributable profits), and
a payment of any description specified in section 168(1) lawfully made by the company.
References in this section to the period for determining the amount of the permissible capital payment for shares are to the period of 3 months ending with the date on which the statutory declaration of the directors purporting to specify the amount of that payment is made in accordance with subsection (3) of the section next following.
Subject to any order of the court under section 177, a payment out of capital by a private company for the redemption or purchase of its own shares is now lawful unless the requirements of this and the next two sections are satisfied.
The payment out of capital must be approved by a special resolution of the company.
The company’s directors must make a statutory declaration specifying the amount of the permissible capital payment for the shares in question and stating that, having made full inquiry into the affairs and prospects of the company, they have formed the opinion—
as regards its initial situation immediately following the date on which the payment out of capital is proposed to be made, that there will be no grounds on which the company could then be found unable to pay its debts, and
as regards its prospects for the year immediately following that date, that, having regard to their intentions with respect to the management of the company’s business during that year and to the amount and character of the financial resources which will in their view be available to the company during that year, the company will be able to continue to carry on business as a going concern (and will accordingly be able to pay its debts as they fall due) throughout that year.
In forming their opinion for purposes of subsection (3)(a), the directors shall take into account the same liabilities (including prospective and contingent liabilities) as would be relevant under section 122 of the Insolvency Act (winding up by the court) to the question whether a company is unable to pay its debts.
The directors’ statutory declaration must be in the prescribed form and contain such information with respect to the nature of the company’s business as may be prescribed, and must in addition have annexed to it a report addressed to the directors by the company’s auditors stating that—
they have inquired into the company’s state of affairs; and
the amount specified in the declaration as the permissible capital payment for the shares in question is in their view properly determined in accordance with sections 171 and 172; and
they are not aware of anything to indicate that the opinion expressed by the directors in the declaration as to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (3) is unreasonable in all the circumstances.
A director who makes a declaration under this section without having reasonable grounds for the opinion expressed in the declaration is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The resolution required by section 173 must be passed on, or within the week immediately following, the date on which the directors make the statutory declaration required by that section; and the payment out of capital must be made no earlier than 5 nor more than 7 weeks after the date of the resolution.
The resolution is ineffective if any member of the company holding shares to which the resolution relates exercises the voting rights carried by any of those shares in voting on the resolution and the resolution would not have been passed if he had not done so.
For purposes of subsection (2), a member who holds such shares is to be regarded as exercising the voting rights carried by them in voting on the resolution not only if he votes in respect of them on a poll on the question whether the resolution shall be passed, but also if he votes on the resolution otherwise than on a poll; and notwithstanding anything in a company’s articles, any member of the company may demand a poll on that question.
The resolution is ineffective unless the statutory declaration and auditors’ report required by the section are available for inspection by members of the company at the meeting at which the resolution is passed.
For purposes of this section a vote and a demand for a poll by a person as proxy for a member are the same (respectively) as a vote and demand by the member.
Within the week immediately following the date of the resolution for payment out of capital the company must cause to be published in the Gazette a notice—
stating that the company has approved a payment out of capital for the purpose of acquiring its own shares by redemption or purchase or both (as the case may be);
specifying the amount of the permissible capital payment for the shares in question and the date of the resolution under section 173;
stating that the statutory declaration of the directors and the auditors’ report required by that section are available for inspection at the company’s registered office; and
stating that any creditor of the company may at any time within the 5 weeks immediately following the date of the resolution for payment out of capital apply to the court under section 176 for an order prohibiting the payment.
Within the week immediately following the date of the resolution the company must also either cause a notice to the same effect as that required by subsection (1) to be published in an appropriate national newspaper or give notice in writing to that effect to each of its creditors.
“An appropriate national newspaper” means a newspaper circulating throughout England and Wales (in the case of a company registered in England and Wales), and a newspaper circulating throughout Scotland (in the case of a company registered in Scotland).
References below in this section to the first notice date are to the day on which the company first publishes the notice required by subsection (1) or first publishes or gives the notice required by subsection (2) (whichever is the earlier).
Not later than the first notice date the company must deliver to the registrar of companies a copy of the statutory declaration of the directors and of the auditors’ report required by section 173.
The statutory declaration and auditors’ report—
shall be kept at the company’s registered office throughout the period beginning with the first notice date and ending 5 weeks after the date of the resolution for payment out of capital, and
shall . . . be open to the inspection of any member or creditor of the company without charge.
If an inspection required under subsection (6) is refused, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In the case of refusal of an inspection required under subsection (6) of a declaration or report, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of that declaration or report.
Where a private company passes a special resolution approving for purposes of this Chapter any payment out of capital for the redemption or purchase of any of its shares— may within 5 weeks of the date on which the resolution was passed apply to the court for cancellation of the resolution.
any member of the company other than one who consented to or voted in favour of the resolution; and
any creditor of the company,
The application may be made on behalf of the persons entitled to make it by such one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose.
If an application is made, the company shall—
forthwith give notice in the prescribed form of that fact to the registrar of companies; and
within 15 days from the making of any order of the court on the hearing of the application, or such longer period as the court may by order direct, deliver an office copy of the order to the registrar.
A company which fails to comply with subsection (3), and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine and for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
On the hearing of an application under section 176 the court may, if it thinks fit, adjourn the proceedings in order that an arrangement may be made to the court’s satisfaction for the purchase of the interests of dissentient members or for the protection of dissentient creditors (as the case may be); and the court may give such directions and make such orders as it thinks expedient for facilitating or carrying into effect any such arrangement.
Without prejudice to its powers under subsection (1), the court shall make an order on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit either confirming or cancelling the resolution; and, if the court confirms the resolution, it may in particular by order alter or extend any date or period of time specified in the resolution or in any provision in this Chapter which applies to the redemption or purchase of shares to which the resolution refers.
The court’s order may, if the court thinks fit, provide for the purchase by the company of the shares of any of its members and for the reduction accordingly of the company’s capital, and may make such alterations in the company’s memorandum and articles as may be required in consequence of that provision.
If the court’s order requires the company not to make any, or any specified, alteration in its memorandum or articles, the company has not then power without leave of the court to make any such alteration in breach of the requirement.
An alteration in the memorandum or articles made by virtue of an order under this section, if not made by resolution of the company, is of the same effect as if duly made by resolution; and this Act applies accordingly to the memorandum or articles as so altered.
This section has effect where a company has, on or after 15th June 1982,—
issued shares on terms that they are or are liable to be redeemed, or
agreed to purchase any of its own shares.
The company is not liable in damages in respect of any failure on its part to redeem or purchase any of the shares.
Subsection (2) is without prejudice to any right of the holder of the shares other than his right to sue the company for damages in respect of its failure; but the court shall not grant an order for specific performance of the terms of redemption or purchase if the company shows that it is unable to meet the costs of redeeming or purchasing the shares in question out of distributable profits.
If the company is wound up and at the commencement of the winding up any of the shares have not been redeemed or purchased, the terms of redemption or purchase may be enforced against the company; and when shares are redeemed or purchased under this subsection, they are treated as cancelled.
However, subsection (4) does not apply if—
the terms provided for the redemption or purchase to take place at a date later than that of the commencement of the winding up, or
during the period beginning with the date on which the redemption or purchase was to have taken place and ending with the commencement of the winding up the company could not at any time have lawfully made a distribution equal in value to the price at which the shares were to have been redeemed or purchased.
There shall be paid in priority to any amount which the company is liable under subsection (4) to pay in respect of any shares— but, subject to that, any such amount shall be paid in priority to any amounts due to members in satisfaction of their rights (whether as to capital or income) as members.
all other debts and liabilities of the company (other than any due to members in their character as such),
if other shares carry rights (whether as to capital or as to income) which are preferred to the rights as to capital attaching to the first-mentioned shares, any amount due in satisfaction of those preferred rights;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument modify the provisions of this Chapter with respect to any of the following matters—
the authority required for a purchase by a company of its own shares,
the authority required for the release by a company of its rights under a contract for the purchase of its own shares or a contract under which the company may (subject to any conditions) become entitled or obliged to purchase its own shares,
the information to be included in a return delivered by a company to the registrar of companies in accordance with section 169(1),
the matters to be dealt with in the statutory declaration of the directors under section 173 with a view to indicating their opinion of their company’s ability to make a proposed payment out of capital with due regard to its financial situation and prospects, and
the contents of the auditors’ report required by that section to be annexed to that declaration.
The Secretary of State may also by regulations so made make such provision (including modification of the provisions of this Chapter) as appears to him to be appropriate—
for wholly or partly relieving companies from the requirement of section 171(3)(a) that any available profits must be taken into account in determining the amount of the permissible capital payment for shares under that section, or
for permitting a company’s share premium account to be applied, to any extent appearing to the Secretary of State to be appropriate, in providing for the premiums payable on the redemption or purchase by the company of any of its own shares.
Regulations under this section—
may make such further modification of any provisions of this Chapter as appears to the Secretary of State to be reasonably necessary in consequence of any provision made under such regulations by virtue of subsection (1) or (2),
may make different provision for different cases or classes of case, and
may contain such further consequential provisions, and such incidental and supplementary provisions, as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
No regulations shall be made under this section unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before Parliament and approved by resolution of each House.
Any preference shares issued by a company before 15th June 1982 which could but for the repeal by the Companies Act 1981 of section 58 of the Companies Act 1948 (power to issue redeemable preference shares) have been redeemed under that section are subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
In a case to which sections 159 and 160 apply by virtue of this section, any premium payable on redemption may, notwithstanding the repeal by the 1981 Act of any provision of the 1948 Act, be paid out of the share premium account instead of out of profits, or partly out of that account and partly out of profits (but subject to the provisions of this Chapter so far as payment is out of profits).
Any capital redemption reserve fund established before 15th June 1982 by a company for the purposes of section 58 of the Act of 1948 is to be known as the company’s capital redemption reserve and be treated as if it had been established for the purposes of section 170 of this Act; and accordingly, a reference in any enactment or in the articles of any company, or in any other instrument, to a company’s capital redemption reserve fund is to be construed as a reference to the company’s capital redemption reserve.
In this Chapter— and references to payment out of capital are to be construed in accordance with section 171.
“distributable profits”, in relation to the making of any payment by a company, means those profits out of which it could lawfully make a distribution (within the meaning given by section 829 of the Companies Act 2006) equal in value to the payment, and
“permissible capital payment” means the payment permitted by section 171;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The shares or other interest of any member in a company—
are personal estate or, in Scotland, moveable property and are not in the nature of real estate or heritage,
are transferable in manner provided by the company's articles, but subject to the Stock Transfer Act 1963 (which enables securities of certain descriptions to be transferred by a simplified process).
Each share in a company having a share capital shall be distinguished by its appropriate number; except that, if at any time all the issued shares in a company, or all the issued shares in it of a particular class, are fully paid up and rank pari passu for all purposes, none of those shares need thereafter have a distinguishing number so long as it remains fully paid up and ranks pari passu for all purposes with all shares of the same class for the time being issued and fully paid up.
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It is not lawful for a company to register a transfer of shares in or debentures of the company unless a proper instrument of transfer has been delivered to it, or the transfer is an exempt transfer within the Stock Transfer Act 1982. This applies notwithstanding anything in the company's articles.
Subsection (1) does not prejudice any power of the company to register as shareholder or debenture holder a person to whom the right to any shares in or debentures of the company has been transmitted by operation of law.
A transfer of the share or other interest of a deceased member of a company made by his personal representative, although' the personal representative is not himself a member of the company, is as valid as if he had been such a member at the time of the execution of the instrument of transfer.
On the application of the transferor of any share or interest in a company, the company shall enter in its register of members the name of the transferee in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as if the application for the entry were made by the transferee.
If a company refuses to register a transfer of shares or debentures, the company shall, within 2 months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with it, send to the transferee notice of the refusal.
If default is made in complying with subsection (5), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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The certification by a company of any instrument of transfer of any shares in, or debentures of, the company is to be taken as a representation by the company to any person acting on the faith of the certification that there have been produced to the company such documents as on their face show a prima facie title to the shares or debentures in the transferor named in the instrument. However, the certification is not to be taken as a representation that the transferor has any title to the shares or debentures.
Where a person acts on the faith of a false certification by a company made negligently, the company is under the same liability to him as if the certification had been made fraudulently.
For purposes of this section—
an instrument of transfer is deemed certificated if it bears the words " certificate lodged " (or words to the like effect);
the certification of an instrument of transfer is deemed made by a company if—
the person issuing the instrument is a person authorised to issue certificated instruments of transfer on the company's behalf, and
the certification is signed by a person authorised to certificate transfers on the company's behalf or by an officer or servant either of the company or of a body corporate so authorised;
a certification is deemed signed by a person if—
it purports to be authenticated by his signature or initials (whether handwritten or not), and
it is not shown that the signature or initials was or were placed there neither by himself nor by a person authorised to use the signature or initials for the purpose of certificating transfers on the company's behalf.
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Subject to the following provisions, every company shall— complete and have ready for delivery the certificates of all shares, the debentures and the certificates of all debenture stock allotted or transferred (unless the conditions of issue of the shares, debentures or debenture stock otherwise provide).
within 2 months after the allotment of any of its shares, debentures or debenture stock, and
within 2 months after the date on which a transfer of any such shares, debentures or debenture stock is lodged with the company,
For this purpose, "transfer" means a transfer duly stamped and otherwise valid, or an exempt transfer within the Stock Transfer Act 1982, and does not include such a transfer as the company is for any reason entitled to refuse to register and does not register.
Subsection (1) does not apply in the case of a transfer to any person where, by virtue of regulations under section 3 of the Stock Transfer Act 1982, he is not entitled to a certificate or other document of or evidencing title in respect of the securities transferred; but if in such a case the transferee— this section has effect as if the reference in subsection (1)(b) to the date of the lodging of the transfer were a reference to the date of the notice.
subsequently becomes entitled to such a certificate or other document by virtue of any provision of those regulations, and
gives notice in writing of that fact to the company,
A company of which shares or debentures are allotted or debenture stock is allotted to a stock exchange nominee, or with which a transfer is lodged for transferring any shares, debentures or debenture stock of the company, to a stock exchange nominee, is not required, in consequence of the allotment or the lodging of the transfer, to comply with subsection (1). " Stock exchange nominee" means any person whom the Secretary of State designates, by order in a statutory instrument, as a nominee of The Stock Exchange for the purposes of this section.
If default is made in complying with subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a company on which a notice has been served requiring it to make good any default in complying with subsection (1) fails to make good the default within 10 days after service of the notice, the court may, on the application of the person entitled to have the certificates or the debentures delivered to him, exercise the power of the following subsection.
The court may make an order directing the company and any officer of it to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order; and the order may provide that all costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the company or by an officer of it responsible for the default.
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A company limited by shares, if so authorised by its articles, may, with respect to any fully paid-up shares, issue under its common seal a warrant stating that the bearer of the warrant is entitled to the shares specified in it, and may provide (by coupons or otherwise) for the payment of the future dividends on the shares included in the warrant
Such a warrant is termed a " share warrant" and entitles the bearer to the shares specified in it; and the shares may be transferred by delivery of the warrant.
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If in Scotland a person— he is on conviction thereof liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
with intent to defraud, forges or alters, or offers, utters, disposes of. or puts off, knowing the same to be forged or altered, any share warrant or coupon, or any document purporting to be a share warrant or coupon, issued in pursuance of this Act; or
by means of any such forged or altered share warrant, coupon, or document purporting as aforesaid, demands or endeavours to obtain or receive any share or interest in any company under this Act, or to receive any dividend or money payable in respect thereof, knowing the warrant, coupon, or document to be forged or altered ;
If in Scotland a person without lawful authority or excuse (proof whereof lies on him)— he is on conviction thereof liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
engraves or makes on any plate, wood, stone, or other material, any share warrant or coupon purporting to be—
a share warrant or coupon issued or made by any particular company in pursuance of this Act; or
a blank share warrant or coupon so issued or made; or
a part of such a share warrant or coupon; or
uses any such plate, wood, stone, or other material, for the making or printing of any such share warrant or coupon, or of any such blank share warrant or coupon, or any part thereof respectively ; or
knowingly has in his custody or possession any such plate, wood, stone, or other material;
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A company registered in England and Wales shall not keep in Scotland any register of holders of debentures of the company or any duplicate of any such register or part of any such register which is kept outside Great Britain.
A company registered in Scotland shall not keep in England and Wales any such register or duplicate as above-mentioned.
Neither a register of holders of debentures of a company nor a duplicate of any such register or part of any such register which is kept outside Great Britain shall be kept in England and Wales (in the case of a company registered in England and Wales) or in Scotland (in the case of a company registered in Scotland) elsewhere than—
at the company's registered office; or
at any office of the company at which the work of making it up is done ; or
if the company arranges with some other person for the making up of the register or duplicate to be undertaken on its behalf by that other person, at the office of that other person at which the work is done.
Where a company keeps (in England and Wales or in Scotland, as the case may be) both such a register and such a duplicate, it shall keep them at the same place.
Every company which keeps any such register or duplicate in England and Wales or Scotland shall send to the registrar of companies notice (in the prescribed form) of the place where the register or duplicate is kept and of any change in that place.
But a company is not bound to send notice under subsection (5) where the register or duplicate has, at all times since it came into existence, been kept at the company's registered office.
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Every register of holders of debentures of a company shall, except when duly closed (but subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may impose in general meeting, so that not less than 2 hours in each day shall be allowed for inspection), be open to the inspection—
of the registered holder of any such debentures or any holder of shares in the company without fee; and
of any other person on payment of a fee of 5 pence or such less sum as may be prescribed by the company.
Any such registered holder of debentures or holder of shares, or any other person, may require a copy of the register of the holders of debentures of the company or any part of it, on payment of 10 pence (or such less sum as may be prescribed by the company) for every 100 words, or fractional part of 100 words, required to be copied.
A copy of any trust deed for securing an issue of debentures shall be forwarded to every holder of any such debentures at his request on payment—
in the case of a printed trust deed, of 20 pence (or such less sum as may be prescribed by the company), or
where the trust deed has not been printed, of 10 pence (or such less sum as may be so prescribed), for every 100 words, or fractional part of 100 words, required to be copied.
If inspection is refused, or a copy is refused or not forwarded, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Where a company is in default as above-mentioned, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of the register or direct that the copies required be sent to the person requiring them.
For purposes of this section, a register is deemed to be duly closed if closed in accordance with provisions contained in the articles or in the debentures or, in the case of debenture stock, in the stock certificates, or in the trust deed or other document securing the debentures or debenture stock, during such period or periods, not exceeding in the whole 30 days in any year, as may be therein specified.
Liability incurred by a company from the making or deletion of an entry in its register of debenture holders, or from a failure to make or delete any such entry, is not enforceable more than 20 years after the date on which the entry was made or deleted or, in the case of any such failure, the failure first occurred. This is without prejudice to any lesser period of limitation.
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Subject to this section, any provision contained— is void in so far as it would have the effect of exempting a trustee of the deed from, or indemnifying him against, liability for breach of trust where he fails to show the degree of care and diligence required of him as trustee, having regard to the provisions of the trust deed conferring on him any powers, authorities or discretions.
in a trust deed for securing an issue of debentures, or
in any contract with the holders of debentures secured by a trust deed,
Subsection (1) does not invalidate—
a release otherwise validly given in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by a trustee before the giving of the release ; or
any provision enabling such a release to be given—
on the agreement thereto of a majority of not less than three-fourths in value of the debenture holders present and voting in person or, where proxies are permitted, by proxy at a meeting summoned for the purpose, and
either with respect to specific acts or omissions or on the trustee dying or ceasing to act.
Subsection (1) does not operate—
to invalidate any provision in force on 1st July 1948 so long as any person then entitled to the benefit of that provision or afterwards given the benefit of that provision under the following subsection remains a trustee of the deed in question ; or
to deprive any person of any exemption or right to be indemnified in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him while any such provision was in force.
While any trustee of a trust deed remains entitled to the benefit of a provision saved by subsection (3), the benefit of that provision may be given either— by a resolution passed by a majority of not less than three-fourths in value of the debenture holders present in person or, where proxies are permitted, by proxy at a meeting summoned for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of the deed or, if the deed makes no provision for summoning meetings, a meeting summoned for the purpose in any manner approved by the court.
to all trustees of the deed, present and future; or
to any named trustees or proposed trustees of it,
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Where (at any time) a company has redeemed debentures previously issued, then— the company has, and is deemed always to have had, power to re-issue the debentures, either by re-issuing the same debentures or by issuing other debentures in their place.
unless provision to the contrary, whether express or implied, is contained in the articles or in any contract entered into by the company ; or
unless the company has, by passing a resolution to that effect or by some other act, manifested its intention that the debentures shall be cancelled,
On a re-issue of redeemed debentures, the person entitled to the debentures has, and is deemed always to have had, the same priorities as if the debentures had never been redeemed.
Where a company has (at any time) deposited any of its debentures to secure advances from time to time on current account or otherwise, the debentures are not deemed to have been redeemed by reason only of the company's account having ceased to be in debit while the debentures remained so deposited.
The re-issue of a debenture or the issue of another debenture in its place under the power which by this section is given to or deemed to be possessed by a company is to be treated as the issue of a new debenture for purposes of stamp duty : but it is not to be so treated for the purposes of any provision limiting the amount or number of debentures to be issued. This applies whenever the issue or re-issue was made.
A person lending money on the security of a debenture re-issued under this section which appears to be duly stamped may give the debenture in evidence in any proceedings for enforcing his security without payment of the stamp duty or any penalty in respect of it, unless he had notice (or, but for his negligence, might have discovered) that the debenture was not duly stamped; but in that case the company is liable to pay the proper stamp duty and penalty.
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The following applies, in the case of a company registered in England and Wales, where either a receiver is appointed on behalf of the holders of any debentures of the company secured by a floating charge, or possession is taken by or on behalf of those debenture-holders of any property comprised in or subject to the charge.
If the company is not at the time in course of being wound up, the debts which in a winding up are, under the relevant provisions of Chapter V of Part XX relating to the preferential payments, to be paid in priority to all other debts shall be paid out of assets coming to the hands of the receiver or other person taking possession, in priority to any claims for principal or interest in respect of the debentures.
In the application of those provisions of Part XX, section 614 and Schedule 19 are to be read as if the provision for payment of accrued holiday remuneration becoming payable on the termination of employment before or by the effect of the winding-up order or resolution were a provision for payment of such remuneration becoming payable on the termination of employment before or by the effect of the appointment of the receiver or possession being taken as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.
The periods of time mentioned in those provisions of Part XX are to be reckoned from the date of the appointment of the receiver or possession being taken as above mentioned, as the case may be; and in Schedule 19 as it applies for the purposes of this section " the relevant date " means that date.
Payments made under this section shall be recouped as far as may be out of the assets of the company available for payment of general creditors.
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Where a person either— then in certain circumstances he comes under an obligation (" the obligation of disclosure") to make notification to the company of the interests which he has, or had, in its shares.
to his knowledge acquires an interest in shares comprised in a public company's relevant share capital, or ceases to be interested in shares so comprised (whether or not retaining an interest in other shares so comprised), or
becomes aware that he has acquired an interest in shares so comprised or that he has ceased to be interested in shares so comprised in which he was previously interested,
In relation to a public company, " relevant share capital " means the company's issued share capital of a class carrying rights to vote in all circumstances at general meetings of the company; and it is hereby declared for the avoidance of doubt that—
where a company's share capital is divided into different classes of shares, references in this Part to a percentage of the nominal value of its relevant share capital are to a percentage of the nominal value of the issued shares comprised in each of the classes taken separately, and
the temporary suspension of voting rights in respect of shares comprised in issued share capital of a company of any such class does not affect the application of this Part in relation to interests in those or any other shares comprised in that class.
Where, otherwise than in circumstances within subsection (1), a person— then in certain circumstances he comes under the obligation of disclosure.
is aware at the time when it occurs of any change of circumstances affecting facts relevant to the application of the next following section to an existing interest of his in shares comprised in a company's share capital of any description, or
otherwise becomes aware of any such facts (whether or not arising from any such change of circumstances),
The existence of the obligation in a particular case depends (in part) on circumstances obtaining before and after whatever is in that case the relevant time ; and that is—
in a case within subsection (1)(a) or(3)(a), the time of the event or change of circumstances there mentioned, and
in a case within subsection (1)(b) or (3)(b), the time at which the person became aware of the facts in question.
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For purposes of the obligation of disclosure, the interests to be taken into account are those in relevant share capital of the company concerned.
A person has a notifiable interest at any time when he is interested in shares comprised in that share capital of an aggregate nominal value equal to or more than the percentage of the nominal value of that share capital which is for the time being the notifiable percentage.
All facts relevant to determining whether a person has a notifiable interest at any time (or the percentage level of his interest) are taken to be what he knows the facts to be at that time.
The obligation of disclosure arises under section 198(1) or (3) where the person has a notifiable interest immediately after the relevant time, but did not have such an interest immediately before that time.
The obligation also arises under section 198(1) where—
the person had a notifiable interest immediately before the relevant time, but does not have such an interest immediately after it, or
he had a notifiable interest immediately before that time, and has such an interest immediately after it, but the percentage levels of his interest immediately before and immediately after that time are not the same.
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Subject to the qualification mentioned below, " percentage level", in section 199(5)(b), means the percentage figure found by expressing the aggregate nominal value of all the shares comprised in the share capital concerned in which the person is interested immediately before or (as the case may be) immediately after the relevant time as a percentage of the nominal value of that share capital and rounding that figure down, if it is not a whole number, to the next whole number.
Where the nominal value of the share capital is greater immediately after the relevant time than it was immediately before, the percentage level of the person's interest immediately before (as well as immediately after) that time is determined by reference to the larger amount.
The reference in section 199(2) to the notifiable percentage is to 5 per cent, or such other percentage as may be prescribed by regulations under this section.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument from time to time prescribe the percentage to apply in determining whether a person's interest in a company's shares is notifiable under section 198 ; and different percentages may be prescribed in relation to companies of different classes or descriptions. No regulations shall be made under this section unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
Where in consequence of a reduction in the percentage made by such regulations a person's interest in a company's shares becomes notifiable, he then comes under the obligation of disclosure in respect of it; and the obligation must be performed within the period of 10 days next following the day on which it arises.
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Where notification is required by section 198 with respect to a person's interest (if any) in shares comprised in relevant share capital of a public company, the obligation to make the notification must (except where section 201(3) applies) be performed within the period of 5 days next following the day on which that obligation arises; and the notification must be in writing to the company.
The notification must specify the share capital to which it relates, and must also—
state the number of shares comprised in that share capital in which the person making the notification knows he was interested immediately after the time when the obligation arose, or
in a case where the person no longer has a notifiable interest in shares comprised in that share capital, state that he no longer has that interest.
A notification with respect to a person's interest in a company's relevant share capital (other than one stating that he no longer has a notifiable interest in shares comprised in that share capital) shall include particulars of— so far as known to the person making the notification at the date when the notification is made.
the identity of each registered holder of shares to which the notification relates, and
the number of those shares held by each such registered holder,
A person who has an interest in shares comprised in a company's relevant share capital, that interest being notifiable, is under obligation to notify the company in writing— of which in either case he becomes aware at any time after any interest notification date and before the first occasion following that date on which he comes under any further obligation of disclosure with respect to his interest in shares comprised in that share capital. An obligation arising under this subsection must be performed within the period of 5 days next following the day on which it arises.
of any particulars in relation to those shares which are specified in subsection (3), and
of any change in those particulars,
The reference in subsection (4) to an interest notification date, in relation to a person's interest in shares comprised in a public company's relevant share capital, is to either of the following—
the date of any notification made by him with respect to his interest under this Part, and
where he has failed to make a notification, the date on which the period allowed for making it came to an end.
A person who at any time has an interest in shares which is notifiable is to be regarded under subsection (4) as continuing to have a notifiable interest in them unless and until he comes under obligation to make a notification stating that he no longer has such an interest in those shares.
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For purposes of sections 198 to 202, a person is taken to be interested in any shares in which his spouse or any infant child or step-child of his is interested; and " infant" means, in relation to Scotland, pupil or minor.
For those purposes, a person is taken to be interested in shares if a body corporate is interested in them and—
that body or its directors are accustomed to act in accordance with his directions or instructions, or
he is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of one-third or more of the voting power at general meetings of that body corporate.
Where a person is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of one-third or more of the voting power at general meetings of a body corporate and that body corporate is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of any of the voting power at general meetings of another body corporate (" the effective voting power ") then, for purposes of subsection (2)(b), the effecttive voting power is taken as exercisable by that person.
For purposes of subsections (2) and (3), a person is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of voting power if—
he has a right (whether subject to conditions or not) the exercise of which would make him so entitled, or
he is under an obligation (whether or not so subject) the fulfilment of which would make him so entitled.
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In certain circumstances the obligation of disclosure may arise from an agreement between two or more persons which includes provision for the acquisition by any one or more of them of interests in shares of a particular public company (" the target company "), being shares comprised in the relevant share capital of that company.
This section applies to such an agreement if— and in relation to such an agreement references below in this section, and in sections 205 and 206, to the target company are to the company which is the target company for that agreement in accordance with this and the previous subsection.
the agreement also includes provisions imposing obligations or restrictions on any one or more of the parties to it with respect to their use, retention or disposal of their interests in that company's shares acquired in pursuance of the agreement (whether or not together with any other interests of theirs in the company's shares to which the agreement relates), and
any interest in the company's shares is in fact acquired by any of the parties in pursuance of the agreement;
The reference in subsection (2)(a) to the use of interests in shares in the target company is to the exercise of any rights or of any control or influence arising from those interests (including the right to enter into any agreement for the exercise, or for control of the exercise, of any of those rights by another person).
Once any interest in shares in the target company has been acquired in pursuance of such an agreement as is mentioned above, this section continues to apply to that agreement irrespective of— so long as the agreement continues to include provisions of any description mentioned in subsection (2)(a). References in this subsection to the agreement include any agreement having effect (whether directly or indirectly) in substitution for the original agreement.
whether or not any further acquisitions of interests in the company's shares take place in pursuance of the agreement, and
any change in the persons who are for the time being parties to it, and
any variation of the agreement,
In this section, and also in references elsewhere in this Part to an agreement to which this section applies, "agreement " includes any agreement or arrangement; and references in this section to provisions of an agreement—
accordingly include undertakings, expectations or under standings operative under any arrangement, and
(without prejudice to the above) also include any provisions, whether express or implied and whether absolute or not.
However, this section does not apply to an agreement which is not legally binding unless it involves mutuality in the undertakings, expectations or understandings of the parties to it; nor does the section apply to an agreement to underwrite or sub-underwrite any offer of shares in a company, provided the agreement is confined to that purpose and any matters incidental to it.
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In the case of an agreement to which section 204 applies, each party to the agreement is taken (for purposes of the obligation of disclosure) to be interested in all shares in the target company in which any other party to it is interested apart from the agreement (whether or not the interest of the other party in question was acquired, or includes any interest which was acquired, in pursuance of the agreement).
For those purposes, and also for those of the next section, an interest of a party to such an agreement in shares in the target company is an interest apart from the agreement if he is interested in those shares otherwise than by virtue of the application of section 204 and this section in relation to the agreement.
Accordingly, any such interest of the person (apart from the agreement) includes for those purposes any interest treated as his under section 203 or by the application of section 204 and this section in relation to any other agreement with respect to shares in the target company to which he is a party.
A notification with respect to his interest in shares in the target company made to that company under this Part by a person who is for the time being a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies shall—
state that the person making the notification is a party to such an agreement,
include the names and (so far as known to him) the addresses of the other parties to the agreement, identifying them as such, and
state whether or not any of the shares to which the notification relates are shares in which he is interested by virtue of section 204 and this section and, if so, the number of those shares.
Where a person makes a notification to a company under this Part in consequence of ceasing to be interested in any shares of that company by virtue of the fact that he or any other person has ceased to be a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies, the notification shall include a statement that he or that other person has ceased to be a party to the agreement (as the case may require) and also (in the latter case) the name and (if known to him) the address of that other.
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A person who is a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies is subject to the requirements of this section at any time when—
the target company is a public company, and he knows it to be so, and
the shares in that company to which the agreement relates consist of or include shares comprised in relevant share capital of the company, and he knows that to be the case; and
he knows the facts which make the agreement one to which section 204 applies.
Such a person is under obligation to notify every other party to the agreement, in writing, of the relevant particulars of his interest (if any) apart from the agreement in shares comprised in relevant share capital of the target company—
on his first becoming subject to the requirements of this section, and
on each occurrence after that time while he is still subject to those requirements of any event or circumstances within section 198 (1) (as it applies to his case otherwise than by reference to interests treated as his under section 205 as applying to that agreement).
The relevant particulars to be notified under subsection (2) are—
the number of shares (if any) comprised in the target company's relevant share capital in which the person giving the notice would be required to state his interest if he were under the obligation of disclosure with respect to that interest (apart from the agreement) immediately after the time when the obligation to give notice under subsection (2) arose, and
the relevant particulars with respect to the registered ownership of those shares, so far as known to him at the date of the notice.
A person who is for the time being subject to the requirements of this section is also under obligation to notify every other party to the agreement, in writing— of which in either case he becomes aware at any time after any interest notification date and before the first occasion following that date on which he becomes subject to any further obligation to give notice under subsection (2) with respect to his interest in shares comprised in that share capital.
of any relevant particulars with respect to the registered ownership of any shares comprised in relevant share capital of the target company in which he is interested apart from the agreement, and
of any change in those particulars,
The reference in subsection (4) to an interest notification date, in relation to a person's interest in shares comprised in the target company's relevant share capital, is to either of the following—
the date of any notice given by him with respect to his interest under subsection (2), and
where he has failed to give that notice, the date on which the period allowed by this section for giving the notice came to an end.
A person who is a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies is under an obligation to notify each other party to the agreement, in writing, of his current address—
on his first becoming subject to the requirements of this section, and
on any change in his address occurring after that time and while he is still subject to those requirements.
A reference to the relevant particulars with respect to the registered ownership of shares is to such particulars in relation to those shares as are mentioned in section 202(3)(a) or (b).
A person's obligation to give any notice required by this section to any other person must be performed within the period of 5 days next following the day on which that obligation arose.
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Where section 198 or 199 refers to a person acquiring an interest in shares or ceasing to be interested in shares, that reference in certain cases includes his becoming or ceasing to be interested in those shares by virtue of another person's interest.
Such is the case where he becomes or ceases to be interested by virtue of section 203 or (as the case may be) section 205 whether—
by virtue of the fact that the person who is interested in the shares becomes or ceases to be a person whose interests (if any) fall by virtue of either section to be treated as his, or
in consequence of the fact that such a person has become or ceased to be interested in the shares, or
in consequence of the fact that he himself becomes or ceases to be a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies to which the person interested in the shares is for the time being a party, or
in consequence of the fact that an agreement to which both he and that person are parties becomes or ceases to be one to which that section applies.
The person is then to be treated as knowing he has acquired an interest in the shares or (as the case may be) that he has ceased to be interested in them, if and when he knows both—
the relevant facts with respect to the other person's interest in the shares, and
the relevant facts by virtue of which he himself has become or ceased to be interested in them in accordance with section 203 or 205.
He has the knowledge referred to in subsection (3)(a) if he knows (whether contemporaneously or not) cither of the subsistence of the other person's interest at any material time or of the fact that the other has become or ceased to be interested in the shares at any such time; and " material time " is any time at which the other's interests (if any) fall or fell to be treated as his under section 203 or 205.
A person is to be regarded as knowing of the subsistence of another's interest in shares or (as the case may be) that another has become or ceased to be interested in shares if he has been notified under section 206 of facts with respect to the other's interest which indicate that he is or has become or ceased to be interested in the shares (whether on his own account or by virtue of a third party's interest in them).
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This section applies, subject to the section next following, in determining for purposes of sections 198 to 202 whether a person has a notifiable interest in shares.
A reference to an interest in shares is to be read as including an interest of any kind whatsoever in the shares; and accordingly there are to be disregarded any restraints or restrictions to which the exercise of any right attached to the interest is or may be subject.
Where property is held on trust and an interest in shares is comprised in the property, a beneficiary of the trust who apart from this subsection does not have an interest in the shares is to be taken as having such an interest.
A person is taken to have an interest in shares if—
he enters into a contract for their purchase by him (whether for cash or other consideration), or
not being the registered holder, he is entitled to exercise any right conferred by the holding of the shares or is entitled to control the exercise of any such right.
A person is taken to have an interest in shares if, otherwise than by virtue of having an interest under a trust— whether in any case the right or obligation is conditional or absolute.
he has a right to call for delivery of the shares to himself or to his order, or
he has a right to acquire an interest in shares or is under an obligation to take an interest in shares,
For purposes of subsection (4)(b), a person is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of any right conferred by the holding of shares if he—
has a right (whether subject to conditions or not) the exercise of which would make him so entitled, or
is under an obligation (whether so subject or not) the fulfilment of which would make him so entitled.
Persons having a joint interest are taken each of them to have that interest
It is immaterial that shares in which a person has an interest are unidentifiable.
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The following interests in shares are disregarded for purposes of sections 198 to 202—
where property is held on trust according to the law of England and Wales and an interest in shares is comprised in that property, an interest in reversion or remainder or of a bare trustee or a custodian trustee, and any discretionary interest;
where property is held on trust according to the law of Scotland and an interest in shares is comprised in that property, an interest in fee or of a simple trustee and any discretionary interest;
an interest which subsists by virtue of an authorised unit trust scheme within the meaning of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. a scheme made under section 22 of the Charities Act 1960, section 11 of the Trustee Investments Act 1961 or section 1 of the Administration of Justice Act 1965 or the scheme set out in the Schedule to the Church Funds Investment Measure 1958;
an interest of the Church of Scotland General Trustees or of the Church of Scotland Trust in shares held by them or of any other person in shares held by those Trustees or that Trust otherwise than as simple trustees;
an interest for the life of himself or another of a person under a settlement in the case of which the property comprised in the settlement consists of or includes shares, and the conditions mentioned in subsection (3) below are satisfied;
an exempt interest held by a recognised jobber;
an exempt security interest;
an interest of the President of the Family Division of the High Court subsisting by virtue of section 9 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 ;
an interest of the Accountant General of the Supreme Court in shares held by him;
such interests, or interests of such a class, as may be prescribed for purposes of this paragraph by regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument.
A person is not by virtue of section 208(4)(b) taken to be interested in shares by reason only that he has been appointed a proxy to vote at a specified meeting of a company or of any class of its members and at any adjournment of that meeting, or has been appointed by a corporation to act as its representative at any meeting of a company or of any class of its members.
The conditions referred to in subsection (1)(e) are, in relation to a settlement—
that it is irrevocable, and
that the settlor (within the meaning of section 444 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970) has no interest in any income arising under, or property comprised in, the settlement
A person is a recognised jobber for purposes of subsection (1)(f) if he is a member of The Stock Exchange recognised by the Council of The Stock Exchange as carrying on the business of a jobber; and an interest of such a person in shares is an exempt interest for those purposes if—
he carries on that business in the United Kingdom, and
he holds the interest for the purposes of that business.
An interest in shares is an exempt security interest for purposes of subsection (1)(g) if— or if it is held by way of security only either by the Bank of England or by the Post Office for the purposes of a transaction entered into in the ordinary course of that part of the business of the Post Office which consists of the provision of banking services.
it is held by a person who is—
a recognised bank or licensed institution within the Banking Act 1979, or an insurance company to which Part II of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 applies, or
a trustee savings bank (within the Trustee Savings Banks Act 1981), or
a member of The Stock Exchange carrying on business in the United Kingdom as a stockbroker, and
it is held by way of security only for the purposes of a transaction entered into in the ordinary course of his business as such a person,
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Where a person authorises another ("the agent") to acquire or dispose of, on his behalf, interests in shares comprised in relevant share capital of a public company, he shall secure that the agent notifies him immediately of acquisitions or disposals effected by the agent which will or may give rise to any obligation of disclosure imposed on him by this Part with respect to his interest in that share capital.
An obligation of disclosure imposed on a person by any provision of sections 198 to 202 is treated as not being fulfilled unless the notice by means of which it purports to be fulfilled identifies him and gives his address and, in a case where he is a director of the company, is expressed to be given in fulfilment of that obligation.
A person who— is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
fails to fulfil, within the proper period, an obligation of disclosure imposed on him by this Part, or
in purported fulfilment of any such obligation makes to a company a statement which he knows to be false, or recklessly makes to a company a statement which is false, or
fails to fulfil, within the proper period, an obligation to give another person a notice required by section 206, or
fails without reasonable excuse to comply with subsection (1) of this section,
It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (3)(c) to prove that it was not possible for him to give the notice to the other person required by section 206 within the proper period, and either—
that it has not since become possible for him to give the notice so required, or
that he gave the notice as soon after the end of that period as it became possible for him to do so.
Where a person is convicted of an offence under this section (other than an offence relating to his ceasing to be interested in a company's shares), the Secretary of State may by order direct that the shares in relation to which the offence was committed shall, until further order, be subject to the restrictions of Part XV of this Act; and such an order may be made notwithstanding any power in the company's memorandum or articles enabling the company to impose similar restrictions on those shares.
Sections 732 (restriction on prosecutions) and 733(2) and (3) (liability of directors, etc.) apply to offences under this section.
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Every public company shall keep a register for purposes of sections 198 to 202, and whenever the company receives information from a person in consequence of the fulfilment of an obligation imposed on him by any of those sections, it is under obligation to inscribe in the register, against that person's name, that information and the date of the inscription.
Without prejudice to subsection (1), where a company receives a notification under this Part which includes a statement that the person making the notification, or any other person, has ceased to be a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies, the company is under obligation to record that information against the name of that person in every place where his name appears in the register as a party to that agreement (including any entry relating to him made against another person's name).
An obligation imposed by subsection (1) or (2) must be fulfilled within the period of 3 days next following the day on which it arises.
The company is not, by virtue of anything done for the purposes of this section, affected with notice of, or put upon enquiry as to, the rights of any person in relation to any shares.
The register must be so made up that the entries against the several names entered in it appear in chronological order.
Unless the register is in such form as to constitute in itself an index, the company shall keep an index of the names entered in the register which shall in respect of each name contain a sufficient indication to enable the information entered against it to be readily found; and the company shall, within 10 days after the date on which a name is entered in the register, make any necessary alteration in the index.
If the company ceases to be a public company it shall continue to keep the register and any associated index until the end of the period of 6 years beginning with the day next following that on which it ceases to be such a company.
The register and any associated index—
shall be kept at the place at which the register required to be kept by the company by section 325 (register of directors' interests) is kept, and
subject to the next subsection, shall be available for inspection in accordance with section 219 below.
Neither the register nor any associated index shall be available for inspection in accordance with that section in so far as it contains information with respect to a company for the time being entitled to avail itself of the benefit conferred by paragraph 3 or 10 of Schedule 5 (disclosure of shareholdings not required if it would be harmful to company's business).
If default is made in complying with subsection (1) or (2), or with any of subsections (5) to (7), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Any register kept by a company immediately before 15th June 1982 under section 34 of the Companies Act 1967 shall continue to be kept by the company under and for the purposes of this section.
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A public company may by notice in writing require a person whom the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe to be or, at any time during the 3 years immediately preceding the date on which the notice is issued, to have been interested in shares comprised in the company's relevant share capital—
to confirm that fact or (as the case may be) to indicate whether or not it is the case, and
where he holds or has during that time held an interest in shares so comprised, to give such further information as may be required in accordance with the following subsection.
A notice under this section may require the person to whom it is addressed—
to give particulars of his own past or present interest in shares comprised in relevant share capital of the company (held by him at any time during the 3-year period mentioned in subsection (1)),
where the interest is a present interest and any other interest in the shares subsists or, in any case, where another interest in the shares subsisted during that 3-year period at any time when his own interest subsisted, to give (so far as lies within his knowledge) such particulars with respect to that other interest as may be required by the notice,
where his interest is a past interest, to give (so far as lies within his knowledge) particulars of the identity of the person who held that interest immediately upon his ceasing to hold it
The particulars referred to in subsection (2)(a) and (b) include particulars of the identity of persons interested in the shares in question and of whether persons interested in the same shares are or were parties to any agreement to which section 204 applies or to any agreement or arrangement relating to the exercise of any rights conferred by the holding of the shares.
A notice under this section shall require any information given in response to the notice to be given in writing within such reasonable time as may be specified in the notice.
Sections 203 to 205 and 208 apply for the purpose of construing references in this section to persons interested in shares and to interests in shares respectively, as they apply in relation to sections 198 to 201 (but with the omission of any reference to section 209).
This section applies in relation to a person who has or previously had, or is or was entitled to acquire, a right to subscribe for shares in a public company which would on issue be comprised in relevant share capital of that company as it applies in relation to a person who is or was interested in shares so comprised; and references above in this section to an interest in shares so comprised and to shares so comprised are to be read accordingly in any such case as including respectively any such right and shares which would on issue be so comprised.
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Whenever in pursuance of a requirement imposed on a person under section 212 a company receives information to which this section applies relating to shares comprised in its relevant share capital, it is under obligation to enter against the name of the registered holder of those shares, in a separate part of its register of interests in shares—
the fact that the requirement was imposed and the date on which it was imposed, and
any information to which this section applies received in pursuance of the requirement.
This section applies to any information received in pursuance of a requirement imposed by section 212 which relates to the present interests held by any persons in shares comprised in relevant share capital of the company in question.
Subsections (3) to (10) of section 211 apply in relation to any part of the register maintained in accordance with subsection (1) of this section as they apply in relation to the remainder of the register, reading references to subsection (1) of that section to include subsection (1) of this.
In the case of a register kept by a company immediately before 15th June 1982 under section 34 of the Companies Act 1967, any part of the register so kept for the purposes of section 27 of the Companies Act 1976 shall continue to be kept by the company under and for the purposes of this section.
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A company may be required to exercise its powers under section 212 on the requisition of members of the company holding at the date of the deposit of the requisition not less than one-tenth of such of the paid-up capital of the company as carries at that date the right of voting at general meetings of the company.
The requisition must— and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the company's registered office.
state that the requisitionists are requiring the company to exercise its powers under section 212,
specify the manner in which they require those powers to be exercised, and
give reasonable grounds for requiring the company to exercise those powers in the manner specified,
The requisition may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.
On the deposit of a requisition complying with this section it is the company's duty to exercise its powers under section 212 in the manner specified in the requisition.
If default is made in complying with subsection (4), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
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On the conclusion of an investigation carried out by a company in pursuance of a requisition under section 214, it is the company's duty to cause a report of the information received in pursuance of that investigation to be prepared, and the report shall be made available at the company's registered office within a reasonable period after the conclusion of that investigation.
Where— it is the duty of the company to cause to be prepared, in respect of that period and each successive period of 3 months ending before the conclusion of the investigation, an interim report of the information received during that period in pursuance of the investigation. Each such report shall be made available at the company's registered office within a reasonable period after the end of the period to which it relates.
a company undertakes an investigation in pursuance of a requisition under section 214, and
the investigation is not concluded before the end of 3 months beginning with the date immediately following the date of the deposit of the requisition,
The period for making any report prepared under this section available as required by subsection (1) or (2) shall not exceed 15 days.
Such a report shall not include any information with respect to a company entitled to avail itself of the benefit conferred by paragraph 3 or 10 of Schedule 5 (disclosure of shareholdings not required if it would be harmful to company's business); but where any such information is omitted, that fact shall be stated in the report.
The company shall, within 3 days of making any report prepared under this section available at its registered office, notify the requisitionists that the report is so available.
An investigation carried out by a company in pursuance of a requisition under section 214 is regarded for purposes of this section as concluded when the company has made all such inquiries as are necessary or expedient for the purposes of the requisition and in the case of each such inquiry, either a response has been received by the company or the time allowed for a response has elapsed.
A report prepared under this section—
shall be kept at the company's registered office from the day on which it is first available there in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) until the expiration of 6 years beginning with the day next following that day, and
shall be available for inspection in accordance with section 219 below so long as it is so kept
If default is made in complying with subsection (1), (2), (5) or (7)(a), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
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Where notice is served by a company under section 212 on a person who is or was interested in shares of the company and that person fails to give the company any information required by the notice within the time specified in it, the company may apply to the court for an order directing that the shares in question be subject to the restrictions of Part XV of this Act.
Such an order may be made by the court notwithstanding any power contained in the applicant company's memorandum or articles enabling the company itself to impose similar restrictions on the shares in question.
Subject to the following subsections, a person who fails to comply with a notice under section 212 or who, in purported compliance with such a notice, makes any statement which he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly makes any statement which is false in a material particular is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both. Section 733(2) and (3) of this Act (liability of individuals for corporate default) apply to offences under this subsection.
A person is not guilty of an offence by virtue of failing to comply with a notice under section 212 if he proves that the requirement to give the information was frivolous or vexatious.
A person is not obliged to comply with a notice under section 212 if he is for the time being exempted by the Secretary of State from the operation of that section; but the Secretary of State shall not grant any such exemption unless—
he has consulted with the Governor of the Bank of England, and
he (the Secretary of State) is satisfied that, having regard to any undertaking given by the person in question with respect to any interest held or to be held by him in any shares, there are special reasons why that person should not be subject to the obligations imposed by that section.
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A company may remove an entry against a person's name from its register of interests in shares if more than 6 years have elapsed since the date of the entry being made, and either— and in a case within paragraph (a) the company may also remove that person's name from the register.
that entry recorded the fact that the person in question had ceased to have an interest notifiable under this Part in relevant share capital of the company, or
it has been superseded by a later entry made under section 211 against the same person's name;
If a person in pursuance of an obligation imposed on him by any provision of this Part gives to a company the name and address of another person as being interested in shares in the company, the company shall, within 15 days of the date on which it was given that information, notify the other person that he has been so named and shall include in that notification—
particulars of any entry relating to him made, in consequence of its being given that information, by the company in its register of interests in shares, and
a statement informing him of his right to apply to have the entry removed in accordance with the following provisions of this section.
A person who has been notified by a company in pursuance of subsection (2) that an entry relating to him has been made in the company's register of interests in shares may apply in writing to the company for the removal of that entry from the register; and the company shall remove the entry if satisfied that the information in pursuance of which the entry was made was incorrect.
If a person who is identified in a company's register of interests in shares as being a party to an agreement to which section 204 applies (whether by an entry against his own name or by an entry relating to him made against another person's name as mentioned in subsection (2)(a)) ceases to be a party to that agreement, he may apply in writing to the company for the inclusion of that information in the register; and if the company is satisfied that he has ceased to be a party to the agreement, it shall record that information (if not already recorded) in every place where his name appears as a party to that agreement in the register.
If an application under subsection (3) or (4) is refused (in a case within subsection (4), otherwise than on the ground that the information has already been recorded) the applicant may apply to the court for an order directing the company to remove the entry in question from the register or (as the case may be) to include the information in question in the register; and the court may, if it thinks fit, make such an order.
Where a name is removed from a company's register of interests in shares in pursuance of subsection (1) or (3) or an order under subsection (5), the company shall within 14 days of the date of that removal make any necessary alteration in any associated index.
If default is made in complying with subsection (2) or (6), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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Entries in a company's register of interests in shares shall not be deleted except in accordance with section 217.
If an entry is deleted from a company's register of interests in shares in contravention of subsection (1), the company shall restore that entry to the register as soon as is reasonably practicable.
If default is made in complying with subsection (1) or (2), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention of subsection (2), to a daily default fine.
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Any register of interests in shares and any report which is required by section 215(7) to be available for inspection in accordance with this section shall, during business hours (subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may in general meeting impose, but so that not less than 2 hours in each day are allowed for inspection) be open to the inspection of any member of the company or of any other person without charge.
Any such member or other person may require a copy of any such register or report, or any part of it, on payment of 10 pence or such less sum as the company may prescribe, for every 100 words or fractional part of 100 words required to be copied ; and the company shall cause any copy so required by a person to be sent to him before the expiration of the period of 10 days beginning with the day next following that on which the requirement is received by the company.
If an inspection required under this section is refused or a copy so required is not sent within the proper period, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In the case of a refusal of an inspection required under this section of any register or report, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it; and in the case of failure to send a copy required under this section, the court may by order direct that the copy required shall be sent to the person requiring it.
The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument substitute a sum specified in the regulations for the sum for the time being mentioned in subsection (2).
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In this Part of this Act—
" Balance sheet date ", in relation to a balance sheet, means the date as at which the balance sheet was prepared.
"Group company", in relation to any company, means any body corporate which is that company's subsidiary or holding company, or a subsidiary of that company's holding company.
“Listed investment” means an investment as respects which there has been granted a listing on— “Recognised investment exchange” and “overseas investment exchange” have the meaning given in Part 18 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Without prejudice to— it is hereby declared for the avoidance of doubt that references in this Schedule to realised profits, in relation to a company's accounts, are to such profits of the company as fall to be treated as realised profits for the purposes of those accounts in accordance with principles generally accepted with respect to the determination for accounting purposes of realised profits at the time when those accounts are prepared.
the construction of any other expression (where appropriate) by reference to accepted accounting principles or practice, or
any specific provision for the treatment of profits of any description as realised,
“Social security costs” means any contributions by the company to any state social security or pension scheme, fund or arrangement. “Pension costs” includes any costs incurred by the company in respect of any pension scheme established for the purpose of providing pensions for persons currently or formerly employed by the company, any sums set aside for the future payment of pensions directly by the company to current or former employees and any pensions paid directly to such persons without having first been set aside. Any amount stated in respect of the item “social security costs”or in respect of the item “wages and salaries” in the company’s profit and loss account shall be determined by reference to payments made or costs incurred in respect of all persons employed by the company during the financial year who are taken into account in determining the relevant annual number for the purposes of section 231A(1)(a) .
Where the period allowed by any provision of this Part for fulfilling an obligation is expressed as a number of days, any day that is a Saturday or Sunday or a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain is to be disregarded in reckoning that period.
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Every company shall cause accounting records to be kept in accordance with this section.
The accounting records shall be sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions, and shall be such as to—
disclose with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position of the company at that time, and
enable the directors to ensure that any balance sheet and profit and loss account prepared under this Part comply with the requirements of this Act as to the form and content of company accounts and otherwise.
The accounting records shall in particular contain—
entries from day to day of all sums of money received and expended by the company, and the matters in respect of which the receipt and expenditure takes place, and
a record of the assets and liabilities of the company.
If the company's business involves dealing in goods, the accounting records shall contain—
statements of stock held by the company at the end of each financial year of the company,
all statements of stocktakings from which any such statement of stock as is mentioned in paragraph (a) has been or is to be prepared, and
except in the case of goods sold by way of ordinary retail trade, statements of all goods sold and purchased, showing the goods and the buyers and sellers in sufficient detail to enable all these to be identified.
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Subject as follows, a company's accounting records shall be kept at its registered office or such other place as the directors think fit, and shall at all times be open to inspection by the company's officers.
If accounting records are kept at a place outside Great Britain, accounts and returns with respect to the business dealt with in the accounting records so kept shall be sent to, and kept at, a place in Great Britain, and shall at all times be open to such inspection.
The accounts and returns to be sent to Great Britain in accordance with subsection (2) shall be such as to—
disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the business in question at intervals of not more than 6 months, and
enable the directors to ensure that the company's balance sheet and profit and loss account comply with the requirements of this Act as to the form and content of company accounts and otherwise.
Accounting records which a company is required by section 221 to keep shall be preserved by it— This is subject to any direction with respect to the disposal of records given under winding-up rules under section 663.
in the case of a private company, for 3 years from the date on which they are made, and
in the case of a public company, for 6 years from that date.
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If a company fails to comply with any provision of section 221 or 222(1) or (2), every officer of the company who is in default is guilty of an offence unless he shows that he acted honestly and that in the circumstances in which the company's business was carried on the default was excusable.
An officer of a company is guilty of an offence if he fails to take all reasonable steps for securing compliance by the company with section 222(4), or has intentionally caused any default by the company under it
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
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A company's accounting reference periods are determined according to its accounting reference date.
A company may give notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies specifying a date in the calendar year as being the date on which in each successive calendar year an accounting reference period of the company is to be treated as coming to an end; and the date specified in the notice is then the company's accounting reference date.
However, no such notice has effect unless it is given before the end of 6 months beginning with the date of the company's incorporation ; and, failing such notice, the company's accounting reference date is 31st March.
A company's first accounting reference period is such period ending with its accounting reference date as begins on the date of its incorporation and is a period of more than 6 months and not more than 18 months; and each successive period of 12 months beginning after the end of the first accounting reference period and ending with the accounting reference date is also an accounting reference period of the company.
This section is subject to section 225, under which in certain circumstances a company may alter its accounting reference date and accounting reference periods.
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At any time during a period which is an accounting reference period of a company by virtue of section 224 or 226 the company may give notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies specifying a date in the calendar year (" the new accounting reference date ") on which that accounting reference period (" the current accounting reference period ") and each subsequent accounting reference period of the company is to be treated as coming to an end or (as the case may require) as having come to an end.
At any time after the end of a period which was an accounting reference period of a company by virtue of section 224 or 226 the company may give notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies specifying a date in the calendar year (" the new accounting reference date") on which that accounting reference period (" the previous accounting reference period ") and each subsequent accounting reference period of the company is to be treated as coming or (as the case may require) as having come to an end.
But a notice under subsection (2)—
has no effect unless the company is a subsidiary or holding company of another company and the new accounting reference date coincides with the accounting reference date of that other company, and
has no effect if the period allowed (under section 242) for laying and delivering accounts in relation to the previous accounting reference period has already expired at the time when the notice is given.
A notice under this section shall state whether the current or previous accounting reference period of the company—
is to be treated as shortened, so as to come to an end or (as the case may require) be treated as having come to an end on the new accounting reference date on the first occasion on which that date falls or fell after the beginning of that accounting reference period, or
is to be treated as extended, so as to come to an end or (as the case may require) be treated as having come to an end on the new accounting reference date on the second occasion on which that date falls or fell after the beginning of that accounting reference period.
A notice which states that the current or previous accounting reference period is to be extended has no effect if the current or previous accounting reference period, as extended in accordance with the notice, would exceed 18 months.
Subject to any direction given by the Secretary of State under the next subsection, a notice which states that the current or previous accounting reference period is to be extended has no effect unless—
no earlier accounting reference period of the company has been extended by virtue of a previous notice given by the company under this section, or
the notice is given not less than 5 years after the date on which any earlier accounting reference period of the company which was so extended came to an end, or
the company is a subsidiary or holding company of another company and the new accounting reference date coincides with the accounting reference date of that other company.
The Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, direct that subsection (6) shall not apply to a notice already given by a company under this section or (as the case may be) in relation to a notice which may be so given.
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Where a company has given notice with effect in accordance with section 225, and that notice has not been superseded by a subsequent notice by the company which has such effect, the new date specified in the notice is the company's accounting reference date, in substitution for that which, by virtue of section 224 or this section, was its accounting reference date at the time when the notice was given.
Where by virtue of such a notice one date is substituted for another as the accounting reference date of a company— is or (as the case may require) is to be treated as having been an accounting reference period of the company, instead of any period which would be an accounting reference period of the company if the notice had not been given.
the current or previous accounting reference period, shortened or extended (as the case may be) in accordance with the notice, and
each successive period of 12 months beginning after the end of that accounting reference period (as so shortened or extended) and ending with the new accounting reference date,
Section 225 and this section do not affect any accounting reference period of the company which—
in the case of a notice under section 225(1), is earlier than the current accounting reference period, or
in the case of a notice under section 225(2), is earlier than the previous accounting reference period.
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In the case of every company, the directors shall in respect of each accounting reference period of the company prepare a profit and loss account for the financial year or, if it is a company not trading for profit, an income and expenditure account.
Where it is the company's first accounting reference period, the financial year begins with the first day of that period and ends with— and after that the financial year begins with the day after the date to which the last preceding profit and loss account was made up and ends as mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) above.
the date on which the accounting reference period ends, or
such other date, not more than 7 days before or more than 7 days after the end of that period, as the directors may determine;
The directors shall prepare a balance sheet as at the last day of the financial year.
In the case of a holding company, the directors shall secure that, except where in their opinion there are good reasons against it, the financial year of each of its subsidiaries coincides with the company's own financial year.
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A company's accounts prepared under section 227 shall comply with the requirements of Schedule 4 (so far as applicable) with respect to the form and content of the balance sheet and profit and loss account and any additional information to be provided by way of notes to the accounts.
The balance sheet shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year; and the profit and loss account shall give a true and fair view of the profit or loss of the company for the financial year.
Subsection (2) overrides— and accordingly the following two subsections have effect.
the requirements of Schedule 4, and
all other requirements of this Act as to the matters to be included in a company's accounts or in notes to those accounts;
If the balance sheet or profit and loss account drawn up in accordance with those requirements would not provide sufficient information to comply with subsection (2), any necessary additional information must be provided in that balance sheet or profit and loss account, or in a note to the accounts.
If, owing to special circumstances in the case of any company, compliance with any such requirement in relation to the balance sheet or profit and loss account would prevent compliance with subsection (2) (even if additional information were provided in accordance with subsection (4)), the directors shall depart from that requirement in preparing the balance sheet or profit and loss account (so far as necessary in order to comply with subsection (2)).
If the directors depart from any such requirement, particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
Subsections (1) to (6) do not apply to group accounts prepared under the next section ; and subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a company's profit and loss account (or require the notes otherwise required in relation to that account) if— If group accounts are prepared, and advantage is taken of this subsection, that fact shall be disclosed in a note to the group accounts.
the company has subsidiaries, and
the profit and loss account is framed as a consolidated account dealing with all or any of the company's subsidiaries as well as the company, and—
complies with the requirements of this Act relating to consolidated profit and loss accounts, and
shows how much of the consolidated profit or loss for the financial year is dealt with in the company's individual accounts.
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If at the end of its financial year a company has subsidiaries, the directors shall, as well as preparing individual accounts for that year, also prepare group accounts, being accounts or statements which deal with the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and the subsidiaries.
This does not apply if the company is at the end of the financial year the wholly-owned subsidiary of another body corporate incorporated in Great Britain.
Group accounts need not deal with a subsidiary if the company's directors are of opinion that— and, if the directors are of that opinion about each of the company's subsidiaries, group accounts are not required.
it is impracticable, or would be of no real value to the company's members, in view of the insignificant amounts involved, or
it would involve expense or delay out of proportion to the value to members, or
the result would be misleading, or harmful to the business of the company or any of its subsidiaries, or
the business of the holding company and that of the subsidiary are so different that they cannot reasonably be treated as a single undertaking;
However, the approval of the Secretary of State is required for not dealing in group accounts with a subsidiary on the ground that the result would be harmful or on the ground of difference between the business of the holding company and that of the subsidiary.
A holding company's group accounts shall be consolidated accounts comprising—
a consolidated balance sheet dealing with the state of affairs of the company and all the subsidiaries to be dealt with in group accounts, and
a consolidated profit and loss account dealing with the profit or loss of the company and those subsidiaries.
However, if the directors are of opinion that it is better for the purpose of presenting the same or equivalent information about the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and those subsidiaries, and of so presenting it that it may be readily appreciated by the company's members, the group accounts may be prepared in other than consolidated form, and in particular may consist— or of any combination of those forms.
of more than one set of consolidated accounts dealing respectively with the company and one group of subsidiaries and with other groups of subsidiaries, or
of separate accounts dealing with each of the subsidiaries, or
of statements expanding the information about the subsidiaries in the company's individual accounts,
The group accounts may be wholly or partly incorporated in the holding company's individual balance sheet and profit and loss account
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A holding company's group accounts shall comply with the requirements of Schedule 4 (so far as applicable to group accounts in the form in which those accounts are prepared) with respect to the form and content of those accounts and any additional information to be provided by way of notes to those accounts.
Group accounts (together with any notes to them) shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and the subsidiaries dealt with by those accounts as a whole, so far as concerns members of the company.
Subsection (2) overrides— and accordingly the following two subsections have effect.
the requirements of Schedule 4, and
all other requirements of this Act as to the matters to be included in group accounts or in notes to those accounts,
If group accounts drawn up in accordance with those requirements would not provide sufficient information to comply with subsection (2), any necessary additional information must be provided in, or in a note to, the group accounts.
If, owing to special circumstances in the case of any company, compliance with any such requirement in relation to its group accounts would prevent those accounts from complying with subsection (2) (even if additional information were provided in accordance with subsection (4)), the directors shall depart from that requirement in preparing the group accounts (so far as necessary to comply with subsection (2)).
If the directors depart from any such requirement, particulars of that departure, the reason for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the group accounts.
If the financial year of a subsidiary does not coincide with that of the holding company, the group accounts shall (unless the Secretary of State, on the application or with the consent of the holding company's directors, otherwise directs) deal with the subsidiary's state of affairs as at the end of its relevant financial year, that is— and with the subsidiary's profit or loss for its relevant financial year.
if its financial year ends with that of the holding company, that financial year, and
if not, the subsidiary's financial year ending last before the end of the financial year of the holding company dealt with in the group accounts,
The Secretary of State may, on the application or with the consent of a company's directors, modify the requirements of Schedule 4 as they have effect in relation to that company by virtue of subsection (1), for the purpose of adapting them to the company's circumstances; and references above in this section to the requirements of Schedule 4 are then to be read in relation to that company as references to those requirements as modified.
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Schedule 5 has effect with respect to additional matters which must be disclosed in company accounts for a financial year; and in that Schedule, where a thing is required to be stated or shown, or information is required to be given, it means that the thing is to be stated or shown, or the information is to be given, in a note to those accounts.
In Schedule 5—
Parts I and II are concerned, respectively, with the disclosure of particulars of the company's subsidiaries and of its other shareholdings,
Part III is concerned with the disclosure of financial information relating to subsidiaries,
Part IV requires a company which is itself a subsidiary to disclose its ultimate holding company,
Part V is concerned with the emoluments of directors (including emoluments waived), pensions of directors and past directors and compensation for loss of office to directors and past directors, and
Part VI is concerned with disclosure of the number of the company's employees who are remunerated at higher rates.
Whenever it is stated in Schedule 5 that this subsection applies to certain particulars or information, it means that the particulars or information shall be annexed to the annual return first made by the company after copies of its accounts have been laid before it in general meeting; and if a company fails to satisfy an obligation thus imposed, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
It is the duty of any director of a company to give notice to the company of such matters relating to himself as may be necessary for purposes of Part V of Schedule 5 ; and this applies to persons who are or have at any time in the preceding 5 years been officers, as it applies to directors. A person who makes default in complying with this subsection is liable to a fine.
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A holding company's group accounts for a financial year shall comply with Part I of Schedule 6 (so far as applicable) as regards the disclosure of transactions, arrangements and agreements there mentioned (loans, quasi-loans and other dealings in favour of directors).
In the case of a company other than a holding company, its individual accounts shall comply with Part I of Schedule 6 (so far as applicable) as regards disclosure of those matters.
Particulars which are required by Part I of Schedule 6 to be contained in any accounts shall be given by way of notes to the accounts, and are required in respect of shadow directors as well as directors.
Where by virtue of section 229(2) or (3) a company does not prepare group accounts for a financial year, subsection (1) of this section requires disclosure of such matters in its individual accounts as would have been disclosed in group accounts.
The requirements of this section apply with such exceptions as are mentioned in Part I of Schedule 6 (including in particular exceptions for and in respect of recognised banks).
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A holding company's group accounts for a financial year shall comply with Part II of Schedule 6 (so far as applicable) as regards transactions, arrangements and agreements made by the company or a subsidiary of it for persons who at any time during that financial year were officers of the company (but not directors).
In the case of a company other than a holding company, its individual accounts shall comply with Part II of Schedule 6 (so far as applicable) as regards those matters.
Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply in relation to any transaction, arrangement or agreement made by a recognised bank for any of its officers or for any of the officers of its holding company.
Particulars required by Part II of Schedule 6 to be contained in any accounts shall be given by way of notes to the accounts.
Where by virtue of section 229(2) or (3) a company does not prepare group accounts for a financial year, subsection (1) of this section requires such matters to be stated in its individual accounts as would have been stated in group accounts.
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The group accounts of a company which is, or is the holding company of, a recognised bank, and the individual accounts of any other company which is a recognised bank, shall comply with Part III of Schedule 6 (so far as applicable) as regards transactions, arrangements and agreements made by the company preparing the accounts (if it is a recognised bank) and, in the case of a holding company, by any of its subsidiaries which is a recognised bank, for persons who at any time during the financial year were directors of the company or connected with a director of it.
Particulars required by Part III of Schedule 6 to be contained in any accounts shall be given by way of notes to those accounts, and are required in respect of shadow directors as well as directors.
Where by virtue of section 229(2) or (3) a company does not prepare group accounts for a financial year, subsection (1) of this section requires such matters to be stated in its individual accounts as would have been stated in group accounts.
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In the case of every company there shall for each financial year be prepared a report by the directors—
containing a fair review of the development of the business of the company and its subsidiaries during the financial year and of their position at the end of it, and
stating the amount (if any) which they recommend should be paid as dividend and the amount (if any) which they propose to carry to reserves.
The directors' report shall state the names of the persons who. at any time during the financial year, were directors of the company, and the principal activities of the company and its subsidiaries in the course of the year and any significant change in those activities in the year.
The report shall also state the matters, and give the particulars, required by Part I of Schedule 7 (changes in asset values, directors' shareholdings and other interests, contributions for political and charitable purposes, etc.).
Part II of Schedule 7 applies as regards the matters to be stated in the directors' report in the circumstances there specified (company acquiring its own shares or a permitted charge on them).
Parts III, IV and V of Schedule 7 apply respectively as regards the matters to be stated in the directors' report relative to the employment, training and advancement of disabled persons ; the health, safety and welfare at work of the company's employees; and the involvement of employees in the affairs, policy and performance of the company.
If the company's individual accounts are accompanied by group accounts which are special category, the directors' report shall, in addition to complying with Schedule 7, also comply with paragraphs 2 to 6 of Schedule 10 (turnover and profitability : size of labour force and wages paid).
In respect of any failure to comply with the requirements of this Act as to the matters to be stated, and the particulars to be given, in the directors' report, every person who was a director of the company immediately before the end of the relevant period (meaning whatever is under section 242 the period for laying and delivering accounts) is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine. In proceedings for an offence under this subsection, it is a defence for the person to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with the requirements in question.
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A company's auditors shall make a report to its members on the accounts examined by them, and on every balance sheet and profit and loss account, and on all group accounts, copies of which are to be laid before the company in general meeting during the auditors' tenure of office.
The auditors' report shall state—
whether in the auditors' opinion the balance sheet and profit and loss account and (if it is a holding company submitting group accounts) the group accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with this Act; and
without prejudice to the foregoing, whether in their opinion a true and fair view is given—
in the balance sheet, of the state of the company's affairs at the end of the financial year.
in the profit and loss account (if not framed as a consolidated account), of the company's profit or loss for the financial year, and
in the case of group accounts, of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and its subsidiaries dealt with by those accounts, so far as concerns members of the company.
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It is the duty of the company's auditors, in preparing their report, to carry out such investigations as will enable them to form an opinion as to the following matters—
whether proper accounting records have been kept by the company and proper returns adequate for their audit have been received from branches not visited by them,
whether the company's balance sheet and (if not consolidated) its profit and loss account are in agreement with the accounting records and returns.
If the auditors are of opinion that proper accounting records have not been kept, or that proper returns adequate for their audit have not been received from branches not visited by them, or if the balance sheet and (if not consolidated) the profit and loss account are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns, the auditors shall state that fact in their report.
Every auditor of a company has a right of access at all times to the company's books, accounts and vouchers, and is entitled to require from the company's officers such information and explanations as he thinks necessary for the performance of the auditor's duties.
If the auditors fail to obtain all the information and explanations which, to the best of their knowledge and belief, are necessary for the purposes of their audit, they shall state that fact in their report.
If the requirements of Parts V and VI of Schedule 5 and Parts I to III of Schedule 6 are not complied with in the accounts, it is the auditors' duty to include in their report, so far as they are reasonably able to do so, a statement giving the required particulars.
It is the auditors' duty to consider whether the information given in the directors' report for the financial year for which the accounts are prepared is consistent with those accounts; and if they are of opinion that it is not, they shall state that fact in their report.
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A company's balance sheet, and every copy of it which is laid before the company in general meeting or delivered to the registrar of companies, shall be signed on behalf of the board by two of the directors of the company or, if there is only one director, by that one.
If a copy of the balance sheet— the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
is laid before the company or delivered to the registrar without being signed as required by this section, or
not being a copy so laid or delivered, is issued, circulated or published in a case where the balance sheet has not been signed as so required or where (the balance sheet having been so signed) the copy does not include a copy of the signatures or signature, as the case may be,
A company's profit and loss account and, so far as not incorporated in its individual balance sheet or profit and loss account, any group accounts of a holding company shall be annexed to the balance sheet, and the auditors' report shall be attached to it.
Any accounts so annexed shall be approved by the board of directors before the balance sheet is signed on their behalf.
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the company's profit and loss account and balance sheet,
the directors' report,
the auditors' report, and
where the company has subsidiaries and section 229 applies, the company's group accounts.
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In the case of every company, a copy of the company's accounts for the financial year shall, not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting at which they are to be laid in accordance with the next section, be sent to each of the following persons—
every member of the company (whether or not entitled to receive notice of general meetings),
every holder of the company's debentures (whether or not so entitled), and
all persons other than members and debenture holders, being persons so entitled.
In the case of a company not having a share capital, subsection (1) does not require a copy of the accounts to be sent to a member of the company who is not en tided to receive notices of general meetings of the company, or to a holder of the company's debentures who is not so entitled.
Subsection (1) does not require copies of the accounts to be sent—
to a member of the company or a debenture holder, being in either case a person who is not entitled to receive notices of general meetings, and of whose address the company is unaware, or
to more than one of the joint holders of any shares or debentures none of whom are entitled to receive such notices, or
in the case of joint holders of shares or debentures some of whom are, and some not, entitled to receive such notices, to those who are not so entitled.
If copies of the accounts are sent less than 21 days before the date of the meeting, they are, notwithstanding that fact, deemed to have been duly sent if it is so agreed by all the members entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.
If default is made in complying with subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
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In respect of each financial year of a company the directors shall lay before the company in general meeting copies of the accounts of the company for that year.
The auditors' report shall be read before the company in general meeting, and be open to the inspection of any member of the company.
In respect of each financial year the directors—
shall deliver to the registrar of companies a copy of the accounts for the year, and
if any document comprised in the accounts is in a language other than English, shall annex to the copy of that document delivered a translation of it into English, certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation.
In the case of an unlimited company, the directors are not required by subsection (3) to deliver a copy of the accounts if— References here to a company that was limited at a particular time are to a body corporate (under whatever law incorporated) the liability of whose members was at that time limited.
at no time during the accounting reference period has the company been, to its knowledge, the subsidiary of a company that was then limited and at no such time, to its knowledge, have there been held or been exercisable, by or on behalf of two or more companies that were then limited, shares or powers which, if they had been held or been exercisable by one of them, would have made the company its subsidiary, and
at no such time has the company been the holding company of a company which was then limited, and
at no such time has the company been carrying on business as the promoter of a trading stamp scheme within the Trading Stamps Act 1964.
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The period allowed for laying and delivering a company's accounts for a financial year is as follows in this section, being determined by reference to the end of the relevant accounting reference period (that is, the accounting reference period in respect of which the financial year of the company is ascertained).
Subject to the following subsections, the period allowed is—
for a private company, 10 months after the end of the relevant accounting reference period, and
for a public company, 7 months after the end of that period.
If a company carries on business, or has interests, outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and in respect of a financial year the directors (before the end of the period allowed by subsection (2)) give to the registrar of companies notice in the prescribed form— the period allowed in relation to that financial year is then so extended.
stating that the company so carries on business or has such interests, and
claiming an extension of the period so allowed by a further 3 months,
Where a company's first accounting reference period— the period otherwise allowed for laying and delivering accounts is reduced by the number of days by which the relevant accounting reference period is longer than 12 months. However, the period allowed is not by this provision reduced to less than 3 months after the end of that accounting reference period.
begins on the date of its incorporation, and
is a period of more than 12 months,
Where a company's relevant accounting reference period has been shortened under section 226 (in consequence of notice by the company under section 225), the period allowed for laying and delivering accounts is— whichever of those periods last expires.
the period allowed in accordance with subsections (2) to (4) above, or
the period of 3 months beginning with the date of the notice under section 225,
If for any special reason the Secretary of State thinks fit to do so, he may by notice in writing to a company extend, by such further period as may be specified in the notice, the period otherwise allowed for laying and delivering accounts for any financial year of the company.
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If for a financial year of a company any of the requirements of section 241(1) or (3) is not complied with before the end of the period allowed for laying and delivering accounts, every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of the company is, in respect of each of those subsections which is not so complied with, guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and. for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a person is charged with that offence in respect of any of the requirements of section 241(1) or (3), it is a defence for him to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing that those requirements would be complied with before the end of the period allowed for laying and delivering accounts.
If in respect of the company's financial year any of the requirements of section 241(3) is not complied with before the end of the period allowed for laying and delivering accounts, the company is liable to a penalty, recoverable in civil proceedings by the Secretary of State.
The amount of the penalty is determined by reference to the length of the period between the end of the accounting reference period and the earliest day by which all those requirements have been complied with, and is—
£20 where the period Ls not more than one month,
£50 where the period is more than 1 month but not more than 3 months,
£100 where the period is more than 3 months but not more than 6 months,
£200 where the period is more than 6 months but not more than 12 months, and
£450 where the period is more than 12 months.
In proceedings under this section with respect to a requirement to lay a copy of a document before a company in general meeting, or to deliver a copy of a document to the registrar of companies, it is not a defence to prove that the document in question was not in fact prepared as required by this Part.
Subsections (3) and (4) of this section do not come into force unless and until made to do so by an order of the Secretary of State in a statutory instrument.
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If— the court may, on application by any member or creditor of the company, or by the registrar of companies, make an order directing the directors (or any of them) to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order.
in respect of a company's financial year any of the requirements of section 241(3) has not been complied with before the end of the period allowed for laying and delivering accounts, and
the directors of the company fail to make good the default within 14 days after the service of a notice on them requiring compliance,
The court's order may provide that all costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the directors.
Nothing in this section prejudices section 243.
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If any accounts of a company of which a copy is laid before the company in general meeting or delivered to the registrar of companies do not comply with the requirements of this Act as to the matters to be included in, or in a note to, those accounts, every person who at the time when the copy is so laid or delivered is a director of the company is guilty of an offence and, in respect of each offence, liable to a fine. This subsection does not apply to a company's group accounts.
If any group accounts of which a copy is laid before a company in general meeting or delivered to the registrar of companies do not comply with section 229(5) to (7) or section 230, and with the other requirements of this Act as to the matters to be included in or in a note to those accounts, every person who at the time when the copy was so laid or delivered was a director of the company is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
In proceedings against a person for an offence under this section, it is a defence for him to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with the requirements in question.
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Any member of a company, whether or not he is entitled to have sent to him copies of the company's accounts, and any holder of the company's debentures (whether or not so entitled) is entitled to be furnished (on demand and without charge) with a copy of its last accounts.
If, when a person makes a demand for a document with which he is entitled by this section to be furnished, default is made in complying with the demand within 7 days after its making, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine (unless it is proved that the person has already made a demand for, and been furnished with, a copy of the document).
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In certain cases a company's directors may, in accordance with Part I of Schedule 8, deliver modified accounts in respect of a financial year; and whether they may do so depends on the company qualifying, in particular financial years, as small or medium-sized.
Modified accounts for a financial year may not be delivered in the case of a company which is, or was at any time in that year—
a public company,
a special category company (Chapter II of this Part), or
subject to the next-but-one subsection, a member of a group which is ineligible for this purpose.
" Group " here means a holding company and its subsidiaries together; and a group is ineligible if any of its members is—
a public company or a special category company, or
a body corporate (other than a company) which has power under its constitution to offer its snares or debentures to the public and may lawfully exercise that power, or
a body corporate (other than a company) which is either a recognised bank or licensed institution within the Banking Act 1979 or an insurance company to which Part II of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 applies.
Notwithstanding subsection (2)(c), modified accounts for a financial year may be delivered if the company is exempt under section 252 (dormant companies) from the obligation to appoint auditors and either—
was so exempt throughout that year, or
became so exempt by virtue of a special resolution under that section passed during that year.
For purposes of sections 247 to 250 and Schedule 8, " deliver " means deliver to the registrar of companies under this Chapter; and for purposes of subsection (3)(b), " shares " and " debentures " have the same meaning as when used in relation to a company.
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A company qualifies as small in a financial year if for that year two or more of the following conditions are satisfied—
the amount of its turnover for the year is not more than £1.4 million;
its balance sheet total is not more than £700.000;
the average number of persons employed by the company in the year (determined on a weekly basis) does not exceed 50.
A company qualifies as medium-sized in a financial year if for that year two or more of the following conditions are satisfied—
the amount of its turnover for the year is not more than £5.75 million;
its balance sheet total is not more than £2.8 million;
the average number of persons employed by the company in the year (determined on a weekly basis) does not exceed 250.
In subsections (1) and (2), "balance sheet total" means, in relation to a company's financial year—
where in the company's accounts Format I of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of Schedule 4 is adopted, the aggregate of the amounts shown in the balance sheet under the headings corresponding to items A to D in that Format, and
where Format 2 is adopted, the aggregate of the amounts shown under the general heading " Assets ".
The average number of persons employed as mentioned in subsections (1)(c) and (2)(c) is determined by applying the method of calculation prescribed by paragraph 56(2) and (3) of Schedule 4 for determining the number required by sub-paragraph (1)(a) of that paragraph to be stated in a note to the company's accounts.
In applying subsections (1) and (2) to a period which is a company's financial year but not in fact a year, the maximum figures for turnover in paragraph (a) of each subsection are to be proportionately adjusted.
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This section specifies the cases in which a company's directors may (subject to section 250, where the company has subsidiaries) deliver individual accounts modified as for a small or a medium-sized company; and Part I of Schedule 8 applies with respect to the deliver)' of accounts so modified.
In respect of the company's first financial year the directors may—
deliver accounts modified as for a small company, if in that year it qualifies as small,
deliver accounts modified as for a medium-sized company, if in that year it qualifies as medium-sized.
The next three subsections are concerned only with a company's financial year subsequent to the first.
The directors may in respect of a financial year—
deliver accounts modified as for a small company if in that year the company qualifies as small and it also so qualified in the preceding year,
deliver accounts modified as for a medium-sized company if in that year the company qualifies as medium-sized and it also so qualified in the preceding year.
The directors may in respect of a financial year—
deliver accounts modified as for a small company (al though not qualifying in that year as small), if in the preceding year it so qualified and the directors were entitled to deliver accounts so modified in respect of that year, and
deliver accounts modified as for a medium-sized company (although not qualifying in that year as medium-sized), if in the preceding year it so qualified and the directors were entitled to deliver accounts so modified in respect of that year.
The directors may in respect of a financial year—
deliver accounts modified as for a small company, if in that year the company qualifies as small and the directors were entitled under subsection (5)(a) to deliver accounts so modified for the preceding year (although the company did not in that year qualify as small), and
deliver accounts modified as for a medium-sized company if in that year the company qualifies as medium-sized and the directors were entitled under subsection (5)(b) to deliver accounts so modified for the preceding year (although the company did not in that year qualify as medium-sized).
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This section applies to a company (" the holding company ") where in respect of a financial year section 229 requires the preparation of group accounts for the company and its subsidiaries.
The directors of the holding company may not under section 249— and the group is small or medium-sized if it would so qualify under section 248 (applying that section as directed by subsections (3) and (4) below), if it were all one company.
deliver accounts modified as for a small company, un less the group (meaning the holding company and its subsidiaries together) is in that year a small group,
deliver accounts modified as for a medium-sized company, unless in that year the group is medium-sized ;
The figures to be taken into account in determining whether the group is small or medium-sized (or neither) are the group account figures, that is— aggregated in either case with the relevant figures for the subsidiaries (if any) omitted from the group accounts (excepting those for any subsidiary omitted under section 229(3)(a) on the ground of impracticability).
where the group accounts are prepared as consolidated accounts, the figures for turnover, balance sheet total and numbers employed which are shown in those accounts, and
where not, the corresponding figures given in the group accounts, with such adjustment as would have been made if the accounts had been prepared in consolidated form,
In the case of each subsidiary omitted from the group accounts, the figures relevant as regards turnover, balance sheet total and numbers employed are those which are included in the accounts of that subsidiary prepared in respect of its relevant financial year (with such adjustment as would have been made if those figures had been included in group accounts prepared in consolidated form).
For the purposes of subsection (4), the relevant financial year of the subsidiary is—
if its financial year ends with that of the holding company to which the group accounts relate, that financial year, and
if not, the subsidiary's financial year ending last before the end of the financial year of the holding company.
If the directors are entitled to deliver modified accounts (whether as for a small or a medium-sized company), they may also deliver modified group accounts; and this means that the group accounts— and Part III of the Schedule applies to modified group accounts, whether consolidated or not.
if consolidated, may be in accordance with Part II of Schedule 8 (while otherwise comprising or corresponding with group accounts prepared under section 229). and
if not consolidated, may be such as (together with any notes) give the same or equivalent information as required by paragraph (a) above;
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The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument modify the provisions of sections 247(1) to (3), 248 to 250 and Schedule 8 ; and those provisions then apply as modified by regulations for the time being in force.
Regulations under this section reducing the classes of companies which have the benefit of those provisions, or rendering the requirements of those provisions more onerous, shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument containing the regulations has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
Otherwise, a statutory instrument containing such regulations is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House.
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In certain circumstances a company may, with a view to the subsequent laying and delivery of unaudited accounts, pass a special resolution making itself exempt from the obligation to appoint auditors as otherwise required by section 384.
Such a resolution may be passed at a general meeting of the company at which its accounts for a financial year are laid as required by section 241 (if it is not a year for which the directors are required to lay group accounts); but the following conditions must be satisfied—
the directors must be entitled under section 249 to deliver, in respect of that financial year, accounts modified as for a small company (or would be so entitled but for the company being, or having at any time in the financial year been, a member of an ineligible group within section 247 (3)), and
the company must have been dormant since the end of the financial year.
A company may by such a resolution make itself exempt from the obligation to appoint auditors if the resolution is passed at some time before the first general meeting of the company at which accounts are laid as required by section 241, provided that the company has been dormant from the time of its formation until the resolution is passed.
A company may not under subsection (3) pass such a resolution if it is a public company or a special category company.
For purposes of this and the next section, a company is " dormant" during any period in which no transaction occurs which is for the company a significant accounting transaction; and—
this means a transaction which is required by section 221 to be entered in the company's accounting records (disregarding any which arises from the taking of shares in the company by a subscriber to the memorandum in pursuance of an undertaking of his hi the memorandum), and
a company which has been dormant for any period ceases to be so on the occurrence of any such transaction.
A company which has under this section made itself exempt from the obligation to appoint auditors loses that exemption if—
it ceases to be dormant, or
it would no longer qualify (for any other reason) to exclude that obligation by passing a resolution under this section.
Where the exemption is lost, the directors may, at any time before the next meeting of the company at which accounts are to be laid, appoint an auditor or auditors, to hold office until the conclusion of that meeting; and if they fail to exercise that power, the company in general meeting may exercise it
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The following applies in respect of a company's accounts for a financial year if the company is exempt under section 252 from the obligation to appoint auditors and either—
was so exempt throughout that year, or
became so exempt by virtue of a special resolution passed during that year, and retained the exemption until the end of that year.
A report by the company's auditors need not be included (as otherwise required by preceding provisions of this Chapter) with the accounts laid before the company in general meeting and delivered to the registrar of companies.
If the auditors' report is omitted from the accounts so delivered, then—
the balance sheet shall contain a statement by the directors (in a position immediately above their signatures to the balance sheet) that the company was dormant throughout the financial year, and
if the accounts delivered to the registrar are modified as permitted by sections 247 to 249—
the modified balance sheet need not contain the statement otherwise required by paragraph 9 of Schedule 8, and
the modified accounts need not include the special report of the auditors otherwise required by paragraph 10 of that Schedule.
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This section applies to the publication by a company of full individual or group accounts, that is to say the accounts required by section 241 to be laid before the company in general meeting and delivered to the registrar of companies (including the directors' report, unless dispensed with under paragraph 3 of Schedule 8).
If a company publishes individual accounts (modified or other) for a financial year, it shall publish with them the relevant auditors' report.
If a company required by section 229 to prepare group accounts for a financial year publishes individual accounts for that year, it shall also publish with them its group accounts (which may be modified accounts, but only if the individual accounts are modified).
If a company publishes group accounts (modified or other), otherwise than together with its individual accounts, it shall publish with them the relevant auditors' report.
References above to the relevant auditors' report are to the auditors' report under section 236 or, in the case of modified accounts (individual or group), the auditors' special report under paragraph 10 of Schedule 8.
A company which contravenes any provision of this section, and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine.
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This section applies to the publication by a company of abridged accounts, that is to say any balance sheet or profit and loss account relating to a financial year of the company or purporting to deal with any such financial year, otherwise than as part of full accounts (individual or group) to which section 254 applies.
The reference above to a balance sheet or profit and loss account, in relation to accounts published by a holding company, includes an account in any form purporting to be a balance sheet or profit and loss account for the group consisting of the holding company and its subsidiaries.
If the company publishes abridged accounts, it shall publish with those accounts a statement indicating—
that the accounts are not full accounts,
whether full individual or full group accounts (according as the abridged accounts deal solely with the company's own affairs or with the affairs of the company and any subsidiaries) have been delivered to the registrar of companies or, in the case of an unlimited company exempt under section 241(4) from the requirement to deliver accounts, that the company is so exempt,
whether the company's auditors have made a report under section 236 on the company's accounts for any financial year with which the abridged accounts purport to deal, and
whether any report so made was unqualified (meaning that it was a report, without qualification, to the effect that in the opinion of the person making it the company's accounts had been properly prepared).
Where a company publishes abridged accounts, it shall not publish with those accounts any such report of the auditors as is mentioned in subsection (3)(c).
A company which contravenes any provision of this section, and any officer of it who is in default, is liable to a fine.
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The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument—
add to the classes of documents— and make provision as to the matters to be included in any document to be added to either class;
to be comprised in a company's accounts for a financial year to be laid before the company in general meeting as required by section 241, or
to be delivered to the registrar of companies under that section,
modify the requirements of this Act as to the matters to be stated in a document of any such class;
reduce the classes of documents to be delivered to the registrar of companies under section 241.
In particular, the Secretary of State may by such regulations alter or add to the requirements of Schedule 4 and Schedule 9 (special category companies); and any reference in this Act to a provision of it then refers to that provision as it has effect subject to regulations in force under this section.
Where regulations made under subsection (1)(a) add to either class of documents there mentioned documents dealing with the state of affairs and profit or loss of a company and other bodies, the regulations may also—
extend the provisions of this Act relating to group ac counts (or such of those provisions as may be specified) to such documents,
exempt that company from the requirement to prepare group accounts in respect of any period for which it has prepared such a document.
Regulations under this section may make different provision for different cases or classes of case, and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
Regulations under subsection (1)(a), or extending the classes of company to which any requirement mentioned in subsection (1)(b) applies or rendering those requirements more onerous, shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
Otherwise, a statutory instrument containing such regulations is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House.
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For purposes of this Act, " special category companies" are banking companies, shipping companies and insurance companies; and—
" banking company" means a company which is a recognised bank for the purposes of the Banking Act 1979 or is a licensed institution within that Act;
" insurance company " means an insurance company to which Part II of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 applies; and
" shipping company " means a company which, or a subsidiary of which, owns ships or includes among its activities the management or operation of ships and which satisfies the Secretary of State that it ought in the national interest to be treated under this Part of this Act as a shipping company.
Except as otherwise provided below, Chapter I of this Part applies to a special category company and its accounts as it applies to, and to the accounts of, any other company.
The individual accounts of a special category company, and the group accounts of a holding company which is, or has as its subsidiary, a special category company, may be prepared under this Chapter and not under Chapter I, and contain a statement that they are so prepared ; and a reference in this Act to a company's accounts (individual or group) being " special category " is to their being so prepared and containing that statement.
Subject as follows, a reference in any enactment or other document to section 228 or 230 of this Act or to Schedule 4 is, in relation to special category accounts, to be read as a reference to section 258 or 259 or Schedule 9 (as the case may require); but this is subject to any contrary context
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Where a company's individual accounts are special category, section 228 and Schedule 4 do not apply, but—
the balance sheet shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year, and
the profit and loss account shall give a true and fair view of the company's profit or loss for the financial year.
The balance sheet and profit and loss account shall comply with the requirements of Schedule 9, so far as applicable.
Except as expressly provided by this section or Part III of Schedule 9, the requirements of subsection (2) and that Schedule are without prejudice to the general requirements of subsection (1) or to any other requirements of this Act.
The Secretary of State may, on the application or with the consent of the company's directors, modify in relation to that company any of the requirements of this Chapter as to the matters to be stated in a company's balance sheet or profit and loss account (except the requirements of subsection (1) above), for the purpose of adapting them to the circumstances of the company.
So much of subsections (1) and (2) as relates to the profit and loss account does not apply if—
the company has subsidiaries, and
the profit and loss account is framed as a consolidated account dealing with all or any of the company's subsidiaries as well as the company and—
complies with the requirements of this Act relating to consolidated profit and loss accounts (as those requirements apply in the case of special category companies), and
shows how much of the consolidated profit or loss for the financial year is dealt with in the company's accounts.
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Where a holding company's group accounts are special category, those accounts shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and the subsidiaries dealt with by those accounts as a whole, so far as concerns members of the company.
Where the financial year of a subsidiary does not coincide with that of the holding company, the group accounts shall (unless the Secretary of State on the application or with the consent of the holding company's directors otherwise directs) deal with the subsidiary's state of affairs as at the end of its relevant financial year, that is— and with the subsidiary's profit or loss for its relevant financial year.
if its financial year ends with that of the holding company, that financial year, and
if not, the subsidiary's financial year ending last before the end of the financial year of the holding company dealt with in the group accounts,
Without prejudice to subsection (1), the group accounts, if prepared as consolidated accounts, shall comply with the requirements of Schedule 9 (so far as applicable), and if not so prepared shall give the same or equivalent information.
However, the Secretary of State may, on the application or with the consent of the holding company's directors, modify the requirements of Schedule 9 in relation to that company for the purpose of adapting them to the company's circumstances.
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In Schedule 5 (matters to be dealt with in notes to accounts)— do not apply in the case of special category accounts.
paragraph 8 in Part II (disclosure of shareholdings in other bodies corporate, not being subsidiaries), and
Part III (financial information about subsidiaries),
Where an item is given in a note to special category accounts, to comply with Part V or VI of Schedule 5 (directors' emoluments, pensions etc.; emoluments of higher-paid employees), the corresponding amount for the immediately preceding financial year shall be included in the note.
If a person, being a director of a company preparing special category accounts, fails to take all reasonable steps to secure compliance with subsection (2), he is in respect of each offence liable to a fine; but in proceedings against a person for that offence it is a defence to prove that he had reasonable ground to believe, and did believe, that a competent and reliable person was charged with the duty of seeing that subsection (2) was complied with and was in a position to discharge that duty.
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Where a company's individual accounts are special category, the following applies with respect to the directors' report accompanying the accounts.
Paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 235(1) do not apply as regards the contents of the report; but the report shall deal with the company's state of affairs, the amount (if any) which the directors recommend should be paid as dividend, and the amount (if any) which they propose to carry to reserves (within the meaning of Schedule 9).
Information which is otherwise required to be given in the accounts, and allowed to be given in a statement annexed, may be given in the directors' report instead of in the accounts. If any information is so given, the report is treated as forming part of the accounts for the purposes of audit, except that the auditors shall report on it only so far as it gives that information.
Where advantage is taken of subsection (3) to show an item in the directors' report instead of in the accounts, the report shall also show the corresponding amount for (or, as the case may require, as at the end of) the immediately preceding financial year of that item, except where the amount would not have had to be shown had the item been shown in the accounts.
Schedule 7 applies to the directors' report only in respect of the matters to be stated, and the information to be given, under paragraphs 1 to 5 (but excluding paragraph 2(3)) and 9, 10 and 11 ; and paragraph 1 of the Schedule does not apply if the company has the benefit of any provision of Part III of Schedule 9.
The report shall, in addition to complying with those paragraphs of Schedule 7, also comply with Schedule 10. where and so far as applicable (disclosure of recent share and debenture issues; turnover and profitability ; size of labour force and wages paid; and other general matters); but in that Schedule, paragraphs 2 to 4 and 6 do not apply to a directors' report attached to any accounts unless the documents required to be comprised in those accounts include group accounts which are special category.
Section 237(6) does not apply.
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The following applies where a company is entitled to avail itself, and has availed itself, of the benefit of any of the provisions of Part III of Schedule 9
In that case section 236(2) does not apply ; and the auditors' report shall state whether in their opinion the company's balance sheet and profit and loss account and (if it is a holding company submitting group accounts) the group accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with this Act.
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A company shall not make a distribution except out of profits available for the purpose.
In this Part, " distribution " means every description of distribution of a company's assets to its members, whether in cash or otherwise, except distribution by way of—
an issue of shares as fully or partly paid bonus shares,
the redemption or purchase of any of the company's own shares out of capital (including the proceeds of any fresh issue of shares) or out of unrealised profits in accordance with Chapter VII of Part V,
the reduction of share capital by extinguishing or reducing the liability of any of the members on any of the company's shares in respect of share capital not paid up, or by paying off paid up share capital, and
a distribution of assets to members of the company on its winding up.
For purposes of this Part, a company's profits available for distribution are its accumulated, realised profits, so far as not previously utilised by distribution or capitalisation, less its accumulated, realised losses, so far as not previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made. This is subject to the provision made by sections 265 and 266 for investment and other companies.
A company shall not apply an unrealised profit in paying up debentures, or any amounts unpaid on its issued shares.
Where the directors of a company are, after making all reasonable enquiries, unable to determine whether a particular profit made before 22nd December 1980 is realised or unrealised, they may treat the profit as realised; and where after making such enquiries they are unable to determine whether a particular loss so made is realised or unrealised, they may treat the loss as unrealised.
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A public company may only make a distribution at any time— This is subject to the provision made by sections 265 and 266 for investment and other companies.
if at that time the amount of its net assets is not less than the aggregate of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves, and
if, and to the extent that, the distribution does not reduce the amount of those assets to less than that aggregate.
In subsection (1), " net assets " means the aggregate of the company's assets less the aggregate of its liabilities (" liabilities " to include any provision for liabilities or charges within paragraph 89 of Schedule 4).
A company's undistributable reserves are— and paragraph (c) applies to every description of capitalisation except a transfer of profits of the company to its capital redemption reserve on or after 22nd December 1980.
the share premium account,
the capital redemption reserve,
the amount by which the company's accumulated, un realised profits, so far as not previously utilised by capitalisation of a description to which this paragraph applies, exceed its accumulated, unrealised losses (so far as not previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made), and
any other reserve which the company is prohibited from distributing by any enactment (other than one contained in this Part) or by its memorandum or articles;
A public company shall not include any uncalled share capital as an asset in any accounts relevant for purposes of this section.
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Subject to the following provisions of this section, an investment company (defined in section 266) may also make a distribution at any time out of its accumulated, realised revenue profits, so far as not previously utilised by distribution or capitalisation, less its accumulated revenue losses (whether realised or unrealised), so far as not previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made—
if at that time the amount of its assets is at least equal to one and a half times the aggregate of its liabilities, and
if, and to the extent that, the distribution does not reduce that amount to less than one and a half times that aggregate.
In subsection (1)(a), "liabilities" includes any provision for liabilities or charges (within the meaning of paragraph 89 of Schedule 4).
The company shall not include any uncalled share capital as an asset in any accounts relevant for purposes of this section.
An investment company may not make a distribution by virtue of subsection (1) unless—
its shares are listed on a recognised stock exchange, and
during the relevant period it has not—
distributed any of its capital profits, or
applied any unrealised profits or any capital profits (realised or unrealised) in paying up debentures or amounts unpaid on its issued shares.
The " relevant period " under subsection (4) is the period beginning with— and ending with the date of the distribution.
the first day of the accounting reference period immediately preceding that in which the proposed distribution is to be made, or
where the distribution is to be made in the company's first accounting reference period, the first day of that period,
An investment company may not make a distribution by virtue of subsection (1) unless the company gave to the registrar of companies the requisite notice (that is, notice under section 266(1)) of the company's intention to carry on business as an investment company—
before the beginning of the relevant period under subsection (4), or
in the case of a company incorporated on or after 22nd December 1980, as soon as may have been reasonably practicable after the date of its incorporation.
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In section 265 "investment company" means a public company which has given notice in the prescribed form (which has not been revoked) to the registrar of companies of its intention to carry on business as an investment company, and has since the date of that notice complied with the requirements specified below.
Those requirements are—
that the business of the company consists of investing its funds mainly in securities, with the aim of spreading investment risk and giving members of the company the benefit of the results of the management of its funds,
that none of the company's holdings in companies (other than those which are for the time being in investment companies) represents more than 15 per cent, by value of the investing company's investments,
that distribution of the company's capital profits is prohibited by its memorandum or articles of association,
that the company has not retained, otherwise than in compliance with this Part, in respect of any accounting reference period more than 15 per cent, of the income it derives from securities.
Notice to the registrar of companies under subsection (1) may be revoked at any time by the company on giving notice in the prescribed form to the registrar that it no longer wishes to be an investment company within the meaning of this section; and, on giving such notice, the company ceases to be such a company.
Section 359(2) and (3) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 and section 93(6)(b) of the Finance Act 1972 apply for purposes of subsection (2)(b) as for those of section 359(1)(b) of the Act first mentioned.
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The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument extend the provisions of sections 265 and 266 (with or without modifications) to companies whose principal business consists of investing their funds in securities, land or other assets with the aim of spreading investment risk and giving their members the benefit of the results of the management of the assets.
Regulations under this section—
may make different provision for different classes of companies and may contain such transitional and supplemental provisions as the Secretary of State considers necessary, and
shall not be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing them has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
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Where an insurance company to which Part II of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 applies carries on long term business— are to be (respectively) treated, for purposes of this Part, as a realised profit and a realised loss ; and. subject to this, any profit or loss arising in that business is to be left out of account for those purposes.
any amount properly transferred to the profit and loss account of the company from a surplus in the fund or funds maintained by it in respect of that business, and
any deficit in that fund or those funds,
In subsection (1)—
the reference to a surplus in any fund or funds of an insurance company is to an excess of the assets representing that fund or those funds over the liabilities of the company attributable to its long term business, as shown by an actuarial investigation, and
the reference to a deficit in any such fund or funds is to the excess of those liabilities over those assets, as so shown.
In this section—
" actuarial investigation" means an investigation to which section 18 of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 (periodic actuarial investigation of company with long term business) applies or which is made in pursuance of a requirement imposed by section 42 of that Act (actuarial investigation required by Secretary of State); and
"long term business" has the same meaning as in that Act.
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Subject as follows, where development costs are shown as an asset in a company's accounts, any amount shown in respect of those costs is to be treated—
under section 263, as a realised loss, and
under section 265, as a realised revenue loss.
This does not apply to any part of that amount representing an unrealised profit made on revaluation of those costs ; nor does it apply if—
there are special circumstances in the company's case justifying the directors in deciding that the amount there mentioned is not to be treated as required by subsection (1), and
the note to the accounts required by paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 (reasons for showing development costs as an asset) states that the amount is not to be so treated and explains the circumstances relied upon to justify the decision of the directors to that effect.
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This section and sections 271 to 276 below are for determining the question whether a distribution may be made by a company without contravening sections 263, 264 or 265.
The amount of a distribution which may be made is determined by reference to the following items as stated in the company's accounts—
profits, losses, assets and liabilities,
provisions of any of the kinds mentioned in paragraphs 88 and 89 of Schedule 4 (depreciation, diminution in value of assets, retentions to meet liabilities, etc.), and
share capital and reserves (including undistributable reserves).
Except in a case falling within the next subsection, the company's accounts which are relevant for this purpose are its last annual accounts, that is to say those prepared under Part VII which were laid in respect of the last preceding accounting reference period in respect of which accounts so prepared were laid; and for this purpose accounts are laid if section 241 (1) has been complied with in relation to them.
In the following two cases— the accounts relevant under this section (called " interim accounts" in the first case, and "initial accounts" in the second) are those necessary to enable a reasonable judgment to be made as to the amounts of the items mentioned in subsection (2) above.
where the distribution would be found to contravene the relevant section if reference were made only to the company's last annual accounts, or
where the distribution is proposed to be declared during the company's first accounting reference period, or before any accounts are laid in respect of that period,
The relevant section is treated as contravened in the case of a distribution unless the statutory requirements about the relevant accounts (that is, the requirements of this and the following three sections, as and where applicable) are complied with in relation to that distribution.
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If the company's last annual accounts constitute the only accounts relevant under section 270, the statutory requirements in respect of them are as follows.
The accounts must have been properly prepared in accordance with this Act, or have been so prepared subject only to matters which are not material for determining, by reference to items mentioned in section 270(2), whether the distribution would contravene the relevant section ; and, without prejudice to the foregoing—
so much of the accounts as consists of a balance sheet must give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at the balance sheet date, and
so much of the accounts as consists of a profit and loss account must give a true and fair view of the company's profit or loss for the period in respect of which the accounts were prepared.
The auditors must have made their report on the accounts under section 236; and the following subsection applies if the report is a qualified report, that is to say, it is not a report without qualification to the effect that in the auditors' opinion the accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with this Act.
The auditors must in that case also have stated in writing (either at the time of their report or subsequently) whether, in their opinion, the matter in respect of which their report is qualified is material for determining, by reference to items mentioned in section 270(2), whether the distribution would contravene the relevant section ; and a copy of the statement must have been laid before the company in general meeting.
A statement under subsection (4) suffices for purposes of a particular distribution not only if it relates to a distribution which has been proposed but also if it relates to distributions of any description which includes that particular distribution, notwithstanding that at the time of the statement it has not been proposed.
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The following are the statutory requirements in respect of interim accounts prepared for a proposed distribution by a public company.
The accounts must have been properly prepared, or have been so prepared subject only to matters which are not material for determining, by reference to items mentioned in section 270(2), whether the proposed distribution would contravene the relevant section.
" Properly prepared " means that the accounts must comply with section 228 (applying that section and Schedule 4 with such modifications as are necessary because the accounts are prepared otherwise than in respect of an accounting reference period) and any balance sheet comprised in the accounts must have been signed in accordance with section 238 ; and, without prejudice to the foregoing—
so much of the accounts as consists of a balance sheet must give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at the balance sheet date, and
so much of the accounts as consists of a profit and loss account must give a true and fair view of the company's profit or loss for the period in respect of which the accounts were prepared.
A copy of the accounts must have been delivered to the registrar of companies.
If the accounts are in a language other than English and section 241(3)(b) (translation) does not apply, a translation into English of the accounts, certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation, must also have been delivered to the registrar.
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The following are the statutory requirements in respect of initial accounts prepared for a proposed distribution by a public company.
The accounts must have been properly prepared, or they must have been so prepared subject only to matters which are not material for determining, by reference to items mentioned in section 270(2), whether the proposed distribution would contravene the relevant section.
Section 272(3) applies as respects the meaning of " properly prepared ".
The company's auditors must have made a report stating whether, in their opinion, the accounts have been properly prepared : and the following subsection applies if their report is a qualified report, that is to say it is not a report without qualification to the effect that in the auditors' opinion the accounts have been so prepared.
The auditors must in that case also have stated in writing whether, in their opinion, the matter in respect of which their report is qualified is material for determining, by reference to items mentioned in section 270(2), whether the distribution would contravene the relevant section.
A copy of the accounts, of the auditors' report under subsection (4) and of the auditors' statement (if any) under subsection (5) must have been delivered to the registrar of companies.
If the accounts are. or the auditors' report under subsection (4) or their statement (if any) under subsection (5) is. in a language other than English and section 241(3)(b) (translation) does not apply, a translation into English of the accounts, the report or the statement (as the case may be), certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation, must also have been delivered to the registrar.
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For the purpose of determining by reference to particular accounts whether a proposed distribution may be made by a company, section 270 has effect, in a case where one or more distributions have already been made in pursuance of determinations made by reference to those same accounts, as if the amount of the proposed distribution was increased by the amount of the distributions so made.
Subsection (1) of this section applies (if it would not otherwise do so) to— being financial assistance given or payment made since the relevant accounts were prepared, as if any such financial assistance or payment were a distribution already made in pursuance of a determination made by reference to those accounts.
financial assistance lawfully given by a public company out of its distributable profits in a case where the assistance is required to be so given by section 154.
financial assistance lawfully given by a private company out of its distributable profits in a case where the assistance is required to be so given by section 155(2).
financial assistance given by a company in contravention of section 151. in a case where the giving of that assistance reduces the company's net assets or increases its net liabilities,
a payment made by a company in respect of the purchase by it of shares in the company (except a payment lawfully made otherwise than out of distributable profits), and
a payment of any description specified in section 168 (company's purchase of right to acquire its own shares, etc.),
In this section the following definitions apply—
General rules
Raw materials and consumables
Other external charges
(see note (14) below)
In respect of each item which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown under the general item “fixed assets” in the company’s balance sheet the following information shall be given— The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(a) to the appropriate amounts in respect of any item as at any date there mentioned is a reference to amounts representing the aggregate amounts determined, as at that date, in respect of assets falling to be included under that item on either of the following bases, that is to say— (leaving out of account in either case any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value). In respect of each item within sub-paragraph (1)— shall also be stated.
The amount of any provision for deferred taxation shall be stated separately from the amount of any provision for other taxation. Details of indebtedness
Particulars shall be given of any case where the purchase price or production cost of any asset is for the first time determined under paragraph 28. Where any outstanding loans made under the authority of section 153(4)(b) , (bb) or (c) or section 155 of this Act (various cases of financial assistance by a company for purchase of its own shares) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet, the aggregate amount of those loans shall be disclosed for each item in question. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where any fixed assets of the company (other than listed investments) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet at an amount determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 31, the following information shall be given—
the years (so far as they are known to the directors) in which the assets were severally valued and the several values; and
in the case of assets that have been valued during the financial year, the names of the persons who valued them or particulars of their qualifications for doing so and (whichever is stated) the bases of valuation used by them.
In relation to any amount which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown in respect of the item “land and buildings” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated—
how much of that amount is ascribable to land of freehold tenure and how much to land of leasehold tenure; and
how much of the amout ascribable to land of leasehold tenure is ascribable to land held on long lease and how much to land held on short lease. Investments
Subsections (2) and (3) of this section are deemed to be included in Chapter VII of Part V for purposes of the Secretary of State's power to make regulations under section 179.
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For purposes of sections 263 and 264, a provision of any kind mentioned in paragraphs 88 and 89 of Schedule 4, other than one in respect of a diminution in value of a fixed asset appearing on a revaluation of all the fixed assets of the company, or of all of its fixed assets other than goodwill, is treated as a realised loss.
If, on the revaluation of a fixed asset, an unrealised profit is shown to have been made and, on or after the revaluation, a sum is written off or retained for depreciation of that asset over a period, then an amount equal to the amount by which that sum exceeds the sum which would have been so written off or retained for the depreciation of that asset over that period, if that profit had not been made, is treated for purposes of sections 263 and 264 as a realised profit made over that period.
Where there is no record of the original cost of an asset, or a record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, then for the purpose of determining whether the company has made a profit or loss in respect of that asset, its cost is taken to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition by the company.
Subject to subsection (6), any consideration by the directors of the value at a particular time of a fixed asset is treated as a revaluation of the asset for the purposes of determining whether any such revaluation of the company's fixed assets as is required for purposes of the exception from subsection (1) has taken place at that time.
But where any such assets which have not actually been revalued are treated as revalued for those purposes under subsection (4), that exception applies only if the directors are satisfied that their aggregate value at the time in question is not less than the aggregate amount at which they are for the time being stated in the company's accounts.
Where section 271(2). 272(2) or 273(2) applies to the relevant accounts, subsections (4) and (5) above do not apply for the purpose of determining whether a revaluation of the company's fixed assets affecting the amount of the relevant items (that is. the items mentioned in section 270(2)) as stated in those accounts has taken place, unless it is stated in a note to the accounts—
that the directors have considered the value at any time of any fixed assets of the company, without actually revaluing those assets,
that they are satisfied that the aggregate value of those assets at the time in question is or was not less than the aggregate amount at which they are or were for the time being stated in the company's accounts, and
that the relevant items in question are accordingly stated in the relevant accounts on the basis that a revaluation of the company's fixed assets which by virtue of subsections (4) and (5) included the assets in question took place at that time.
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for the purpose of determining the lawfulness of the distribution in accordance with this Part (whether before or after the distribution takes place), and
for the purpose of the application of paragraphs 12(a) and 34(4)(b) of Schedule 4 (only realised profits to be included in or transferred to the profit and loss account) in relation to anything done with a view to or in connection with the making of that distribution.
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Where a distribution, or part of one, made by a company to one of its members is made in contravention of this Part and, at the time of the distribution, he knows or has reasonable grounds for believing that it is so made, he is liable to repay it (or that part of it, as the case may be) to the company or (in the case of a distribution made otherwise than in cash) to pay the company a sum equal to the value of the distribution (or part) at that time.
The above is without prejudice to any obligation imposed apart from this section on a member of a company to repay a distribution unlawfully made to him; but this section does not apply in relation to—
financial assistance given by a company in contravention of section 151, or
any payment made by a company in respect of the redemption or purchase by the company of shares in itself.
Subsection (2) of this section is deemed included in Chapter VII of Part V for purposes of the Secretary of State's power to make regulations under section 179.
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The following has effect for the interpretation of this Part.
" Capitalisation", in relation to a company's profits, means any of the following operations (whenever carried out)—
applying the profits in wholly or partly paying up un issued shares in the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully or partly paid bonus shares, or
transferring the profits to capital redemption reserve.
References to profits and losses of any description are (respectively) to profits and losses of that description made at any time and, except where the context otherwise requires, are (respectively) to revenue and capital profits and revenue and capital losses.
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Every company registered on or after 1st November 1929 (other than a private company) shall have at least two directors.
Every company registered before that date (other than a private company) shall have at least one director.
Every private company shall have at least one director.
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Every company shall have a secretary.
A sole director shall not also be secretary.
Anything required or authorised to be done by or to the secretary may, if the office is vacant or there is for any other reason no secretary capable of acting, be done by or to any assistant or deputy secretary or, if there is no assistant or deputy secretary capable of acting, by or to any officer of the company authorised generally or specially in that behalf by the directors.
No company shall—
have as secretary to the company a corporation the sole director of which is a sole director of the company;
have as sole director of the company a corporation the sole director of which is secretary to the company.
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It is the duty of the directors of a public company to take all reasonable steps to secure that the secretary (or each joint secretary) of the company is a person who appears to them to have the requisite knowledge and experience to discharge the functions of secretary of the company and who—
on 22nd December 1980 held the office of secretary or assistant or deputy secretary of the company; or
for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding his appointment as secretary held the office of secretary of a company other than a private company ; or
is a member of any of the bodies specified in the following subsection; or
is a barrister, advocate or solicitor called or admitted in any part of the United Kingdom ; or
is a person who, by virtue of his holding or having held any other position or his being a member of any other body, appears to the directors to be capable of discharging those functions.
The bodies referred to in subsection (1)(c) are—
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland ;
the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants;
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland;
the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators;
the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants;
the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
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A company shall at all times have a registered office to which all communications and notices may be addressed.
Notice (in the prescribed form) of any change in the situation of a company's registered office shall be given within 14 days of the change to the registrar of companies, who shall record the new situation.
If default is made in complying with subsection (1) or (2), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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Every company shall keep at its registered office a register of its directors and secretaries; and the register shall, with respect to the particulars to be contained in it of those persons, comply with sections 289 and 290 below.
The company shall, within the period of 14 days from the occurrence of— send to the registrar of companies a notification in the prescribed form of the change and of the date on which it occurred ; and a notification of a person having become a director or secretary, or one of joint secretaries, of the company shall contain a consent, signed by that person, to act in the relevant capacity.
any change among its directors or in its secretary, or
any change in the particulars contained in the register,
The register shall during business hours (subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may by its articles or in general meeting impose, so that not less than 2 hours in each day be allowed for inspection) be open to the inspection of any member of the company without charge and of any other person on payment of 5 pence or such less sum as the company may prescribe, for each inspection.
If an inspection required under this section is refused, or if default is made in complying with subsection (1) or (2), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In the case of a refusal of inspection of the register, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it
For purposes of this and the next section, a shadow director of a company is deemed a director and officer of it
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Subject to the provisions of this section, the register kept by a company under section 288 shall contain the following particulars with respect to each director—
in the case of an individual—
his present Christian name and surname,
any former Christian name or surname,
his usual residential address,
his nationality,
his business occupation (if any),
particulars of any other directorships held by him or which have been held by him, and
in the case of a company subject to section 293 (age-limit), the date of his birth ;
in the case of a corporation, its corporate name and registered or principal office.
In subsection (1)—
" Christian name " includes a forename,
" surname ", in the case of a peer or a person usually known by a tide different from his surname, means that title, and
the reference to a former Christian name or surname does not include—
in the case of a peer or a person usually known by a British title different from his surname, the name by which he was known previous to the adoption of or succession to the tide, or
in the case of any person, a former Christian name or surname where that name or surname was changed or disused before the person bearing the name attained the age of 18, or has been changed or disused for a period of not less than 20 years, or
in the case of a married woman, the name or surname by which she was known previous to the marriage.
It is not necessary for the register to contain on any day particulars of a directorship—
which has not been held by a director at any time during the 5 years preceding that day,
which is held by a director in a company which—
is dormant or grouped with the company keeping the register, and
if he also held that directorship for any period during those 5 years, was for the whole of that period either dormant or so grouped,
which was held by a director for any period during those 5 years in a company which for the whole of that period was either dormant or grouped with the company keeping the register.
For purposes of subsection (3), " company " includes any body corporate incorporated in Great Britain; and—
section 252(5) applies as regards whether and when a company is or has been dormant, and
a company is to be regarded as being, or having been, grouped with another at any time if at that time it is or was a company of which the other is or was a wholly-owned subsidiary, or if it is or was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the other or of another company of which that other is or was a wholly-owned subsidiary.
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The register to be kept by a company under section 288 shall contain the following particulars with respect to the secretary or, where there are joint secretaries, with respect to each of them—
in the case of an individual, his present Christian name and surname, any former Christian name or surname and his usual residential address, and
in the case of a corporation or a Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office.
Where all the partners in a firm are joint secretaries, the name and principal office of the firm may be stated instead of the particulars specified above.
Section 289(2) applies as regards the meaning of " Christian name ", " surname " and " former Christian name or surname ".
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It is the duty of every director who is by the company's articles required to hold a specified share qualification, and who is not already qualified, to obtain his qualification within 2 months after his appointment, or such shorter time as may be fixed by the articles.
For the purpose of any provision of the articles requiring a director or manager to hold any specified share qualification, the bearer of a share warrant is not deemed the holder of the shares specified in the warrant.
The office of director of a company is vacated if the director does not within 2 months from the date of his appointment (or within such shorter time as may be fixed by the articles) obtain his qualification, or if after the expiration of that period or shorter time he ceases at any time to hold his qualification.
A person vacating office under this section is incapable of being reappointed to be a director of the company until he has obtained his qualification.
If after the expiration of that period or shorter time any unqualified person acts as a director of the company, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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At a general meeting of a public company, a motion for the appointment of two or more persons as directors of the company by a single resolution shall not be made, unless a resolution that it shall be so made has first been agreed to by the meeting without any vote being given against it.
A resolution moved in contravention of this section is void, whether or not its being so moved was objected to at the time; but where a resolution so moved is passed, no provision for the automatic reappointment of retiring directors in default of another appointment applies.
For purposes of this section, a motion for approving a person's appointment, or for nominating a person for appointment, is to be treated as a motion for his appointment.
Nothing in this section applies to a resolution altering the company's articles.
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A company is subject to this section if—
it is a public company, or
being a private company, it is a subsidiary of a public company or of a body corporate registered under the law relating to companies for the time being in force in Northern Ireland as a public company.
No person is capable of being appointed a director of a company which is subject to this section if at the time of his appointment he has attained the age of 70.
A director of such a company shall vacate his office at the conclusion of the annual general meeting commencing next after he attains the age of 70; but acts done by a person as director are valid notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that his appointment had terminated under this subsection.
Where a person retires under subsection (3), no provision for the automatic reappointment of retiring directors in default of another appointment applies; and if at the meeting at which he retires the vacancy is not filled, it may be filled as a casual vacancy.
Nothing in subsections (2) to (4) prevents the appointment of a director at any age, or requires a director to retire at any time, if his appointment is or was made or approved by the company in general meeting ; but special notice is required of a resolution appointing or approving the appointment of a director for it to have effect under this subsection, and the notice of the resolution given to the company, and by the company to its members, must state, or have stated, the age of the person to whom it relates.
A person reappointed director on retiring under subsection (3), or appointed in place of a director so retiring, is to be treated, for the purpose of determining the time at which he or any other director is to retire, as if he had become director on the day on which the retiring director was last appointed before his retirement. Subject to this, the retirement of a director out of turn under subsection (3) is to be disregarded in determining when any other directors are to retire.
In the case of a company first registered after the beginning of 1947, this section has effect subject to the provisions of the company's articles; and in the case of a company first registered before the beginning of that year—
this section has effect subject to any alterations of the company's articles made after the beginning of that year; and
if at the beginning of that year the company's articles contained provision for retirement of directors under an age limit, or for preventing or restricting appointments of directors over a given age, this section does not apply to directors to whom that provision applies.
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A person who is appointed or to his knowledge proposed to be appointed director of a company subject to section 293 at a time when he has attained any retiring age applicable to him under that section or under the company's articles shall give notice of his age to the company.
For purposes of this section, a company is deemed subject to section 293 notwithstanding that all or any of the section's provisions are excluded or modified by the company's articles.
Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a person's reappointment on the termination of a previous appointment as director of the company.
A person who— is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
fails to give notice of his age as required by this section ; or
acts as director under any appointment which is invalid or has terminated by reason of his age,
For purposes of subsection (4), a person who has acted as director under an appointment which is invalid or has terminated is deemed to have continued so to act throughout the period from the invalid appointment or the date on which the appointment terminated (as the case may be), until the last day on which he is shown to have acted thereunder.
In the circumstances specified in sections 296 to 300, a court may make against a person a disqualification order, that is to say an order that he shall not, without leave of the court— for a specified period beginning with the date of the order.
be a director of a company, or
be a liquidator of a company, or
be a receiver or manager of a company's property, or
in any way, whether directly or indirectly, be concerned or take part in the promotion, formation or management of a company,
The maximum period to be so specified is—
in the case of an order made under section 297 or made by a court of summary jurisdiction, 5 years, and
in any other case, 15 years.
In this section and sections 296 to 300, "company" includes any company which may be wound up under Part XXI.
A disqualification order may be made on grounds which are or include matters other than criminal convictions, notwithstanding that the person in respect of whom it is to be made may be criminally liable in respect of those matters.
In sections 296 to 299, any reference to provisions, or to a particular provision, of this Act or the Consequential Provisions Act includes the corresponding provision or provisions of the former Companies Acts.
Parts I and II of Schedule 12 have effect with regard to the procedure for obtaining a disqualification order, and to applications for leave under such an order; and Part III of that Schedule has effect—
in connection with certain transitional cases arising under sections 93 and 94 of the Companies Act 1981, so as to limit the power to make a disqualification order, or to restrict the duration of an order, by reference to events occurring or things done before those sections came into force, and
to preserve orders made under section 28 of the Companies Act 1976 (repealed by the Act of 1981).
If a person acts in contravention of a disqualification order, he is in respect of each offence liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The court may make a disqualification order against a person where he is convicted of an indictable offence (whether on indictment or summarily) in connection with the promotion, formation, management or liquidation of a company, or with the receivership or management of a company's property.
" The court" for this purpose means— and for purposes of this section the definition of " indictable offence " in Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 applies in relation to Scotland as it does in relation to England and Wales.
any court having jurisdiction to wind up the company in relation to which the offence was committed, or
the court by or before which the person is convicted of the offence, or
In the case of a summary conviction in England and Wales, any other magistrates' court acting for the same petty sessions area;
The court may make a disqualification order against a person where it appears to it that he has been persistently in default in relation to provisions of this Act or the Consequential Provisions Act requiring any return, account or other document to be filed with, delivered or sent, or notice of any matter to be given, to the registrar of companies.
On an application to the court for an order to be made under this section, the fact that a person has been persistently in default in relation to such provisions as are mentioned above may (without prejudice to its proof in any other manner) be conclusively proved by showing that in the 5 years ending with the date of the application he has been adjudged guilty (whether or not on the same occasion) of three or more defaults in relation to those provisions.
A person is treated under subsection (2) as being adjudged guilty of a default in relation to any such provision if—
he is convicted (whether on indictment or summarily) of an offence consisting in a contravention of or failure to comply with that provision (whether on his own part or on the part of any company), or
a default order is made against him, that is to say an order under— in respect of any such contravention of or failure to comply with that provision (whether on his own part or on the part of any company).
section 244 (order requiring delivery of company accounts), or
section 499 (enforcement of receiver's or manager's duty to make returns), or
section 636 (corresponding provision for liquidator in winding-up), or
section 713 (enforcement of company's duty to make returns),
In this section " the court" means any court having jurisdiction to wind up any of the companies in relation to which the offence or other default has been or is alleged to have been committed.
The court may make a disqualification order against a person if, in the course of the winding up of a company, it appears that he—
has been guilty of an offence for which he is liable (whether he has been convicted or not) under section 458 (fraudulent trading), or
has otherwise been guilty, while an officer or liquidator of the company or receiver or manager of its property, of any fraud in relation to the company or of any breach of his duty as such officer, liquidator, receiver or manager.
In this section " the court" means the same as in section 297 ; and " officer " includes a shadow director.
An offence counting for the purposes of this section is one of which a person is convicted (either on indictment or summarily) in consequence of a contravention of, or failure to comply with, any provision of this Act or the Consequential Provisions Act requiring a return, account or other document to be filed with, delivered or sent, or notice of any matter to be given, to the registrar of companies (whether the contravention or failure is on the person's own part or on the part of any company).
Where a person is convicted of a summary offence counting for those purposes, the court by which he is convicted (or, in England and Wales, any other magistrates' court acting for the same petty sessions area) may make a disqualification order against him if the circumstances specified in the next subsection are present
Those circumstances are that during the 5 years ending with the date of the conviction, the person has had made against him, or has been convicted of, in total not less than 3 default orders and offences counting for the purposes of this section; and those offences may include that of which he is convicted as mentioned in subsection (2) and any other offence of which he is convicted on the same occasion.
For the purposes of this section—
the definition of " summary offence" in Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 applies for Scotland as for England and Wales, and
" default order" means the same as in section 297(3)(b).
The court may make a disqualification order against a person where, on an application under this section, it appears to it that he— and that his conduct as director of any of those companies makes him unfit to be concerned in the management of a company.
is or has been a director of a company which has at any time gone into liquidation (whether while he was a director or subsequently) and was insolvent at that time, and
is or has been a director of another such company which has gone into liquidation within 5 years of the date on which the first-mentioned company went into liquidation,
In the case of a person who is or has been a director of a company which has gone into liquidation as above-mentioned and is being wound up by the court, " the court" in subsection (1) means the court by which the company is being wound up; and in any other case it means the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session.
The Secretary of State may require the liquidator or former liquidator of a company— as the Secretary of State may reasonably require for the purpose of determining whether to make an application under this section in respect of a person who is or has been a director of that company; and if a person makes default in complying with such a requirement, the court may, on the Secretary of State's application, make an order requiring that person to make good the default within such time as may be specified.
to furnish him with such information with respect to the company's affairs, and
to produce and permit inspection of such books or documents of or relevant to the company,
For purposes of this section, a shadow director of a company is deemed a director of it; and a company goes into liquidation—
if it is wound up by the court, on the date of the winding up order, and
in any other case, on the date of the passing of the resolution for voluntary winding up.
The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring officers of courts to furnish him with such particulars as the regulations may specify of cases in which— and the regulations may specify the time within which, and the form and manner in which, such particulars are to be furnished.
a disqualification order is made under any of sections 296 to 300, or
any action is taken by a court in consequence of which such an order is varied or ceases to be in force, or
leave is granted by a court for a person subject to such an order to do any thing which otherwise the order prohibits him from doing ;
The Secretary of State shall, from the particulars so furnished, continue to maintain the register of orders, and of cases in which leave has been granted as mentioned in subsection (1)(c), which was set up by him under section 29 of the Companies Act 1976.
When an order of which entry is made in the register ceases to be in force, the Secretary of State shall delete the entry from the register and all particulars relating to it which have been furnished to him under this section.
The register shall be open to inspection on payment of such fee as may be specified by the Secretary of State in regulations.
Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
If any person being an undischarged bankrupt acts as director or liquidator of, or directly or indirectly takes part in or is concerned in the promotion, formation or management of, a company except with the leave of the court, he is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
" The court" for this purpose is the court by which the person was adjudged bankrupt or, in Scotland, sequestration of his estates was awarded.
In England and Wales, the leave of the court shall not be given unless notice of intention to apply for it has been served on the official receiver in bankruptcy; and it is the latter's duty, if he is of opinion that it is contrary to the public interest that the application should be granted, to attend on the hearing of the application and oppose it
In this section " company " includes an unregistered company and a company incorporated outside Great Britain which has an established place of business in Great Britain.
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A company may by ordinary resolution remove a director before the expiration of his period of office, notwithstanding anything in its articles or in any agreement between it and him.
Special notice is required of a resolution to remove a director under this section or to appoint somebody instead of a director so removed at the meeting at which he is removed.
A vacancy created by the removal of a director under this section, if not filled at the meeting at which he is removed, may be filled as a casual vacancy.
A person appointed director in place of a person removed under this section is treated, for the purpose of determining the time at which he or any other director is to retire, as if he had become director on the day on which the person in whose place he is appointed was last appointed a director.
This section is not to be taken as depriving a person removed under it of compensation or damages payable to him in respect of the termination of his appointment as director or of any appointment terminating with that as director, or as derogating from any power to remove a director which may exist apart from this section.
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On receipt of notice of an intended resolution to remove a director under section 303, the company shall forthwith send a copy of the notice to the director concerned; and he (whether or not a member of the company) is entitled to be heard on the resolution at the meeting.
Where notice is given of an intended resolution to remove a director under that section, and the director concerned makes with respect to it representations in writing to the company (not exceeding a reasonable length) and requests their notification to members of the company, the company shall, unless the representations are received by it too late for it to do so—
in any notice of the resolution given to members of the company state the fact of the representations having been made; and
send a copy of the representations to every member of the company to whom notice of the meeting is sent (whether before or after receipt of the representations by the company).
If a copy of the representations is not sent as required by subsection (2) because received too late or because of the company's default, the director may (without prejudice to his right to be heard orally) require that the representations shall be read out at the meeting.
But copies of the representations need not be sent out and the representations need not be read out at the meeting if, on the application either of the company or of any other person who claims to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the rights conferred by this section are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter.
The court may order the company's costs on an application under this section to be paid in whole or in part by the director, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.
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A company to which this section applies shall not state, in any form, the name of any of its directors (otherwise than in the text or as a signatory) on any business letter on which the company's name appears unless it states on the letter in legible characters the Christian name (or its initials) and surname of every director of the company who is an individual and the corporate name of every corporate director.
This section applies to—
every company registered under this Act or under the former Companies Acts (except a company registered before 23rd November 1916); and
every company incorporated outside Great Britain which has an established place of business within Great Britain, unless it had established such a place of business before that date.
If a company makes default in complying with this section, every officer of the company who is in default is liable for each offence to a fine; and for this purpose, where a corporation is an officer of the company, any officer of the corporation is deemed an officer of the company.
For purposes of this section—
" director " includes shadow director, and " officer " is to be construed accordingly ;
" Christian name " includes a forename;
" initials " includes a recognised abbreviation of a Christian name; and
in the case of a peer or a person usually known by a title different from his surname, " surname" means that tide.
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In the case of a limited company the liability of the directors or managers, or of the managing director, may, if so provided by the memorandum, be unlimited.
In the case of a limited company in which the liability of a director or manager is unlimited, the directors and any managers of the company and the member who proposes any person for election or appointment to the office of director or manager, shall add to that proposal a statement that the liability of the person holding that office will be unlimited.
Before the person accepts the office or acts in it, notice in writing that his liability will be unlimited shall be given to him by the following or one of the following persons, namely—
the promoters of the company,
the directors of the company,
any managers of the company,
the company secretary.
If a director, manager or proposer makes default in adding such a statement, or if a promoter, director, manager or secretary makes default in giving the notice required by subsection (3), then— but the liability of the person elected or appointed is not affected by the default.
he is liable to a fine, and
he is also liable for any damage which the person so elected or appointed may sustain from the default;
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A limited company, if so authorised by its articles, may by special resolution alter its memorandum so as to render unlimited the liability of its directors or managers, or of any managing director.
When such a special resolution is passed, its provisions are as valid as if they had been originally contained in the memorandum.
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The matters to which the directors of a company are to have regard in the performance of their functions include the interests of the company's employees in general, as well as the interests of its members.
Accordingly, the duty imposed by this section on the directors is owed by them to the company (and the company alone) and is enforceable in the same way as any other fiduciary duty owed to a company by its directors.
This section applies to shadow directors as it does to directors.
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This section applies to any provision, whether contained in a company's articles or in any contract with the company or otherwise, for exempting any officer of the company or any person (whether an officer or not) employed by the company as auditor from, or indemnifying him against, any liability which by virtue of any rule of law would otherwise attach to him in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he may be guilty in relation to the company.
Except as provided by the following subsection, any such provision is void.
A company may, in pursuance of such a provision, indemnify any such officer or auditor against any liability incurred by him in defending any proceedings (whether civil or criminal) in which judgment is given in his favour or he is acquitted, or in connection with any application under section 144(3) or (4) (acquisition of shares by innocent nominee) or section 727 (director in default, but not dishonest or unreasonable), in which relief is granted to him by the court.
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It is not lawful for a company to pay a director remuneration (whether as director or otherwise) free of income tax, or otherwise calculated by reference to or varying with the amount of his income tax, or to or with any rate of income tax.
Any provision contained in a company's articles, or in any contract, or in any resolution of a company or a company's directors, for payment to a director of remuneration as above mentioned has effect as if it provided for payment, as a gross sum subject to income tax, of the net sum for which it actually provides.
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It is not lawful, in connection with the transfer of the whole or any part of the undertaking or property of a company, for any payment to be made to a director of the company by way of compensation for loss of office, or as consideration for or in connection with his retirement from office, unless particulars of the proposed payment (including its amount) have been disclosed to members of the company and the proposal approved by the company.
Where a payment unlawful under this section is made to a director, the amount received is deemed to be received by him in trust for the company.
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This section applies where, in connection with the transfer to any persons of all or any of the shares in a company, being a transfer resulting from— a payment is to be made to a director of the company by way of compensation for loss of office, or as consideration for or in connection with his retirement from office.
an offer made to the general body of shareholders; or
an offer made by or on behalf of some other body corporate with a view to the company becoming its subsidiary or a subsidiary of its holding company; or
an offer made by or on behalf of an individual with a view to his obtaining the right to exercise or control the exercise of not less than one-third of the voting power at any general meeting of the company; or
any other offer which is conditional on acceptance to a given extent,
It is in those circumstances the director's duty to take all reasonable steps to secure that particulars of the proposed payment (including its amount) are included in or sent with any notice of the offer made for their shares which is given to any shareholders.
If— he is liable to a fine.
the director fails to take those steps, or
any person who has been properly required by the director to include those particulars in or send them with the notice required by subsection (2) fails to do so,
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If in the case of any such payment to a director as is mentioned in section 314(1)— any sum received by the director on account of the payment is deemed to have been received by him in trust for persons who have sold their shares as a result of the offer made; and the expenses incurred by him in distributing that sum amongst those persons shall be borne by him and not retained out of that sum.
his duty under that section is not complied with, or
the making of the proposed payment is not, before the transfer of any shares in pursuance of the offer, approved by a meeting (summoned for the purpose) of the holders of the shares to which the offer relates and of other holders of shares of the same class as any of those shares,
Where— the provisions of this Act and of the company's articles relating to general meetings of the company apply (for that purpose) to the meeting either without modification or with such modifications as the Secretary of State on the application of any person concerned may direct for the purpose of adapting them to the circumstances of the meeting.
the shareholders referred to in subsection (1)(b) are not all the members of the company, and
no provision is made by the articles for summoning or regulating the meeting referred to in that paragraph,
If at a meeting summoned for the purpose of approving any payment as required by subsection (1)(b) a quorum is not present and, after the meeting has been adjourned to a later date, a quorum is again not present, the payment is deemed for the purposes of that subsection to have been approved.
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Where in proceedings for the recovery of any payment as having, by virtue of section 313(2) or 315(1), been received by any person in trust, it is shown that— the payment is deemed, except in so far as the contrary is shown, to be one to which the provisions mentioned above in this subsection apply.
the payment was made in pursuance of any arrangement entered into as part of the agreement for the transfer in question, or within one year before or two years after that agreement or the offer leading to it; and
the company or any person to whom the transfer was made was privy to that arrangement,
If in connection with any such transfer as is mentioned in any of sections 313 to 315— the excess or the money value of the consideration (as the case may be) is deemed for the purposes of that section to have been a payment made to him by way of compensation for loss of office or as consideration for or in connection with his retirement from office.
the price to be paid to a director of the company whose office is to be abolished or who is to retire from office for any shares in the company held by him is in excess of the price which could at the time have been obtained by other holders of the like shares; or
any valuable consideration is given to any such director,
References in sections 312 to 315 to payments made to a director by way of compensation for loss of office or as consideration for or in connection with his retirement from office, do not include any bona fide payment by way of damages for breach of contract or by way of pension in respect of past services. " Pension" here includes any superannuation allowance, superannuation gratuity or similar payment.
Nothing in sections 313 to 315 prejudices the operation of any rule of law requiring disclosure to be made with respect to such payments as are there mentioned, or with respect to any other like payments made or to be made to a company's directors.
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It is the duty of a director of a company who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with the company to declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of the directors of the company.
In the case of a proposed contract, the declaration shall be made— and, in a case where the director becomes interested in a contract after it is made, the declaration shall be made at the first meeting of the directors held after he becomes so interested.
at the meeting of the directors at which the question of entering into the contract is first taken into consideration ; or
if the director was not at the date of that meeting interested in the proposed contract, at the next meeting of the directors held after he became so interested ;
For purposes of this section, a general notice given to the directors of a company by a director to the effect that— is deemed a sufficient declaration of interest in relation to any such contract.
he is a member of a specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may, after the date of the notice, be made with that company or firm; or
he is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may after the date of the notice be made with a specified person who is connected with him (within the meaning of section 346 below),
However, no such notice is of effect unless either it is given at a meeting of the directors or the director takes reasonable steps to secure that it is brought up and read at the next meeting of the directors after it is given.
A reference in this section to a contract includes any transaction or arrangement (whether or not constituting a contract) made or entered into on or after 22nd December 1980.
For purposes of this section, a transaction or arrangement of a kind described in section 330 (prohibition of loans, quasi-loans etc. to directors) made by a company for a director of the company or a person connected with such a director is treated (if it would not otherwise be so treated, and whether or not it is prohibited by that section) as a transaction or arrangement in which that director is interested.
A director who fails to comply with this section is liable to a fine.
This section applies to a shadow director as it applies to a director, except that a shadow director shall declare his interest, not at a meeting of the directors, but by a notice in writing to the directors which is either—
a specific notice given before the date of the meeting at which, if he had been a director, the declaration would be required by subsection (2) to be made ; or
a notice which under subsection (3) falls to be treated as a sufficient declaration of that interest (or would fall to be so treated apart from subsection (4)).
Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of any rule of law restricting directors of a company from having an interest in contracts with the company.
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Subject to the following provisions, every company shall keep at an appropriate place—
in the case of each director whose contract of service with the company is in writing, a copy of that contract ;
in the case of each director whose contract of service with the company is not in writing, a written memorandum setting out its terms; and
in the case of each director who is employed under a contract of service with a subsidiary of the company, a copy of that contract or, if it is not in writing, a written memorandum setting out its terms.
All copies and memoranda kept by a company in pursuance of subsection (1) shall be kept at the same place.
The following are appropriate places for the purposes of subsection (1)—
the company's registered office;
the place where its register of members is kept (if other than its registered office);
its principal place of business, provided that is situated in that part of Great Britain in which the company is registered.
Every company shall send notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies of the place where copies and memoranda are kept in compliance with subsection (1), and of any change in that place, save in a case in which they have at all times been kept at the company's registered office.
Subsection (1) does not apply to a director's contract of service with the company or with a subsidiary of it if that contract required him to work wholly or mainly outside the United Kingdom; but the company shall keep a memorandum— at the same place as copies and memoranda are kept by the company in pursuance of subsection (1).
in the case of a contract of service with the company, giving the director's name and setting out the provisions of the contract relating to its duration ;
in the case of a contract of service with a subsidiary, giving the director's name and the name and place of incorporation of the subsidiary, and setting out the provisions of the contract relating to its duration,
A shadow director is treated for purposes of this section as a director.
Every copy and memorandum required by subsection (1) or (5) to be kept shall, during business hours (subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may in general meeting impose, so that not less than 2 hours in each day be allowed for inspection), be open to inspection of any member of the company without charge.
If— the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
default is made in complying with subsection (1) or (5), or
an inspection required under subsection (7) is refused, or
default is made for 14 days in complying with subsection (4),
In the case of a refusal of an inspection required under subsection (7) of a copy or memorandum, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it.
Subsections (1) and (5) apply to a variation of a director's contract of service as they apply to the contract.
This section does not require that there be kept a copy of, or memorandum setting out the terms of, a contract (or its variation) at a time when the unexpired portion of the term for which the contract is to be in force is less than 12 months, or at a time at which the contract can, within the next ensuing 12 months, be terminated by the company without payment of compensation.
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This section applies in respect of any term of an agreement whereby a director's employment with the company of which he is a director or, where he is the director of a holding company, his employment within the group is to continue, or may be continued, otherwise than at the instance of the company (whether under the original agreement or under a new agreement entered into in pursuance of it), for a period of more than 5 years during which the employment—
cannot be terminated by the company by notice; or
can be so terminated only in specified circumstances.
In any case where— this section applies as if to the period for which he is to be employed under that further agreement there were added a further period equal to the unexpired period of the original agreement.
a person is or is to be employed with a company under an agreement which cannot be terminated by the company by notice or can be so terminated only in specified circumstances; and
more than 6 months before the expiration of the period for which he is or is to be so employed, the company enters into a further agreement (otherwise than in pursuance of a right conferred by or under the original agreement on the other party to it) under which he is to be employed with the company or, where he is a director of a holding company, within the group,
A company shall not incorporate in an agreement such a term as is mentioned in subsection (1), unless the term is first approved by a resolution of the company in general meeting and, in the case of a director of a holding company, by a resolution of that company in general meeting.
No approval is required to be given under this section by any body corporate unless it is a company within the meaning of this Act, or is registered under section 680, or if it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of any body corporate, wherever incorporated.
A resolution of a company approving such a term as is mentioned in subsection (1) shall not be passed at a general meeting of the company unless a written memorandum setting out the proposed agreement incorporating the term is available for inspection by members of the company both—
at the company's registered office for not less than 15 days ending with the date of the meeting; and
at the meeting itself.
A term incorporated in an agreement in contravention of this section is, to the extent that it contravenes the section, void; and that agreement and, in a case where subsection (2) applies, the original agreement are deemed to contain a term entitling the company to terminate it at any time by the giving of reasonable notice.
In this section— and for purposes of this section a shadow director is treated as a director.
" employment" includes employment under a contract for services; and
" group ", in relation to a director of a holding company, means the group which consists of that company and its subsidiaries;
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With the exceptions provided by the section next following, a company shall not enter into an arrangement— unless the arrangement is first approved by a resolution of the company in general meeting and, if the director or connected person is a director of its holding company or a person connected with such a director, by a resolution in general meeting of the holding company.
whereby a director of the company or its holding company, or a person connected with such a director, acquires or is to acquire one or more non-cash assets of the requisite value from the company; or
whereby the company acquires or is to acquire one or more non-cash assets of the requisite value from such a director or a person so connected,
For this purpose a non-cash asset is of the requisite value if at the time the arrangement in question is entered into its value is not less than £1,000 but (subject to that) exceeds £50,000 or 10 per cent, of the company's asset value, that is—
except in a case falling within paragraph (b) below, the value of the company's net assets determined by reference to the accounts prepared and laid under Part VII in respect of the last preceding financial year in respect of which such accounts were so laid ; and
where no accounts have been so prepared and laid before that time, the amount of the company's called-up share capital.
For purposes of this section and sections 321 and 322, a shadow director is treated as a director.
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No approval is required to be given under section 320 by any body corporate unless it is a company within the meaning of this Act or registered under section 680 or, if it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of any body corporate, wherever incorporated.
Section 320(1) does not apply to an arrangement for the acquisition of a non-cash asset—
if the asset is to be acquired by a holding company from any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries or from a holding company by any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, or by one wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company from another wholly-owned subsidiary of that same holding company, or
if the arrangement is entered into by a company which is being wound up, unless the winding up is a members' voluntary winding up.
Section 320(1)(a) does not apply to an arrangement whereby a person is to acquire an asset from a company of which he is a member, if the arrangement is made with that person in his character as a member.
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An arrangement entered into by a company in contravention of section 320, and any transaction entered into in pursuance of the arrangement (whether by the company or any other person) is voidable at the instance of the company unless one or more of the conditions specified in the next subsection is satisfied.
Those conditions are that—
restitution of any money or other asset which is the subject-matter of the arrangement or transaction is no longer possible or the company has been indemnified in pursuance of this section by any other person for the loss or damage suffered by it; or
any rights acquired bona fide for value and without actual notice of the contravention by any person who is not a party to the arrangement or transaction would be affected by its avoidance; or
the arrangement is, within a reasonable period, affirmed by the company in general meeting and, if it is an arrangement for the transfer of an asset to or by a director of its holding company or a person who is connected with such a director, is so affirmed with the approval of the holding company given by a resolution in general meeting.
If an arrangement is entered into with a company by a director of the company or its holding company or a person connected with him in contravention of section 320, that director and the person so connected, and any other director of the company who authorised the arrangement or any transaction entered into in pursuance of such an arrangement, is liable—
to account to the company for any gain which he has made directly or indirectly by the arrangement or transaction, and
(jointly and severally with any other person liable under this subsection) to indemnify the company for any loss or damage resulting from the arrangement or transaction.
Subsection (3) is without prejudice to any liability imposed otherwise than by that subsection, and is subject to the following two subsections; and the liability under subsection (3) arises whether or not the arrangement or transaction entered into has been avoided in pursuance of subsection (1).
If an arrangement is entered into by a company and a person connected with a director of the company or its holding company in contravention of section 320, that director is not liable under subsection (3) if he shows that he took all reasonable steps to secure the company's compliance with that section.
In any case, a person so connected and any such other director as is mentioned in subsection (3) is not so liable if he shows that, at the time the arrangement was entered into, he did not know the relevant circumstances constituting the contravention.
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It is an offence for a director of a company to buy—
a right to call for delivery at a specified price and within a specified time of a specified number of relevant shares or a specified amount of relevant debentures; or
a right to make delivery at a specified price and within a specified time of a specified number of relevant shares or a specified amount of relevant debentures; or
a right (as he may elect) to call for delivery at a specified price and within a specified time or to make delivery at a specified price and within a specified time of a specified number of relevant shares or a specified amount of relevant debentures.
A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
In subsection (1)—
" relevant shares ", in relation to a director of a company, means shares in the company or in any other body corporate, being the company's subsidiary or holding company, or a subsidiary of the company's holding company, being shares as respects which there has been granted a listing on a stock exchange (whether in Great Britain or elsewhere);
" relevant debentures ", in relation to a director of a company, means debentures of the company or of any other body corporate, being the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the company's holding company, being debentures as respects which there has been granted such a fisting ; and
" price " includes any consideration other than money.
This section applies to a shadow director as to a director.
This section is not to be taken as penalising a person who buys a right to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, a body corporate or buys debentures of a body corporate that confer upon the holder of them a right to subscribe for, or to convert the debentures (in whole or in part) into, shares of that body.
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A person who becomes a director of a company and at the time when he does so is interested in shares in, or debentures of, the company or any other body corporate, being the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the company's holding company, is under obligation to notify the company in writing—
of the subsistence of his interests at that time; and
of the number of shares of each class in, and the amount of debentures of each class of, the company or other such body corporate in which each interest of his subsists at that time.
A director of a company is under obligation to notify the company in writing of the occurrence, while he is a director, of any of the following events— and notification to the company must state the number or amount, and class, of shares or debentures involved.
any event in consequence of whose occurrence he becomes, or ceases to be, interested in shares in, or debentures of, the company or any other body corporate, being the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the company's holding company;
the entering into by him of a contract to sell any such shares or debentures;
the assignment by him of a right granted to him by the company to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, the company; and
the grant to him by another body corporate, being the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the company's holding company, of a right to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, that other body corporate, the exercise of such a right granted to him and the assignment by him of such a right so granted;
Schedule 13 has effect in connection with subsections (1) and (2) above; and of that Schedule— and subsections (1) and (2) are subject to any exceptions for which provision may be made by regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument.
Part I contains rules for the interpretation of, and otherwise in relation to, those subsections and applies in determining, for purposes of those subsections, whether a person has an interest in shares or debentures ;
Part II applies with respect to the periods within which obligations imposed by the subsections must be fulfilled ; and
Part III specifies certain circumstances in which obligations arising from subsection (2) are to be treated as not discharged;
Subsection (2) does not require the notification by a person of the occurrence of an event whose occurrence comes to his knowledge after he has ceased to be a director.
An obligation imposed by this section is treated as not discharged unless the notice by means of which it purports to be discharged is expressed to be given in fulfilment of that obligation.
This section applies to shadow directors as to directors ; but nothing in it operates so as to impose an obligation with respect to shares in a body corporate which is the wholly-owned subsidiary of another body corporate.
A person who— is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
fails to discharge, within the proper period, an obligation to which he is subject under subsection (1) or (2), or
in purported discharge of an obligation to which he is so subject, makes to the company a statement which he knows to be false, or recklessly makes to it a statement which is false,
Section 732 (restriction on prosecutions) applies to an offence under this section.
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Every company shall keep a register for the purposes of section 324.
Whenever a company receives information from a director given in fulfilment of an obligation imposed on him by that section, it is under obligation to enter in the register, against the director's name, the information received and the date of the entry.
The company is also under obligation, whenever it grants to a director a right to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, the company to enter in the register against his name—
the date on which the right is granted,
the period during which, or time at which, it is exercisable,
the consideration for the grant (or, if there is no consideration, that fact), and
the description of shares or debentures involved and the number or amount of them, and the price to be paid for them (or the consideration, if otherwise than in money).
Whenever such a right as is mentioned above is exercised by a director, the company is under obligation to enter in the register against his name that fact (identifying the right), the number or amount of shares or debentures in respect of which it is exercised and, if they were registered in his name, that fact and, if not, the name or names of the person or persons in whose name or names they were registered, together (if they were registered in the names of two persons or more) with the number or amount of the shares or debentures registered in the name of each of them.
Part IV of Schedule 13 has effect with respect to the register to be kept under this section, to the way in which entries in it are to be made, to the right of inspection, and generally.
For purposes of this section, a shadow director is deemed a director.
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The following applies with respect to defaults in complying with, and to contraventions of, section 325 and Part IV of Schedule 13.
If default is made in complying with any of the following provisions— the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
section 325(1), (2), (3) or (4), or
Schedule 13, paragraph 21, 22 or 28,
If an inspection of the register required under paragraph 25 of the Schedule is refused, or a copy required under paragraph 26 is not sent within the proper period, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If default is made for 14 days in complying with paragraph 27 of the Schedule (notice to registrar of where register is kept), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If default is made in complying with paragraph 29 of the Schedule (register to be produced at annual general meeting), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
In the case of a refusal of an inspection of the register required under paragraph 25 of the Schedule, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it; and in the case of failure to send within the proper period a copy required under paragraph 26, the court may by order direct that the copy be sent to the person requiring it.
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Section 323 applies to— as it applies to the director; but it is a defence for a person charged by virtue of this section with an offence under section 323 to prove that he (she) had no reason to believe that his (her) spouse or, as the case may be, parent was a director of the company in question.
the wife or husband of a director of a company (not being herself or himself a director of it), and
an infant son or infant daughter of a director (not being himself or herself a director of the company),
For purposes of this section—
" son" includes step-son, and " daughter" includes step-daughter (" parent " being construed accordingly),
" infant" means, in relation to Scotland, pupil or minor, and
a shadow director of a company is deemed a director of it.
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For the purposes of section 324—
an interest of the wife or husband of a director of a company (not being herself or himself a director of it) in shares or debentures is to be treated as the director's interest; and
the same applies to an interest of an infant son or infant daughter of a director of a company (not being himself or herself a director of it) in shares or debentures.
For those purposes—
a contract, assignment or right of subscription entered into, exercised or made by, or a grant made to, the wife or husband of a director of a company (not being herself or himself a director of it) is to be treated as having been entered into, exercised or made by, or (as the case may be) as having been made to, the director; and
the same applies to a contract, assignment or right of subscription entered into, exercised or made by, or grant made to, an infant son or infant daughter of a director of a company (not being himself or herself a director of it).
A director of a company is under obligation to notify the company in writing of the occurrence while he or she is a director, of either of the following events, namely—
the grant by the company to his (her) spouse, or to his or her infant son or infant daughter, of a right to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, the company; and
the exercise by his (her) spouse or by his or her infant son or infant daughter of such a right granted by the company to the wife, husband, son or daughter.
In a notice given to the company under subsection (3) there shall be stated—
in the case of the grant of a right, the like information as is required by section 324 to be stated by the director on the grant to him by another body corporate of a right to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, that other body corporate; and
in the case of the exercise of a right, the like information as is required by that section to be stated by the director on the exercise of a right granted to him by another body corporate to subscribe for shares in, or debentures of, that other body corporate.
An obligation imposed by subsection (3) on a director must be fulfilled by him before the end of 5 days beginning with the day following that on which the occurrence of the event giving rise to it comes to his knowledge; but in reckoning that period of days there is disregarded any Saturday or Sunday, and any day which is a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain.
A person who— is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
fails to fulfil, within the proper period, an obligation to which he is subject under subsection (3), or
in purported fulfilment of such an obligation, makes to a company a statement which he knows to be false. or recklessly makes to a company a statement which is false,
The rules set out in Part I of Schedule 13 have effect for the interpretation of, and otherwise in relation to, subsections (1) and (2); and subsections (5), (6) and (8) of section 324 apply with any requisite modification.
In this section, "son" includes step-son, "daughter" includes step-daughter, and " infant" means, in relation to Scotland, pupil or minor.
For purposes of section 325, an obligation imposed on a director by this section is to be treated as if imposed by section 324.
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Whenever a company whose shares or debentures are listed on a recognised stock exchange is notified of any matter by a director in consequence of the fulfilment of an obligation imposed by section 324 or 328, and that matter relates to shares or debentures so listed, the company is under obligation to notify that stock exchange of that matter; and the stock exchange may publish, in such manner as it may determine, any information received by it under this subsection.
An obligation imposed by subsection (1) must be fulfilled before the end of the day next following that on which it arises ; but there is disregarded for this purpose a day which is a Saturday or a Sunday or a bank holiday in any part of Great Britain.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. Section 732 (restriction on prosecutions) applies to an offence under this section.
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The prohibitions listed below in this section are subject to the exceptions in sections 332 to 338.
A company shall not—
make a loan to a director of the company or of its holding company;
enter into any guarantee or provide any security in connection with a loan made by any person to such a director.
A relevant company shall not—
make a quasi-loan to a director of the company or of its holding company;
make a loan or a quasi-loan to a person connected with such a director ;
enter into a guarantee or provide any security in connection with a loan or quasi-loan made by any other person for such a director or a person so connected.
A relevant company shall not—
enter into a credit transaction as creditor for such a director or a person so connected ;
enter into any guarantee or provide any security in connection with a credit transaction made by any other person for such a director or a person so connected.
For purposes of sections 330 to 346, a shadow director is treated as a director.
A company shall not arrange for the assignment to it, or the assumption by it, of any rights, obligations or liabilities under a transaction which, if it had been entered into by the company, would have contravened subsection (2), (3) or (4); but for the purposes of sections 330 to 347 the transaction is to be treated as having been entered into on the date of the arrangement.
A company shall not take part in any arrangement whereby—
another person enters into a transaction which, if it had been entered into by the company, would have contravened any of subsections (2), (3), (4) or (6); and
that other person, in pursuance of the arrangement, has obtained or is to obtain any benefit from the company or its holding company or a subsidiary of the company or its holding company.
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The following subsections apply for the interpretation of sections 330 to 346.
" Guarantee " includes indemnity, and cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly.
A quasi-loan is a transaction under which one party (" the creditor") agrees to pay, or pays otherwise than in pursuance of an agreement, a sum for another (" the borrower ") or agrees to reimburse, or reimburses otherwise than in pursuance of an agreement, expenditure incurred by another party for another (" the borrower ")—
on terms that the borrower (or a person on his behalf) will reimburse the creditor; or
in circumstances giving rise to a liability on the borrower to reimburse the creditor.
Any reference to the person to whom a quasi-loan is made is a reference to the borrower; and the liabilities of a borrower under a quasi-loan include the liabilities of any person who has agreed to reimburse the creditor on behalf of the borrower.
"Recognised bank" means a company which is recognised as a bank for the purposes of the Banking Act 1979.
" Relevant company " means a company which—
is a public company, or
is a subsidiary of a public company, or
is a subsidiary of a company which has as another subsidiary a public company, or
has a subsidiary which is a public company.
A credit transaction is a transaction under which one party (" the creditor ")—
supplies any goods or sells any land under a hire-purchase agreement or a conditional sale agreement;
leases or hires any land or goods in return for periodical payments;
otherwise disposes of land or supplies goods or services on the understanding that payment (whether in a lump sum or instalments or by way of periodical payments or otherwise) is to be deferred.
" Services " means anything other than goods or land.
A transaction or arrangement is made " for " a person if—
in the case of a loan or quasi-loan, it is made to him;
in the case of a credit transaction, he is the person to whom goods or services are supplied, or land is sold or otherwise disposed of, under the transaction;
in the case of a guarantee or security, it is entered into or provided in connection with a loan or quasi-loan made to him or a credit transaction made for him ;
in the case of an arrangement within subsection (6) or (7) of section 330, the transaction to which the arrangement relates was made for him ; and
in the case of any other transaction or arrangement for the supply or transfer of, or of any interest in, goods, land or services, he is the person to whom the goods, land or services (or the interest) are supplied or transferred.
" Conditional sale agreement" means the same as in the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
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Subsection (3) of section 300 does not prohibit a company (" the creditor ") from making a quasi-loan to one of its directors or to a director of its holding company if—
the quasi-loan contains a term requiring the director or a person on his behalf to reimburse the creditor his expenditure within 2 months of its being incurred; and
the aggregate of the amount of that quasi-loan and of the amount outstanding under each relevant quasi-loan does not exceed £1,000.
A quasi-loan is relevant for this purpose if it was made to the director by virtue of this section by the creditor or its subsidiary or, where the director is a director of the creditor's holding company, any other subsidiary of that company; and " the amount outstanding " is the amount of the outstanding liabilities of the person to whom the quasi-loan was made.
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making a loan or quasi-loan to another member of that group; or
entering into a guarantee or providing any security in connection with a loan or quasi-loan made by any person to another member of the group,
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Section 330(4) does not prohibit a company from entering into a transaction for a person if the aggregate of the relevant amounts does not exceed £5,000.
Section 330(4) does not prohibit a company from entering into a transaction for a person if—
the transaction is entered into by the company in the ordinary course of its business; and
the value of the transaction is not greater, and the terms on which it is entered into are no more favourable, in respect of the person for whom the transaction is made, than that or those which it is reasonable to expect the company to have offered to or in respect of a person of the same financial standing but unconnected with the company.
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a loan or quasi-loan by a company to its holding company, or a company entering into a guarantee or providing any security in connection with a loan or quasi-loan made by any person to its holding company;
a company entering into a credit transaction as creditor for its holding company, or entering into a guarantee or providing any security in connection with a credit transaction made by any other person for its holding company.
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A company is not prohibited by section 330 from doing anything to provide a director with funds to meet expenditure incurred or to be incurred by him for the purposes of the company or for the purpose of enabling him properly to perform his duties as an officer of the company.
Nor does the section prohibit a company from doing anything to enable a director to avoid incurring such expenditure.
Subsections (1) and (2) apply only if one of the following conditions is satisfied— but those subsections do not authorise a relevant company to enter into any transaction if the aggregate of the relevant amounts exceeds £10,000.
the thing in question is done with prior approval of the company given at a general meeting at which there are disclosed all the matters mentioned in the next subsection ;
that thing is done on condition that, if the approval of the company is not so given at or before the next annual general meeting, the loan is to be repaid, or any other liability arising under any such transaction discharged, within 6 months from the conclusion of that meeting;
The matters to be disclosed under subsection (3)(a) are—
the purpose of the expenditure incurred or to be incurred, or which would otherwise be incurred, by the director,
the amount of the funds to be provided by the company, and
the extent of the company's liability under any transaction which is or is connected with the tiling in question.
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There is excepted from the prohibitions in section 330—
a loan or quasi-loan made by a money-lending company to any person ; or
a money-lending company entering into a guarantee in connection with any other loan or quasi-loan.
"Money-lending company" means a company whose ordinary business includes the making of loans or quasi-loans, or the giving of guarantees in connection with loans or quasi-loans.
Subsection (1) applies only if both the following conditions are satisfied—
the loan or quasi-loan in question is made by the company, or it enters into the guarantee, in the ordinary course of the company's business; and
the amount of the loan or quasi-loan, or the amount guaranteed, is not greater, and the terms of the loan, quasi-loan or guarantee are not more favourable, in the case of the person to whom the loan or quasi-loan is made or in respect of whom the guarantee is entered into, than that or those which it is reasonable to expect that company to have offered to or in respect of a person of the same financial standing but unconnected with the company.
But subsection (1) does not authorise a relevant company (unless it is a recognised bank) to enter into any transaction if the aggregate of the relevant amounts exceeds £50,000.
In determining that aggregate, a company which a director does not control is deemed not to be connected with him.
The condition specified in subsection (3)(b) does not of itself prevent a company from making a loan to one of its directors or a director of its holding company—
tor the purpose of facilitating the purchase, for use as that director's only or main residence, of the whole or part of any dwelling-house together with any land to be occupied and enjoyed with it;
for the purpose of improving a dwelling-house or part of a dwelling-house so used or any land occupied and enjoyed with it;
in substitution for any loan made by any person and falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection. if loans of that description are ordinarily made by the company to its employees and on terms no less favourable than those on which the transaction in question is made, and the aggregate of the relevant amounts does not exceed £50,000.
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This section has effect for defining the "relevant amounts" to be aggregated under sections 334, 335(1), 337(3) and 338(4); and in relation to any proposed transaction or arrangement and the question whether it falls within one or other of the exceptions provided by those sections, "the relevant exception " is that exception; but where the relevant exception is the one provided by section 334 (loan of small amount), references in this section to a person connected with a director are to be disregarded.
Subject as follows, the relevant amounts in relation to a proposed transaction or arrangement are—
the value of the proposed transaction or arrangement,
the value of any existing arrangement which—
falls within subsection (6) or (7) of section 330, and
also falls within subsection (3) of this section, and
was entered into by virtue of the relevant exception by the company or by a subsidiary of the company or, where the proposed transaction or arrangement is to be made for a director of its holding company or a person connected with such a director, by that holding company or any of its subsidiaries;
the amount outstanding under any other transaction—
falling within subsection (3) below, and
made by virtue of the relevant exception, and
made by the company or by a subsidiary of the company or, where the proposed transaction or arrangement is to be made for a director of its holding company or a person connected with such a director, by that holding company or any of its subsidiaries.
A transaction falls within this subsection if it was made— and an arrangement also falls within this subsection if it relates to a transaction which does so.
for the director for whom the proposed transaction or arrangement is to be made, or for any person connected with that director ; or
where the proposed transaction or arrangement is to be made for a person connected with a director of a company, for that director or any person connected with him;
But where the proposed transaction falls within section 338 and is one which a recognised bank proposes to enter into under subsection (6) of that section (housing loans, etc.), any other transaction or arrangement which apart from this subsection would fall within subsection (3) of this section does not do so unless it was entered into in pursuance of section 338(6).
A transaction entered into by a company which is (at the time of that transaction being entered into) a subsidiary of the company which is to make the proposed transaction, or is a subsidiary of that company's holding company, does not fall within subsection (3) if at the time when the question arises (that is to say, the question whether the proposed transaction or arrangement falls within any relevant exception), it no longer is such a subsidiary.
Values for purposes of subsection (2) of this section are to be determined in accordance with the section next following; and " the amount outstanding " for purposes of subsection (2)(c) above is the value of the transaction less any amount by which that value has been reduced.
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This section has effect for determining the value of a transaction or arrangement for purposes of sections 330 to 339.
The value of a loan is the amount of its principal.
The value of a quasi-loan is the amount, or maximum amount, which the person to whom the quasi-loan is made is liable to reimburse the creditor.
The value of a guarantee or security is the amount guaranteed or secured.
The value of an arrangement to which section 330(6) or (7) applies is the value of the transaction to which the arrangement relates less any amount by which the liabilities under the arrangement or transaction of the person for whom the transaction was made have been reduced.
The value of a transaction or arrangement not falling within subsections (2) to (5) above is the price which it is reasonable to expect could be obtained for the goods, land or services to which the transaction or arrangement relates if they had been supplied (at the time the transaction or arrangement is entered into) in the ordinary course of business and on the same terms (apart from price) as they have been supplied, or are to be supplied, under the transaction or arrangement in question.
For purposes of this section, the value of a transaction or arrangement which is not capable of being expressed as a specific sum of money (because the amount of any liability arising under the transaction or arrangement is unascertainable, or for any other reason), whether or not any liability under the transaction or arrangement has been reduced, is deemed to exceed £50,000.
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If a company enters into a transaction or arrangement in contravention of section 330, the transaction or arrangement is voidable at the instance of the company unless—
restitution of any money or any other asset which is the subject matter of the arrangement or transaction is no longer possible, or the company has been indemnified in pursuance of subsection (2)(b) below for the loss or damage suffered by it, or
any rights acquired bona fide for value and without actual notice of the contravention by a person other than the person for whom the transaction or arrangement was made would be affected by its avoidance.
Where an arrangement or transaction is made by a company for a director of the company or its holding company or a person connected with such a director in contravention of section 330, that director and the person so connected and any other director of the company who authorised the transaction or arrangement (whether or not it has been avoided in pursuance of subsection (1)) is liable—
to account to the company for any gain which he has made directly or indirectly by the arrangement or transaction; and
(jointly and severally with any other person liable under this subsection) to indemnify the company for any loss or damage resulting from the arrangement or transaction.
Subsection (2) is without prejudice to any liability imposed otherwise than by that subsection, but is subject to the next two subsections.
Where an arrangement or transaction is entered into by a company and a person connected with a director of the company or its holding company in contravention of section 330, that director is not liable under subsection (2) of this section if he shows that he took all reasonable steps to secure the company's compliance with that section.
In any case, a person so connected and any such other director as is mentioned in subsection (2) is not so liable if he shows that, at the time the arrangement or transaction was entered into, he did not know the relevant circumstances constituting the contravention.
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A director of a relevant company who authorises or permits the company to enter into a transaction or arrangement knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the company was thereby contravening section 330 is guilty of an offence.
A relevant company which enters into a transaction or arrangement for one of its directors or for a director of its holding company in contravention of section 330 is guilty of an offence.
A person who procures a relevant company to enter into a transaction or arrangement knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the company was thereby contravening section 330 is guilty of an offence.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
A relevant company is not guilty of an offence under subsection (2) if it shows that, at the time the transaction or arrangement was entered into, it did not know the relevant circumstances.
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The following provisions of this section—
apply in the case of a company which is, or is the holding company of, a recognised bank, and
are subject to the exceptions provided by section 344.
Such a company shall maintain a register containing a copy of every transaction, arrangement or agreement of which particulars would, but for paragraph 4 of Schedule 6, be required by section 232 to be disclosed in the company's accounts or group accounts for the current financial year and for each of the preceding 10 financial years.
In the case of a transaction, arrangement or agreement which is not in writing, there shall be contained in the register a written memorandum setting out its terms.
Such a company shall before its annual general meeting make available at its registered office for not less than 15 days ending with the date of the meeting a statement containing the particulars of transactions, arrangements and agreements which the company would, but for paragraph 4 of Schedule 6, be required by section 232 to disclose in its accounts or group accounts for the last complete financial year preceding that meeting.
The statement shall be so made available for inspection by members of the company; and such a statement shall also be made available for their inspection at the annual general meeting.
It is the duty of the company's auditors to examine the statement before it is made available to members of the company and to make a report to the members on it; and the report shall be annexed to the statement before it is made so available.
The auditors' report shall state whether in their opinion the statement contains the particulars required by subsection (4); and, where their opinion is that it does not, they shall include in the report, so far as they are reasonably able to do so, a statement giving the required particulars.
If a company fails to comply with any provision of subsections (2) to (5), every person who at the time of the failure is a director of it is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine; but—
it is a defence in proceedings against a person for this offence to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with the subsection concerned, and
a person is not guilty of the offence by virtue only of being a shadow director of the company.
For purposes of the application of this section to loans and quasi-loans made by a company to persons connected with a person who at any time is a director of the company or of its holding company, a company which a person does not control is not connected with him.
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Section 343 does not apply in relation to— if the aggregate of the values of each transaction or arrangement made for that person, and of each agreement for such a transaction or arrangement, less the amount (if any) by which the value of those transactions, arrangements and agreements has been reduced, did not exceed £1,000 at any time during the financial year. For purposes of this subsection, values are to be determined as under section 340.
transactions or arrangements made or subsisting during a financial year by a company or by a subsidiary of a company for a person who was at any time during that year a director of the company or of its holding company or was connected with such a director, or
an agreement made or subsisting during that year to enter into such a transaction or arrangement,
Section 343(4) and (5) do not apply to a recognised bank which is the wholly-owned subsidiary of a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.
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The Secretary of State may by order in a statutory instrument substitute for any sum of money specified in this Part a larger sum specified in the order.
An order under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
Such an order does not have effect in relation to anything done or not done before its coming into force ; and accordingly, proceedings in respect of any liability (whether civil or criminal) incurred before that time may be continued or instituted as if the order had not been made.
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This section has effect with respect to references in this Part to a person being " connected " with a director of a company, and to a director being " associated with " or " controlling " a body corporate.
A person is connected with a director of a company if, but only if, he (not being himself a director of it) is—
that director's spouse, child or step-child ; or
except where the context otherwise requires, a body corporate with which the director is associated; or
a person acting in his capacity as trustee of any trust the beneficiaries of which include—
the director, his spouse or any children or step-children of his, or
a body corporate with which he is associated, or of a trust whose terms confer a power on the trustees that may be exercised for the benefit of the director, his spouse, or any children or step-children of his, or any such body corporate ; or
a person acting in his capacity as partner of that director or of any person who, by virtue of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection, is connected with that director; or
a Scottish firm in which—
that director is a partner,
a partner is a person who, by virtue of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, is connected with that director, or
a partner is a Scottish firm in which that director is a partner or in which there is a partner who, by virtue of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, is connected with that director.
In subsection (2)—
a reference to the child or step-child of any person includes an illegitimate child of his, but does not include any person who has attained the age of 18 ; and
paragraph (c) does not apply to a person acting in his capacity as trustee under an employees' share scheme or a pension scheme.
A director of a company is associated with a body corporate if, but only if, he and the persons connected with him, together—
are interested in shares comprised in the equity share capital of that body corporate of a nominal value equal to at least one-fifth of that share capital; or
are entitled to exercise or control the exercise of more than one-fifth of the voting power at any general meeting of that body.
A director of a company is deemed to control a body corporate if, but only if—
he or any person connected with him is interested in any part of the equity share capital of that body or is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of any part of the voting power at any general meeting of that body; and
that director, the persons connected with him and the other directors of that company, together, are interested in more than one-half of that share capital or are entitled to exercise or control the exercise of more than one-half of that voting power.
For purposes of subsections (4) and (5)—
a body corporate with which a director is associated is not to be treated as connected with that director unless it is also connected with him by virtue of subsection (2)(c) or (d); and
a trustee of a trust the beneficiaries of which include (or may include) a body corporate with which a director is associated is not to be treated as connected with a director by reason only of that fact.
The rules set out in Part I of Schedule 13 apply for the purposes of subsections (4) and (5).
References in those subsections to voting power the exercise of which is controlled by a director include voting power whose exercise is controlled by a body corporate controlled by him ; but this is without prejudice to other provisions of subsections (4) and (5).
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Every company shall paint or affix, and keep painted or affixed, its name on the outside of every office or place in which its business is carried on, in a conspicuous position and in letters easily legible.
If a company does not paint or affix its name as required above, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine; and if a company does not keep its name painted or affixed as so required, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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Every company shall have its name mentioned in legible characters—
in all business letters of the company,
in all its notices and other official publications,
in all bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques and orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the company, and
in all its bills of parcels, invoices, receipts and letters of credit.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (1) it is liable to a fine.
If an officer of a company or a person on its behalf— he is liable to a fine.
issues or authorises the issue of any business letter of the company, or any notice or other official publication of the company, in which the company's name is not mentioned as required by subsection (1), or
issues or authorises the issue of any bill of parcels, invoice, receipt or letter of credit of the company in which its name is not so mentioned,
If an officer of a company or a person on its behalf signs or authorises to be signed on behalf of the company any bill of exchange, promissory note, endorsement, cheque or order for money or goods in which the company's name is not mentioned as required by subsection (1), he is liable to a fine; and he is further personally liable to the holder of the bill of exchange, promissory note, cheque or order for money or goods for the amount of it (unless it is duly paid by the company).
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Every company shall have its name engraved in legible characters on its seal; and if a company fails to comply with this subsection, it is liable to a fine.
If an officer of a company or a person on its behalf uses or authorises the use of any seal purporting to be a seal of the company on which its name is not engraved as required by subsection (1), he is liable to a fine.
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Every company shall have the following particulars mentioned in legible characters in all business letters and order forms of the company, that is to say—
the company's place of registration and the number with which it is registered,
the address of its registered office,
in the case of an investment company (as defined in section 266), the fact that it is such a company, and
in the case of a limited company exempt from the obligation to use the word " limited " as part of its name, the fact that it is a limited company.
If in the case of a company having a share capital there is on the stationery used for any such letters, or on the company's order forms, a reference to the amount of share capital, the reference must be to paid-up share capital.
Where the name of a public company includes, as its last part, the equivalent in Welsh of the words " public limited company " (" cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus "), the fact that the company is a public limited company shall be stated in English and in legible characters—
in all prospectuses, bill-heads, letter paper, notices and other official publications of the company, and
in a notice conspicuously displayed in every place in which the company's business is carried on.
Where the name of a limited company has " cyfyngedig " as the last word, the fact that the company is a limited company shall be stated in English and in legible characters—
in all prospectuses, bill-heads, letter paper, notices and other official publications of the company, and
in a notice conspicuously displayed in every place in which the company's business is carried on.
As to contraventions of this section, the following applies—
if a company fails to comply with subsection (1) or (2). it is liable to a fine,
if an officer of a company or a person on its behalf issues or authorises the issue of any business letter or order form not complying with those subsections, he is liable to a fine, and
if subsection (3) or (4) is contravened, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, in the case of subsection (3), to a daily default fine for continued contravention.
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Every company shall keep a register of its members and enter in it the particulars required by this section.
There shall be entered in the register—
the names and addresses of the members;
the date on which each person was registered as a member; and
the date at which any person ceased to be a member.
The following applies in the case of a company having a share capital—
with the names and addresses of the members there shall be entered a statement—
of the shares held by each member, distinguishing each share by its number (so long as the share has a number) and, where the company has more than one class of issued shares, by its class, and
of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid on the shares of each member;
where the company has converted any of its shares into stock and given notice of the conversion to the rigistrar of companies, the register shall show the amount and class of stock held by each member, instead of the amount of shares and the particulars relating to shares specified in paragraph (a).
in the case of a company which does not have a share capital but has more than one class of members, there shall be entered in the register, with the names and addresses of the members, the class to which each member belongs.
If a company makes default in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
An entry relating to a former member of the company may be removed from the register after the expiration of 20 years from the date on which he ceased to be a member.
Liability incurred by a company from the making or deletion of an entry in its register of members, or from a failure to make or delete any such entry, is not enforceable more than 20 years after the date on which the entry was made or deleted or, in the case of any such failure, the failure first occurred. This is without prejudice to any lesser period of limitation.
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A company's register of members shall be kept at its registered office, except that— but it must not be kept, in the case of a company registered in England and Wales, at any place elsewhere than in England and Wales or, in the case of a company registered in Scotland, at any place elsewhere than in Scotland.
if the work of making it up is done at another office of the company, it may be kept there; and
if the company arranges with some other person for the making up of the register to be undertaken on its behalf by that other, it may be kept at the office of the other at which the work is done ;
Subject as follows, every company shall send notice in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies of the place where its register of members is kept, and of any change in that place.
The notice need not be sent if the register has, at all times since it came into existence (or, in the case of a register in existence on 1st July 1948, at all times since then) been kept at the company's registered office.
If a company makes default for 14 days in complying with subsection (2), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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Every company having more than 50 members shall, unless the register of members is in such a form as to constitute in itself an index, keep an index of the names of the members of the company and shall, within 14 days after the date on which any alteration is made in the register of members, make any necessary alteration in the index.
The index shall in respect of each member contain a sufficient indication to enable the account of that member in the register to be readily found.
The index shall be at all times kept at the same place as the register of members.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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On the issue of a share warrant the company shall strike out of its register of members the name of the member then entered in it as holding the shares specified in the warrant as if he had ceased to be a member, and shall enter in the register the following particulars, namely—
the fact of the issue of the warrant;
a statement of the shares included in the warrant, distinguishing each share by its number so long as the share has a number ; and
the date of the issue of the warrant.
Subject to the company's articles, the bearer of a share warrant is entitled, on surrendering it for cancellation, to have his name entered as a member in the register of members.
The company is responsible for any loss incurred by any person by reason of the company entering in the register the name of a bearer of a share warrant in respect of the shares specified in it without the warrant being surrendered and cancelled.
Until the warrant is surrendered, the particulars specified in subsection (1) are deemed to be those required by this Act to be entered in the register of members ; and, on the surrender, the date of the surrender must be entered.
Except as provided by section 291(2) (director's share qualification), the bearer of a share warrant may, if the articles of the company so provide, be deemed a member of the company within the meaning of this Act, either to the full extent or for any purposes defined in the articles.
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Except when the register of members is closed under the provisions of this Act, the register and the index of members' names shall during business hours be open to the inspection of any member of the company without charge, and of any other person on payment of the appropriate charge.
The reference to business hours is subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company in general meeting may impose, but so that not less than 2 hours in each day is to be allowed for inspection.
Any member of the company or other person may require a copy of the register, or of any part of it, on payment of the appropriate charge; and the company shall cause any copy so required by a person to be sent to him within 10 days beginning with the day next following that on which the requirement is received by the company.
The appropriate charge is—
under subsection (1), 5 pence or such less sum as the company may prescribe, for each inspection; and
under subsection (3), 10 pence or such less sum as the company may prescribe, for every 100 words (or fraction of 100 words) required to be copied.
If an inspection required under this section is refused, or if a copy so required is not sent within the proper period, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable in respect of each offence to a fine.
In the case of such refusal or default, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of the register and index, or direct that the copies required be sent to the persons requiring them.
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If— the person aggrieved, or any member of the company, or the company, may apply to the court for rectification of the register.
the name of any person is, without sufficient cause, entered in or omitted from a company's register of members, or
default is made or unnecessary delay takes place in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a member,
The court may either refuse the application or may order rectification of the register and payment by the company of any damages sustained by any party aggrieved.
On such an application the court may decide any question relating to the title of a person who is a party to the application to have his name entered in or omitted from the register, whether the question arises between members or alleged members, or between members or alleged members on the one hand and the company on the other hand, and generally may decide any question necessary or expedient to be decided for rectification of the register.
In the case of a company required by this Act to send a list of its members to the registrar of companies, the court, when making an order for rectification of the register, shall by its order direct notice of the rectification to be given to the registrar.
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A company having a share capital whose objects comprise the transaction of business in any of the countries or territories specified in Part I of Schedule 14 to this Act may cause to be kept in any such country or territory in which it transacts business a branch register of members resident in that country or territory.
Such a branch register is to be known as an " overseas branch register " ; and—
any dominion register kept by a company under section 119 of the Companies Act 1948 is to become known as an overseas branch register of the company ;
where any Act or instrument (including in particular a company's articles) refers to a company's dominion register, that reference is to be read (unless the context otherwise requires) as being to an overseas branch register kept under this section ; and
references to a colonial register occurring in articles registered before 1st November 1929 are to be read as referring to an overseas branch register.
Part II of Schedule 14 has effect with respect to overseas branch registers kept under this section; and Part III of the Schedule enables corresponding facilities in Great Britain to be accorded to companies incorporated in other parts of the world.
The Foreign Jurisdiction Act 1890 has effect as if subsection (1) of this section, and Part II of Schedule 14, were included among the enactments which by virtue of section 5 of that Act may be applied by Order in Council to foreign countries in which for the time being Her Majesty has jurisdiction.
Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that subsection (1) above and Part II of Schedule 14 shall extend, with such exceptions, modifications or adaptations (if any) as may be specified in the Order, to any territories under Her Majesty's protection to which those provisions cannot be extended under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act 1890.
Every company shall deliver to the registrar successive annual returns each of which is made up to a date not later than the date which is from time to time the company’s “return date”, that is—
the anniversary of the company’s incorporation, or
if the company’s last return delivered in accordance with this Chapter was made up to a different date, the anniversary of that date.
Each return shall— and it shall be delivered to the registrar within 28 days after the date to which it is made up.
be in the prescribed form,
contain the information required by or under the following provisions of this Chapter, and
be signed by a director or the secretary of the company;
If a company fails to deliver an annual return in accordance with this Chapter before the end of the period of 28 days after a return date, the company is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, in the case of continued contravention, to a daily default fine. The contravention continues until such time as an annual return made up to that return date and complying with the requirements of subsection (2) (except as to date of delivery) is delivered by the company to the registrar.
Where a company is guilty of an offence under subsection (3), every director or secretary of the company is similarly liable unless he shows that he took all reasonable steps to avoid the commission or continuation of the offence.
The references in this section to a return being delivered “in accordance with this Chapter” are—
in relation to a return made on or after 1st October 1990, to a return with respect to which all the requirements of subsection (2) are complied with;
in relation to a return made before 1st October 1990, to a return with respect to which the formal and substantive requirements of this Chapter as it then had effect were complied with, whether or not the return was delivered in time.
The following applies to a company keeping an overseas branch register—
references in subsection (5) to the particulars required by paragraph 5 are to be taken as not including any such particulars contained in the overseas branch register, in so far as copies of the entries containing those particulars are not received at the company's registered office before the date when the return in question is made;
if an annual return is made between the date when entries are made in the overseas branch register and the date when copies of those entries are received at the company's registered office, the particulars contained in those entries (so far as relevant to an annual return) shall be included in the next or a subsequent annual return, as may be appropriate having regard to the particulars included in that return with respect to the company's register of members.
If a company fails to comply with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
For purposes of this section and Schedule 15, a shadow director is deemed a director and officer.
Every annual return shall state the date to which it is made up and shall contain the following information—
the address of the company’s registered office;
the type of company it is and its principal business activities;
the name and address of the company secretary (if any) ;
the name and address of every director of the company;
in the case of each individual director—
his nationality, date of birth and business occupation, . . .
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if the register of members is not kept at the company’s registered office, the address of the place where it is kept;
if any register of debenture holders (or a duplicate of any such register or a part of it) is not kept at the company’s registered office, the address of the place where it is kept;
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whether the company was a traded company at any time during the return period.
The information as to the company’s type shall be given by reference to the classification scheme prescribed for the purposes of this section.
The information as to the company’s principal business activities may be given by reference to one or more categories of any prescribed system of classifying business activities.
A person’s “name” and “address” mean, respectively—
in the case of an individual, his Christian name (or other forename) and surname and his usual residential address;
in the case of a corporation or Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and its registered or principal office.
In the case of a peer, or an individual usually known by a title, the title may be stated instead of his Christian name (or other forename) and surname or in addition to either or both of them.
Where all the partners in a firm are joint secretaries, the name and principal office of the firm may be stated instead of the names and addresses of the partners.
The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision as to the information to be given in a company’s annual return, which may amend or repeal the provisions of sections 364 and 364A.
Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliamant.
For the purposes of this Chapter, except section 363(2)(c) (signature of annual return), a shadow director shall be deemed to be a director.
The annual return of a company that was a non-traded company throughout the return period must also contain the following information.
The return must contain a list of the names of every person who was a member of the company at any time during the return period. If the names are not arranged in alphabetical order the return must have annexed to it an index sufficient to enable the name of any person in the list to be easily found.
The return must also state—
the number of shares of each class held at the end of the date to which the return is made up by each person who was a member of the company at that time,
the number of shares of each class transferred during the return period by or to each person who was a member of the company at any time during that period, and
the dates of registration of those transfers.
If either of the two immediately preceding returns has given the full particulars required by subsections (2) and (3), the return need only give such particulars as relate—
to persons who became, or ceased to be, members during the return period, and
to shares transferred during that period.
Subsections (2) and (3) do not require the inclusion of particulars entered in an overseas branch register if copies of those entries have not been received at the company's registered office by the date to which the return is made up. Those particulars must be included in the company's next annual return after they are received.
The annual return of a company that was a traded company at any time during the return period must also contain the following information.
The return must contain a list of the names and addresses of every person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at any time during the return period. If the names are not arranged in alphabetical order the return must have annexed to it an index sufficient to enable the name of any person in the list to be easily found.
The return must also state—
the number of shares of each class held at the end of the date to which the return is made up by each person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at that time,
the number of shares of each class transferred during the return period by or to each person who held at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company at any time during the return period, and
the dates of registration of those transfers.
If either of the two immediately preceding returns has given the full particulars required by subsections (2) and (3), the return need only give such particulars as relate—
to persons who came to hold, or ceased to hold, at least 5% of the issued shares of any class of the company during the return period, and
to shares transferred during that period.
Subsections (2) and (3) do not require the inclusion of particulars entered in an overseas branch register if copies of those entries have not been received at the company's registered office by the date to which the return is made up. Those particulars must be included in the company's next annual return after they are received.
In sections 364, 364B and 364C—
B. Income 1. Turnover 2. Other operating income 3. Income from shares in group undertakings 4. Income from participating interests 5. Income from other fixed asset investments (15) 6. Other interest receivable and similar income (15) 7. Profit or loss on ordinary activities after taxation 8. Extraordinary income 9. Profit or loss for the financial year
the termination of the winding up of the company, and
the company ceasing to be registered, in circumstances where ceasing to be registered is an event of legal significance.
Where a company has converted any of its shares into stock, the return must give information in relation to that stock corresponding to that required by section 364B or 364C (as the case may be) in relation to shares of the company, stating the amount of stock instead of the number of shares.
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Every company shall in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting in addition to any other meetings in that year, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it.
However, so long as a company holds its first annual general meeting within 18 months of its incorporation, it need not hold it in the year of its incorporation or in the following year.
Not more than 15 months shall elapse between the date of one annual general meeting of a company and that of the next
If default is made in holding a meeting in accordance with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
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If default is made in holding a meeting in accordance with section 366, the Secretary of State may, on the application of any member of the company, call, or direct the calling of, a general meeting of the company and give such ancillary or consequential directions as he thinks expedient including directions modifying or supplementing, in relation to the calling, holding and conduct of the meeting, the operation of the company's articles.
The directions that may be given under subsection (1) include a direction that one member of the company present in person or by proxy shall be deemed to constitute a meeting.
If default is made in complying with directions of the Secretary of State under subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
A general meeting held under this section shall, subject to any directions of the Secretary of State, be deemed to be an annual general meeting of the company; but, where a meeting so held is not held in the year in which the default in holding the company's annual general meeting occurred, the meeting so held shall not be treated as the annual general meeting for the year in which it is held unless at that meeting the company resolves that it be so treated.
Where a company so resolves, a copy of the resolution shall, within 15 days after its passing, be forwarded to the registrar of companies and recorded by him; and if default is made in complying with this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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The directors of a company shall, on a members' requisition, forthwith proceed duly to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the company. This applies notwithstanding anything in the company's articles.
A members' requisition is a requisition of—
members of the company holding at the date of the deposit of the requisition not less than one-tenth of such of the paid-up capital of the company as at that date carries the right of voting at general meetings of the company; or
in the case of a company not having a share capital, members of it representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the members having at the date of deposit of the requisition a right to vote at general meetings.
The requisition must state the objects of the meeting, and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the registered office of the company, and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.
If the directors do not within 21 days from the date of the deposit of the requisition proceed duly to convene a meeting, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a meeting, but any meeting so convened shall not be held after the expiration of 3 months from that date.
A meeting convened under this section by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner, as nearly as possible, as that in which meetings are to be convened by directors.
Any reasonable expenses incurred by the requisionists by reason of the failure of the directors duly to convene a meeting shall be repaid to the requisitionists by the company, and any sum so repaid shall be retained by the company out of any sums due or to become due from the company by way of fees or other remuneration in respect of their services to such of the directors as were in default.
In the case of a meeting at which a resolution is to be proposed as a special resolution, the directors are deemed not to have duly convened the meeting if they do not give the notice required for special resolutions by section 378(2).
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A provision of a company's articles is void in so far as it provides for the calling of a meeting of the company (other than an adjourned meeting) by a shorter notice than—
in the case of the annual general meeting, 21 days' notice in writing; and
in the case of a meeting other than an annual general meeting or a meeting for the passing of a special resolution—
7 days' notice in writing in the case of an unlimited company, and
otherwise, 14 days' notice in writing.
Save in so far as the articles of a company make other provision in that behalf (not being a provision avoided by subsection (1)), a meeting of the company (other than an adjourned meeting) may be called—
in the case of the annual general meeting, by 21 days' notice in writing; and
in the case of a meeting other than an annual general meeting or a meeting for the passing of a special resolution—
by 7 days' notice in writing in the case of an unlimited company, and
otherwise, 14 days' notice in writing.
Notwithstanding that a meeting is called by shorter notice than that specified in subsection (2) or in the company's articles (as the case may be), it is deemed to have been duly called if it is so agreed—
in the case of a meeting called as the annual general meeting, by all the members entitled to attend and vote at it; and
otherwise, by the requisite majority.
The requisite majority for this purpose is a majority in number of the members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority—
together holding not less than 95 per cent, in nominal value of the shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting; or
in the case of a company not having a share capital, together representing not less than 95 per cent, of the total voting rights at that meeting of all the members.
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The following provisions have effect in so far as the articles of the company do not make other provision in that behalf.
Notice of the meeting of a company shall be served on every member of it in the manner in which notices are required to be served by Table A (as for the time being in force).
Two or more members holding not less than one-tenth of the issued share capital or, if the company does not have a share capital, not less than 5 per cent, in number of the members of the company may call a meeting.
Two members personally present are a quorum.
Any member elected by the members present at a meeting may be chairman of it
In the case of a company originally having a share capital, every member has one vote in respect of each share or each £10 of stock held by him; and in any other case every member has one vote.
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If for any reason it is impracticable to call a meeting of a company in any manner in which meetings of that company may be called, or to conduct the meeting in manner prescribed by the articles or this Act, the court may, either of its own motion or on the application— order a meeting to be called, held and conducted in any manner the court thinks fit.
of any director of the company, or
of any member of the company who would be entitled to vote at the meeting,
Where such an order is made, the court may give such ancillary or consequential directions as it thinks expedient; and these may include a direction that one member of the company present in person or by proxy be deemed to constitute a meeting.
A meeting called, held and conducted in accordance with an order under subsection (1) is deemed for all purposes a meeting of the company duly called, held and conducted.
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Any member of a company entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of it is entitled to appoint another person (whether a member or not) as his proxy to attend and vote instead of him; and in the case of a private company a proxy appointed to attend and vote instead of a member has also the same right as the member to speak at the meeting.
But, unless the articles otherwise provide—
subsection (1) does not apply in the case of a company not having a share capital; and
a member of a private company is not entitled to appoint more than one proxy to attend on the same occasion; and
a proxy is not entitled to vote except on a poll.
In the case of a company having a share capital, in every notice calling a meeting of the company there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that a member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy or, where that is allowed, one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of him, and that a proxy need not also be a member.
If default is made in complying with subsection (3) as respects any meeting, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine.
A provision contained in a company's articles is void in so far as it would have the effect of requiring the instrument appointing a proxy, or any other document necessary to show the validity of, or otherwise relating to, the appointment of a proxy, to be received by the company or any other person more than 48 hours before a meeting or adjourned meeting in order that the appointment may be effective.
If for the purpose of any meeting of a company invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the company's expense to some only of the members entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting and to vote at it by proxy, then every officer of the company who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits their issue in that manner is liable to a fine. However, an officer is not so liable by reason only of the issue to a member at his request in writing of a form of appointment naming the proxy, or of a list of persons willing to act as proxy, if the form or list is available on request in writing to every member entitled to vote at the meeting by proxy.
This section applies to meetings of any class of members of a company as it applies to general meetings of the company.
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A provision contained in a company's articles is void in so far as it would have the effect either—
of excluding the right to demand a poll at a general meeting on any question other than the election of the chairman of the meeting or the adjournment of the meeting; or
of making ineffective a demand for a poll on any such question which is made either—
by not less than 5 members having the right to vote at the meeting; or
by a member or members representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the members having the right to vote at the meeting; or
by a member or members holding shares in the company conferring a right to vote at the meeting, being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right.
The instrument appointing a proxy to vote at a meeting of a company is deemed also to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll; and for the purposes of subsection (1) a demand by a person as proxy for a member is the same as a demand by the member.
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A corporation, whether or not a company within the meaning of this Act, may—
if it is a member of another corporation, being such a company, by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the company or at any meeting of any class of members of the company;
if it is a creditor (including a holder of debentures) of another corporation, being such a company, by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of creditors of the company held in pursuance of this Act or of rules made under it, or in pursuance of the provisions contained in any debenture or trust deed, as the case may be.
A person so authorised is entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual shareholder, creditor or debenture-holder of the other company.
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Subject to the section next following, it is the duty of a company, on the requisition in writing of such number of members as is specified below and (unless the company otherwise resolves) at the expense of the requisitionists—
to give to members of the company entitled to receive notice of the next annual general meeting notice of any resolution which may properly be moved and is intended to be moved at that meeting ;
to circulate to members entitled to have notice of any general meeting sent to them any statement of not mat than 1,000 words with respect to the matter referred to in any proposed resolution or the business to be dealt with at that meeting.
The number of members necessary for a requisition under subsection (1) is—
any number representing not less than one-twentieth of the total voting rights of all the members having at the date of the requisition a right to vote at the meeting to which the requisition relates; or
not less than 100 members holding shares in the company on which there has been paid up an average sum, per member, of not less than £100.
Notice of any such resolution shall be given, and any such statement shall be circulated, to members of the company entitled to have notice of the meeting sent to them, by serving a copy of the resolution or statement on each such member in any manner permitted for service of notice of the meeting.
Notice of any such resolution shall be given to any other member of the company by giving notice of the general effect of the resolution in any manner permitted for giving him notice of meetings of the company.
For compliance with subsections (3) and (4), the copy must be served, or notice of the effect of the resolution be given (as the case may be), in the same manner and (so far as practicable) at the same time as notice of the meeting; and, where it is not practicable for it to be served or given at the same time, it must be served or given as soon as practicable thereafter.
The business which may be dealt with at an annual general meeting includes any resolution of which notice is given in accordance with this section ; and for purposes of this subsection notice is deemed to have been so given notwithstanding the accidental omission, in giving it, of one or more members. This has effect notwithstanding anything in the company's articles.
In the event of default in complying with this section, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine.
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A company is not bound under section 376 to give notice of a resolution or to circulate a statement unless—
a copy of the requisition signed by the requisitionists (or two or more copies which between them contain the signatures of all the requisitionists) is deposited at the registered office of the company—
in the case of a requisition requiring notice of a resolution, not less than 6 weeks before the meeting, and
otherwise, not less than one week before the meeting; and
there is deposited or tendered with the requisition a sum reasonably sufficient to meet the company's expenses in giving effect to it.
But if, after a copy of a requisition requiring notice of a resolution has been deposited at the company's registered office, an annual general meeting is called for a date 6 weeks or less after the copy has been deposited, the copy (though not deposited within the time required by subsection (1)) is deemed properly deposited for the purposes of that subsection.
The company is also not bound under section 376 to circulate a statement if, on the application either of the company or of any other person who claims to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the rights conferred by that section are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter; and the court may order the company's costs on such an application to be paid in whole or in part by the requisitionists, notwithstanding that they are not parties to the application.
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A resolution is an extraordinary resolution when it has been passed by a majority of not less than three-fourths of such members as (being entitled to do so) vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy, at a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as an extraordinary resolution has been duly given.
A resolution is a special resolution when it has been passed by such a majority as is required for the passing of an extraordinary resolution and at a general meeting of which not less than 21 days' notice, specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution, has been duly given.
If it is so agreed by a majority in number of the members having the right to attend and vote at such a meeting, being a majority— a resolution may be proposed and passed as a special resolution at a meeting of which less than 21 days' notice has been given.
together holding not less than 95 per cent, in nominal value of the shares giving that right; or
in the case of a company not having a share capital, together representing not less than 95 per cent, of the total voting rights at that meeting of all the members,
At any meeting at which an extraordinary resolution or a special resolution is submitted to be passed, a declaration by the chairman that the resolution is carried is, unless a poll is demanded, conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution.
In computing the majority on a poll demanded on the question that an extraordinary resolution or a special resolution be passed, reference is to be had to the number of votes cast for and against the resolution.
For purposes of this section, notice of a meeting is deemed duly given, and the meeting duly held, when the notice is given and the meeting held in the manner provided by this Act or the company's articles.
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Where by any provision of this Act special notice is required of a resolution, the resolution is not effective unless notice of the intention to move it has been given to the company at least 28 days before the meeting at which it is moved.
The company shall give its members notice of any such resolution at the same time and in the same manner as it gives notice of the meeting or, if that is not practicable, shall give them notice either by advertisement in a newspaper having an appropriate circulation or in any other mode allowed by the company's articles, at least 21 days before the meeting.
If, after notice of the intention to move such a resolution has been given to the company, a meeting is called for a date 28 days or less after the notice has been given, the notice is deemed properly given, though not given within the time required.
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A copy of every resolution or agreement to which this section applies shall, within 15 days after it is passed or made, be forwarded to the registrar of companies and recorded by him; and it must be either a printed copy or else a copy in some other form approved by the registrar.
Where articles have been registered, a copy of every such resolution or agreement for the time being in force shall be embodied in or annexed to every copy of the articles issued after the passing of the resolution or the making of the agreement.
Where articles have not been registered, a printed copy of every such resolution or agreement shall be forwarded to any member at his request on payment of 5 pence or such less sum as the company may direct.
This section applies to—
special resolutions;
extraordinary resolutions;
resolutions or agreements which have been agreed to by all the members of a company but which, if not so agreed to, would not have been effective for their purpose unless (as the case may be) they had been passed as special resolutions or as extraordinary resolutions ;
resolutions or agreements which have been agreed to by all the members of some class of shareholders but which, if not so agreed to, would not have been effective for their purpose unless they had been passed by some particular majority or otherwise in some particular manner, and all resolutions or agreements which effectively bind all the members of any class of shareholders though not agreed to by all those members;
a resolution passed by the directors of a company in compliance with a direction under section 31(2) (change of name on Secretary of State's direction);
a resolution of a company to give, vary, revoke or renew an authority to the directors for the purposes of section 80 (allotment of relevant securities);
a resolution of the directors passed under section 147(2) (alteration of memorandum on company ceasing to be a public company, following acquisition of its own shares);
a resolution conferring, varying, revoking or renewing authority under section 166 (market purchase of company's own shares);
a resolution for voluntary winding up, passed under section 572(1)(a);
a resolution passed by the directors of an old public company, under section 2(1) of the Consequential Provisions Act, that the company should be re-registered as a public company.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (2) or (3), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
For purposes of subsections (5) and (6), a liquidator of a company is deemed an officer of it.
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a company;
the holders of any class of shares in a company;
the directors of a company:
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Every company shall cause minutes of all proceedings of general meetings, all proceedings at meetings of its directors and, where there are managers, all proceedings at meetings of its managers to be entered in books kept for that purpose.
Any such minute, if purporting to be signed by the chairman of the meeting at which the proceedings were had, or by the chairman of the next succeeding meeting, is evidence of the proceedings.
Where a shadow director by means of a notice required by section 317(8) declares an interest in a contract or proposed contract, this section applies— and the making of the declaration is in either case deemed to form part of the proceedings at the meeting.
if it is a specific notice under paragraph (a) of that subsection, as if the declaration had been made at the meeting there referred to, and
otherwise, as if it had been made at the meeting of the directors next following the giving of the notice :
Where minutes have been made in accordance with this section of the proceedings at any general meeting of the company or meeting of directors or managers, then, until the contrary is proved, the meeting is deemed duly held and convened, and all proceedings had at the meeting to have been duly had ; and all appointments of directors, managers or liquidators are deemed valid.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (1), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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The books containing the minutes of proceedings of any general meeting of a company held on or after 1st November 1929 shall be kept at the company's registered office, and shall during business hours be open to the inspection of any member without charge.
The reference to business hours is subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may by its articles or in general meeting impose, but so that not less than 2 hours in each day be allowed for inspection.
Any member shall be entitled to be furnished, within 7 days after he has made a request in that behalf to the company, with a copy of any such minutes as are referred to above, at a charge of not more than 2\ pence for every 100 words.
If an inspection required under this section is refused or if a copy required under this section is not sent within the proper time, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable in respect of each offence to a fine.
In the case of any such refusal or default, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of the books in respect of all proceedings of general meetings, or direct that the copies required be sent to the persons requiring them.
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Every company shall, at each general meeting of the company at which accounts are laid in accordance with section 241, appoint an auditor or auditors to hold office from the conclusion of that meeting until the conclusion of the next general meeting at which the requirements of section 241 are complied with. This is subject to section 252 (exemption for dormant companies).
The first auditors of a company may be appointed by the directors at any time before the first general meeting of the company at which accounts are laid ; and auditors so appointed shall hold office until the conclusion of that meeting.
If the directors fail to exercise their powers under subsection (2), those powers may be exercised by the company in general meeting.
The directors, or the company in general meeting, may fill any casual vacancy in the office of auditor; but while any such vacancy continues, the surviving or continuing auditor or auditors (if any) may act.
If at any general meeting of a company at which accounts are laid as required by section 241 no auditors are appointed or reappointed, the Secretary of State may appoint a person to fill the vacancy; and the company shall, within one week of that power of the Secretary of State becoming exercisable, give to him notice of that fact. If a company fails to give the notice required by this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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The remuneration of a company's auditors shall be fixed by the company in general meeting, or in such manner as the company in general meeting may determine.
This does not apply in the case of auditors appointed by the directors or by the Secretary of State ; and in that case their remuneration may be fixed by the directors or by the Secretary of State (as the case may be).
For the purpose of this section, " remuneration " includes any sums paid by the company in respect of the auditor's expenses.
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A company may by ordinary resolution remove an auditor before the expiration of his term of office, notwithstanding anything in any agreement between it and him.
Where a resolution removing an auditor is passed at a general meeting of a company, the company shall within 14 days give notice of that fact in the prescribed form to the registrar of companies. If a company fails to give the notice required by this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Nothing in this section is to be taken as depriving a person removed under it of compensation or damages payable to him in respect of the termination of his appointment as auditor or of any appointment terminating with that as auditor.
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A company's auditors are entitled to attend any general meeting of the company and to receive all notices of, and other communications relating to, any general meeting which a member of the company is entitled to receive, and to be heard at any general meeting which they attend on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns them as auditors.
An auditor of a company who has been removed is entitled to attend— and to receive all notices of, and other communications relating to, any such meeting which any member of the company is entitled to receive, and to be heard at any such meeting which he attends on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns him as former auditor of the company.
the general meeting at which his term of office would otherwise have expired, and
any general meeting at which it is proposed to fill the vacancy caused by his removal,
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Special notice is required for a resolution at a general meeting of a company—
appointing as auditor a person other than a retiring auditor; or
filling a casual vacancy in the office of auditor; or
reappointing as auditor a retiring auditor who was appointed by the directors to fill a casual vacancy; or
removing an auditor before the expiration of his term of office.
On receipt of notice of such an intended resolution as is mentioned above the company shall forthwith send a copy of it—
to the person proposed to be appointed or removed, as the case may be;
in a case within subsection (1)(a), to the retiring auditor; and
where, in a case within subsection (1)(b) or (c), the casual vacancy was caused by the resignation of an auditor, to the auditor who resigned.
Where notice is given of such a resolution as is mentioned in subsection (1) (a) or (d), and the retiring auditor or (as the case may be) the auditor proposed to be removed makes with respect to the intended resolution representations in writing to the company (not exceeding a reasonable length) and requests their notification to members of the company, the company shall (unless the representations are received by it too late for it to do so)—
in any notice of the resolution given to members of the company state the fact of the representations having been made, and
send a copy of the representations to every member of the company to whom notice of the meeting is or has been sent.
If a copy of any such representations is not sent out as required by subsection (3) because received too late or because of the company's default, the auditor may (without prejudice to his right to be heard orally) require that the representations shall be read out at the meeting.
Copies of the representations need not be sent out and the representations need not be read out at the meeting if, on the application either of the company or of any other person claiming to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the rights conferred by this section are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter; and the court may order the company's costs on the application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.
Subject to the next subsection, a person is not qualified for appointment as auditor of a company unless either—
he is a member of a body of accountants established in the United Kingdom and for the time being recognised for the purposes of this provision by the Secretary of State; or
he is for the time being authorised by the Secretary of State to be so appointed, as having similar qualifications obtained outside the United Kingdom or else he retains an authorisation formerly granted by the Board of Trade or the Secretary of State under section 161(1)(b) of the Companies Act 1948 (adequate knowledge and experience, or pre-1947 practice).
Subject to subsections (6) to (8) below, a person is qualified for appointment as auditor of an unquoted company if he retains an authorisation granted by the Board of Trade or the Secretary of State under section 13(1) of the Companies Act 1967. In this subsection—
" unquoted company" means a company in the case of which, at the time of the person's appointment, the following condition is satisfied, namely, that no shares or debentures of the company, or of a body corporate of which it is the subsidiary, have been quoted on a stock exchange (whether in Great Britain or elsewhere) to the public for subscription or purchase, and
" company " does not include a company that carries on business as the promoter of a trading stamp scheme within the meaning of the Trading Stamps Act 1964.
Subject to the next subsection, the bodies of accountants recognised for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) are—
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales,
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland,
the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, and
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument amend subsection (3) by adding or deleting any body, but shall not make regulations— unless he has published notice of his intention to do so in the London and Edinburgh Gazettes at least 4 months before making the regulations.
adding any body, or
deleting any body which has not considered in writing to its deletion,
The Secretary of State may refuse an authorisation under subsection (1)(b) to a person as having qualifications obtained outside the United Kingdom if it appears to him that the country in which the qualifications were obtained does not confer on persons qualified in the United Kingdom privileges corresponding to those conferred by that subsection.
None of the following persons is qualified for appointment as auditor of a company— and for this purpose an auditor of a company is not to be regarded as either officer or servant of it.
an officer or servant of the company;
a person who is a partner of or in the employment of an officer or servant of the company;
a body corporate;
A person is also not qualified for appointment as auditor of a company if he is, under subsection (6), disqualified for appointment as auditor of any other body corporate which is that company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of that company's holding company, or would be so disqualified if the body corporate were a company.
Notwithstanding subsections (1), (6) and (7), a Scottish firm is qualified for appointment as auditor of a company if, but only if, all the partners are qualified for appointment as auditors of it
No person shall act as auditor of a company at a time when he knows that he is disqualified for appointment to that office; and if an auditor of a company to his knowledge becomes so disqualified during his term of office he shall thereupon vacate his office and give notice in writing to the company that he has vacated it by reason of that disqualification.
A person who acts as auditor in contravention of subsection (9), or fails without reasonable excuse to give notice of vacating his office as required by that subsection, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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An auditor of a company may resign his office by depositing a notice in writing to that effect at the company's registered office; and any such notice operates to bring his term of office to an end on the date on which the notice is deposited, or on such later date as may be specified in it.
An auditor's notice of resignation is not effective unless it contains either—
a statement to the effect that there are no circumstances connected with his resignation which he considers should be brought to the notice of the members or creditors of the company; or
a statement of any such circumstances as are mentioned above.
Where a notice under this section is deposited at a company's registered office, the company shall within 14 days send a copy of the notice—
to the registrar of companies; and
if the notice contained a statement under subsection (2)(b), to every person who under section 240 is entitled to be sent copies of the accounts.
The company or any person claiming to be aggrieved may, within 14 days of the receipt by the company of a notice containing a statement under subsection (2)(b), apply to the court for an order under the next subsection.
If on such an application the court is satisfied that the auditor is using the notice to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter, it may by order direct that copies of the notice need not be sent out; and the court may further order the company's costs on the application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.
The company shall, within 14 days of the court's decision, send to the persons mentioned in subsection (3)—
if the court makes an order under subsection (5), a statement setting out the effect of the order;
if not, a copy of the notice containing the statement under subsection (2)(6).
If default is made in complying with subsection (3) or (6), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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Where an auditor's notice of resignation contains a statement under section 390(2)(b) there may be deposited with the notice a requisition signed by the auditor calling on the directors of the company forthwith duly to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the company for the purpose of receiving and considering such explanation of the circumstances connected with his resignation as he may wish to place before the meeting.
Where an auditor's notice of resignation contains such a statement, the auditor may request the company to circulate to its members— a statement in writing (not exceeding a reasonable length) of the circumstances connected with his resignation.
before the general meeting at which his term of office would otherwise have expired; or
before any general meeting at which it is proposed to fill the vacancy caused by his resignation or convened on his requisition,
The company shall in that case (unless the statement is received by it too late for it to comply)—
in any notice of the meeting given to members of the company state the fact of the statement having been made, and
send a copy of the statement to every member of the company to whom notice of the meeting is or has been sent
If the directors do not within 21 days from the date of the deposit of a requisition under this section proceed duly to convene a meeting for a day not more than 28 days after the date on which the notice convening the meeting is given, every director who failed to take all reasonable steps to secure that a meeting was convened as mentioned above is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
If a copy of the statement mentioned in subsection (2) is not sent out as required by subsection (3) because received too late or because of the company's default, the auditor may (without prejudice to his right to be heard orally) require that the statement shall be read out at the meeting.
Copies of a statement need not be sent out and the statement need not be read out at the meeting if, on the application either of the company or of any other person who claims to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the rights conferred by this section are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter; and the court may order the company's costs on such an application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.
An auditor who has resigned his office is entitled to attend any such meeting as is mentioned in subsection (2)(a) or (b) and to receive all notices of, and other communications relating to, any such meeting which any member of the company is entitled to receive, and to be heard at any such meeting which he attends on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns him as former auditor of the company.
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Where a company (" the holding company ") has a subsidiary, then—
if the subsidiary is a body corporate incorporated in Great Britain, it is the duty of the subsidiary and its auditors to give to the auditors of the holding company such information and explanation as those auditors may reasonably require for the purposes of their duties as auditors of the holding company;
in any other case, it is the duty of the holding company, if required by its auditors to do so, to take all such steps as are reasonably open to it to obtain from the subsidiary such information and explanation as are mentioned above.
If a subsidiary or holding company fails to comply with subsection (1), the subsidiary or holding company and every officer of it who is in default is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine; and if an auditor fails without reasonable excuse to comply with paragraph (a) of the subsection, he is guilty of an offence and so liable.
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conveys or purports to convey any information or explanation which the auditors require, or are entitled to require, as auditors of the company, and
is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.
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Subject as follows, this section applies to every body which is both a company and a trade union or an employers' association to which section 11 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 applies.
Section 11(3) of the Act of 1974 and paragraphs 6 to 15 of Schedule 2 to that Act (qualifications, appointment and removal of auditors) do not have effect in relation to bodies to which this section applies.
The rights and powers conferred, and the duties imposed, by paragraphs 16 to 21 of that Schedule on the auditors of a body to which this section applies belong to the auditors from time to time appointed by or on behalf of that body under section 384 of this Act.
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Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, a charge created by a company registered in England and Wales and being a charge to which this section applies is, so far as any security on the company’s property or undertaking is conferred by the charge, void against the liquidator or administratorand any creditor of the company, unless the prescribed particulars of the charge together with the instrument (if any) by which the charge is created or evidenced, are delivered to or received by the registrar of companies for registration in the manner required by this Chapter within 21 days after the date of the charge’s creation.
Subsection (1) is without prejudice to any contract or obligation for repayment of the money secured by the charge; and when a charge becomes void under this section, the money secured by it immediately becomes payable.
Section 395 applies to the following charges—
a charge for the purpose of securing any issue of debentures,
a charge on uncalled share capital of the company,
a charge created or evidenced by an instrument which, if executed by an individual, would require registration as a bill of sale,
a charge on land (wherever situated) or any interest in it, but not including a charge for any rent or other periodical sum issuing out of the land,
a charge on book debts of the company,
a floating charge on the company’s undertaking or property,
a charge on calls made but not paid,
a charge on a ship or aircraft, or any share in a ship,
a charge on goodwill, or on any intellectual property.
Where a negotiable instrument has been given to secure the payment of any book debts of a company, the deposit of the instrument for the purpose of securing an advance to the company is not, for purposes of section 395, to be treated as a charge on those book debts.
The holding of debentures entitling the holder to a charge on land is not for purposes of this section deemed to be an interest in land.
In this Chapter, “charge” includes mortgage.
The following are 'intellectual property’ for the purposes of this section—
any patent, trade mark, . . . registered design, copyright or design right;
any licence under or in respect of any such right.
Where a series of debentures containing, or giving by reference to another instrument, any charge to the benefit of which the debenture holders of that series are entitled pari passu is created by a company, it is for purposes of section 395 sufficient if there are delivered to or received by the registrar, within 21 days after the execution of the deed containing the charge (or, if there is no such deed, after the execution of any debentures of the series), the following particulars in the prescribed form— together with the deed containing the charge or, if there is no such deed, one of the debentures of the series: Provided that there shall be sent to the registrar of companies, for entry in the register, particulars in the prescribed form of the date and amount of each issue of debentures of the series, but any omission to do this does not affect the validity of any of those debentures.
the total amount secured by the whole series, and
the dates of the resolutions authorising the issue of the series and the date of the covering deed (if any) by which the security is created or defined, and
a general description of the property charged, and
the names of the trustees (if any) for the debenture holders,
Where any commission, allowance or discount has been paid or made either directly or indirectly by a company to a person in consideration of his— the particulars required to be sent for registration under section 395 shall include particulars as to the amount or rate per cent. of the commission, discount or allowance so paid or made, but omission to do this does not affect the validity of the debentures issued.
subscribing or agreeing to subscribe, whether absolutely or conditionally, for debentures of the company, or
procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions, whether absolute or conditional, for such debentures,
The deposit of debentures as security for a debt of the company is not, for the purposes of subsection (2), treated as the issue of the debentures at a discount.
In the case of a charge created out of the United Kingdom comprising property situated outside the United Kingdom, the delivery to and the receipt by the registrar of companies of a copy (verified in the prescribed manner) of the instrument by which the charge is created or evidenced has the same effect for purposes of sections 395 to 398 as the delivery and receipt of the instrument itself.
In that case, 21 days after the date on which the instrument or copy could, in due course of post (and if despatched with due diligence), have been received in the United Kingdom are substituted for the 21 days mentioned in section 395(1) (or as the case may be, section 397(1)) as the time within which the particulars and instrument or copy are to be delivered to the registrar.
Where a charge is created in the United Kingdom but comprises property outside the United Kingdom, the instrument creating or purporting to create the charge may be sent for registration under section 395 notwithstanding that further proceedings may be necessary to make the charge valid or effectual according to the law of the country in which the property is situated.
Where a charge comprises property situated in Scotland or Northern Ireland and registration in the country where the property is situated is necessary to make the charge valid or effectual according to the law of that country, the delivery to and the receipt by the registrar of a copy (verified in the prescribed manner) of the instrument by which the charge is created or evidenced, together with a certificate in the prescribed form stating that the charge was presented for registration in Scotland or Northern Ireland (as the case may be) on the date on which it was so presented has, for purposes of sections 395 to 398, the same effect as the delivery and receipt of the instrument itself.
It is a company’s duty to send to the registrar of companies for registration the particulars of every charge created by the company and of the issues of debentures of a series requiring registration under sections 395 to 398; but registration of any such charge may be effected on the application of any person interested in it.
Where registration is effected on the application of some person other than the company, that person is entitled to recover from the company the amount of any fees properly paid by him to the registrar on the registration.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (1), then, unless the registration has been effected on the application of some other person, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
This section applies where a company is registered in England and Wales acquires property which is subject to a charge of any such kind as would, if it had been created by the company after the acquisition of the property, have been required to be registered under this Chapter.
The company shall cause the prescribed particulars of the charge, together with a copy (certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct copy) of the instrument (if any) by which the charge was created or is evidenced, to be delivered to the registrar of companies for registration in manner required by this Chapter within 21 days after the date on which the acquisition is completed.
However, if the property is situated and the charge was created outside Great Britain, 21 days after the date on which the copy of the instrument could in due course of post, and if despatched with due diligence, have been received in the United Kingdom is substituted for the 21 days above-mentioned as the time within which the particulars and copy of the instrument are to be delivered to the registrar.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The registrar of companies shall keep, with respect to each company, a register in the prescribed form of all the charges requiring registration under this Chapter; and he shall enter in the register with respect to such charges the following particulars—
in the case of a charge to the benefit of which the holders of a series of debentures are entitled, the particulars specified in section 397(1),
in the case of any other charge—
if it is a charge created by the company, the date of its creation, and if it is a charge which was existing on property acquired by the company, the date of the acquisition of the property, and
the amount secured by the charge, and
short particulars of the property charged, and
the persons entitled to the charge.
The registrar shall give a certificate of the registration of any charge registered in pursuance of this Chapter, stating the amount secured by the charge. The certificate—
shall be either signed by the registrar, or authenticated by his official seal, and
is conclusive evidence that the requirements of this Chapter as to registration have been satisfied.
The register kept in pursuance of this section shall be open to inspection by any person.
The company shall cause a copy of every certificate of registration given under section 401 to be endorsed on every debenture or certificate of debenture stock which is issued by the company, and the payment of which is secured by the charge so registered.
But this does not require a company to cause a certificate of registration of any charge so given to be endorsed on any debenture or certificate of debenture stock issued by the company before the charge was created.
If a person knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the delivery of a debenture or certificate of debenture stock which under this section is required to have endorsed on it a copy of a certificate of registration, without the copy being so endorsed upon it, he is liable (without prejudice to any other liability) to a fine.
Subject to subsection (1A), the registrar of companies, on receipt of a statutory declaration in the prescribed form verifying, with respect to a registered charge,— may enter on the register a memorandum of satisfaction in whole or in part, or of the fact that part of the property or undertaking has been released from the charge or has ceased to form part of the company’s property or undertaking (as the case may be).
that the debt for which the charge was given has been paid or satisfied in whole or in part, or
that part of the property or undertaking charged has been released from the charge or has ceased to form part of the company’s property or undertaking,
Where the registrar enters a memorandum of satisfaction in whole, he shall if required furnish the company with a copy of it.
The registrar of companies may make any such entry as is mentioned in subsection (1) where, instead of receiving such a statutory declaration as is mentioned in that subsection, he receives a statement by a director, secretary, administrator or administrative receiver of the company which is contained in an electronic communication and that statement—
verifies the matters set out in paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection,
contains a description of the charge,
states the date of creation of the charge and the date of its registration under this Chapter,
states the name and address of the chargee or, in the case of a debenture, trustee, and
where paragraph (b) of subsection (1) applies, contains short particulars of the property or undertaking which has been released from the charge, or which has ceased to form part of the company’s property or undertaking (as the case may be).
Any person who makes a false statement under subsection (1A) which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The following applies if the court is satisfied that the omission to register a charge within the time required by this Chapter or that the omission or mis-statement of any particular with respect to any such charge or in a memorandum of satisfaction was accidental, or due to inadvertence or to some other sufficient cause, or is not of a nature to prejudice the position of creditors or shareholders of the company, or that on other grounds it is just and equitable to grant relief.
The court may, on the application of the company or a person interested, and on such terms and conditions as seem to the court just and expedient, order that the time for registration shall be extended or, as the case may be, that the omission or mis-statement shall be rectified.
If a person obtains an order for the appointment of a receiver or manager of a company’s property, or appoints such a receiver or manager under powers contained in an instrument, he shall within 7 days of the order or of the appointment under those powers, give notice of the fact to the registrar of companies; and the registrar shall enter the fact in the register of charges.
Where a person appointed receiver or manager of a company’s property under powers contained in an instrument ceases to act as such receiver or manager, he shall, on so ceasing, give the registrar notice to that effect, and the registrar shall enter the fact in the register of charges.
A notice under this section shall be in the prescribed form.
If a person makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Every company shall cause a copy of every instrument creating a charge requiring registration under this Chapter to be kept at its registered office.
In the case of a series of uniform debentures, a copy of one debenture of the series is sufficient.
Every limited company shall keep at its registered office a register of charges and enter in it all charges specifically affecting property of the company and all floating charges on the company’s undertaking or any of its property.
The entry shall in each case give a short description of the property charged, the amount of the charge and, except in the case of securities to bearer, the names of the persons entitled to it.
If an officer of the company knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the omission of an entry required to be made in pursuance of this section, he is liable to a fine.
The copies of instruments creating any charge requiring registration under this Chapter with the registrar of companies, and the register of charges kept in pursuance of section 407, shall be open during business hours (but subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company in general meeting may impose, so that not less than 2 hours in each day be allowed for inspection) to the inspection of any creditor or member of the company without fee.
The register of charges shall also be open to the inspection of any other person on payment of such fee, not exceeding 5 pence, for each inspection, as the company may prescribe.
If inspection of the copies referred to, or of the register, is refused, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If such a refusal occurs in relation to a company registered in England and Wales, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of the copies or register.
This Chapter extends to charges on property in England and Wales which are created, and to charges on property in England and Wales which is acquired, by a company (whether a company within the meaning of this Act or not) incorporated outside Great Britain which has an established place of business in England and Wales.
In relation to such a company, sections 406 and 407 apply with the substitution, for the reference to the company’s registered office, of a reference to its principal place of business in England and Wales.
The following provisions of this Chapter have effect for the purpose of securing the registration in Scotland of charges created by companies.
Every charge created by a company, being a charge to which this section applies, is, so far as any security on the company’s property or any part of it is conferred by the charge, void against the liquidator or administrator and any creditor of the company unless the prescribed particulars of the charge, together with a copy (certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct copy) of the instrument (if any) by which the charge is created or evidenced, are delivered to or received by the registrar of companies for registration in the manner required by this Chapter within 21 days after the date of the creation of the charge.
Subsection (2) is without prejudice to any contract or obligation for repayment of the money secured by the charge; and when a charge becomes void under this section the money secured by it immediately becomes payable.
This section applies to the following charges—
a charge on land wherever situated, or any interest in such land (not including a charge for any rent , ground annual or other periodical sum payable in respect of the land, but including a charge created by a heritable security within the meaning of section 9(8) of the Conveyancing and Feudal Reform (Scotland) Act 1970),
a security over the uncalled share capital of the company,
a security over incorporeal moveable property of any of the following categories—
the book debts of the company,
calls made but not paid,
goodwill,
a patent or a licence under a patent,
a trademark,
a copyright or a licence under a copyright,
a registered design or a licence in respect of such a design,
a design right or a licence under a design right,
a security over a ship or aircraft or any share in a ship, and
a floating charge.
In this Chapter “company” (except in section 424) means an incorporated company registered in Scotland; “registrar of companies” means the registrar or other officer performing under this Act the duty of registration of companies in Scotland; and references to the date of creation of a charge are—
in the case of a floating charge, the date on which the instrument creating the floating charge was executed by the company creating the charge, and
in any other case, the date on which the right of the person entitled to the benefit of the charge was constituted as a real right.
In the case of a charge created out of the United Kingdom comprising property situated outside the United Kingdom, the period of 21 days after the date on which the copy of the instrument creating it could (in due course of post, and if despatched with due diligence) have been received in the United Kingdom is substituted for the period of 21 days after the date of the creation of the charge as the time within which, under section 410(2), the particulars and copy are to be delivered to the registrar.
Where a charge is created in the United Kingdom but comprises property outside the United Kingdom, the copy of the instrument creating or purporting to create the charge may be sent for registration under section 410 notwithstanding that further proceedings may be necessary to make the charge valid or effectual according to the law of the country in which the property is situated.
Where a negotiable instrument has been given to secure the payment of any book debts of a company, the deposit of the instrument for the purpose of securing an advance to the company is not, for purposes of section 410, to be treated as a charge on those book debts.
The holding of debentures entitling the holder to a charge on land is not, for the purposes of section 410, deemed to be an interest in land.
Where a series of debentures containing, or giving by reference to any other instrument, any charge to the benefit of which the debenture-holders of that series are entitled pari passu, is created by a company, it is sufficient for purposes of section 410 if there are delivered to or received by the registrar of companies within 21 days after the execution of the deed containing the charge or, if there is no such deed, after the execution of any debentures of the series, the following particulars in the prescribed form— together with a copy of the deed containing the charge or, if there is no such deed, of one of the debentures of the series: Provided that, where more than one issue is made of debentures in the series, there shall be sent to the registrar of companies for entry in the register particulars (in the prescribed form) of the date and amount of each issue of debentures of the series, but any omission to do this does not affect the validity of any of those debentures.
the total amount secured by the whole series,
the dates of the resolutions authorising the issue of the series and the date of the covering deed (if any) by which the security is created or defined,
a general description of the property charged,
the names of the trustees (if any) for the debenture holders, and
in the case of a floating charge, a statement of any provisions of the charge and of any instrument relating to it which prohibit or restrict or regulate the power of the company to grant further securities ranking in priority to, or pari passu with, the floating charge, or which vary or otherwise regulate the order of ranking of the floating charge in relation to subsisting securities,
Where any commission, allowance or discount has been paid or made, either directly or indirectly, by a company to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe, whether absolutely or conditionally, for any debentures of the company, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolute or conditional) for any such debentures, the particulars required to be sent for registration under section 410 include particulars as to the amount or rate per cent. of the commission, discount or allowance so paid or made; but any omission to do this does not affect the validity of the debentures issued. The deposit of any debentures as security for any debt of the company is not, for purposes of this subsection, treated as the issue of the debentures at a discount.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that, in the case of a charge created by way of an ex facie absolute disposition or assignation qualified by a back letter or other agreement, or by a standard security qualified by an agreement, compliance with section 410(2) does not of itself render the charge unavailable as security for indebtedness incurred after the date of compliance.
Where the amount secured by a charge so created is purported to be increased by a further back letter or agreement, a further charge is held to have been created by the ex facie absolute disposition or assignation or (as the case may be) by the standard security, as qualified by the further back letter or agreement; and the provisions of this Chapter apply to the further charge as if—
references in this Chapter (other than in this section) to the charge were references to the further charge, and
references to the date of the creation of the charge were references to the date on which the further back letter or agreement was executed.
It is a company’s duty to send to the registrar of companies for registration the particulars of every charge created by the company and of the issues of debentures of a series requiring registration under sections 410 to 414; but registration of any such charge may be effected on the application of any person interested in it.
Where registration is effected on the application of some person other than the company, that person is entitled to recover from the company the amount of any fees properly paid by him to the registrar on the registration.
If a company makes default in sending to the registrar for registration the particulars of any charge created by the company or of the issues of debentures of a series requiring registration as above mentioned, then, unless the registration has been effected on the application of some other person, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Where a company acquires any property which is subject to a charge of any kind as would, if it had been created by the company after the acquisition of the property, have been required to be registered under this Chapter, the company shall cause the prescribed particulars of the charge, together with a copy (certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct copy) of the instrument (if any) by which the charge was created or is evidenced, to be delivered to the registrar of companies for registration in the manner required by this Chapter within 21 days after the date on which the transaction was settled.
If, however, the property is situated and the charge was created outside Great Britain, 21 days after the date on which the copy of the instrument could (in due course of post, and if despatched with due diligence) have been received in the United Kingdom are substituted for 21 days after the settlement of the transaction as the time within which the particulars and the copy of the instrument are to be delivered to the registrar.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The registrar of companies shall keep, with respect to each company, a register in the prescribed form of all the charges requiring registration under this Chapter, and shall enter in the register with respect to such charges the particulars specified below.
In the case of a charge to the benefit of which the holders of a series of debentures are entitled, there shall be entered in the register the particulars specified in section 413(2).
In the case of any other charge, there shall be entered—
if it is a charge created by the company, the date of its creation, and if it was a charge existing on property acquired by the company, the date of the acquisition of the property,
the amount secured by the charge,
short particulars of the property charged,
the persons entitled to the charge, and
in the case of a floating charge, a statement of any of the provisions of the charge and of any instrument relating to it which prohibit or restrict or regulate the company’s power to grant further securities ranking in priority to, or pari passu with, the floating charge, or which vary or otherwise regulate the order of ranking of the floating charge in relation to subsisting securities.
The register kept in pursuance of this section shall be open to inspection by any person.
The registrar of companies shall give a certificate of the registration of any charge registered in pursuance of this Chapter.
The certificate—
shall be either signed by the registrar, or authenticated by his official seal,
shall state the name of the company and the person first-named in the charge among those entitled to the benefit of the charge (or, in the case of a series of debentures, the name of the holder of the first such debenture to be issued) and the amount secured by the charge, and
is conclusive evidence that the requirements of this Chapter as to registration have been complied with.
Subject to subsections (1A) and (1B), the registrar of companies, on application being made to him in the prescribed form, and on receipt of a statutory declaration in the prescribed form verifying, with respect to any registered charge,— may enter on the register a memorandum of satisfaction (in whole or in part) regarding that fact.
that the debt for which the charge was given has been paid or satisfied in whole or in part, or
that part of the property charged has been released from the charge or has ceased to form part of the company’s property,
Where the registrar enters a memorandum of satisfaction in whole, he shall, if required, furnish the company with a copy of the memorandum.
On an application being made to him in the prescribed form, the registrar of companies may make any such entry as is mentioned in subsection (1) where, instead of receiving such a statutory declaration as is mentioned in that subsection, he receives a statement by a director, secretary, liquidator, receiver or administrator of the company which is contained in an electronic communication and that statement—
verifies the matters set out in paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection,
contains a description of the charge,
states the date of creation of the charge and the date of its registration under this Chapter,
states the name and address of the chargee or, in the case of a debenture, trustee, and
where paragraph (b) of subsection (1) applies, contains short particulars of the property which has been released from the charge, or which has ceased to form part of the company’s property (as the case may be).
Without prejudice to the registrar’s duty under this section to require to be satisfied as above mentioned, he shall not be so satisfied unless—
the creditor entitled to the benefit of the floating charge, or a person authorised to do so on his behalf, certifies as correct the particulars submitted to the registrar with respect to the entry on the register of a memorandum under this section, or
the court, on being satisfied that such certification cannot readily be obtained, directs him accordingly.
Where the statement under subsection (1A) concerns the satisfaction of a floating charge, then there shall be delivered to the registrar a further statement which—
is made by the creditor entitled to the benefit of the floating charge or a person authorised to act on his behalf;
is incorporated into, or logically associated with, the electronic communication containing the statement; and
certifies that the particulars contained in the statement are correct.
Nothing in this section requires the company to submit particulars with respect to the entry in the register of a memorandum of satisfaction where the company, having created a floating charge over all or any part of its property, disposes of part of the property subject to the floating charge.
A memorandum or certification required for the purposes of this section shall be in such form as may be prescribed.
Any person who makes a false statement under subsection (1A) or (1B) which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The court, on being satisfied that the omission to register a charge within the time required by this Act or that the omission or mis-statement of any particular with respect to any such charge or in a memorandum of satisfaction was accidental, or due to inadvertence or to some other sufficient cause, or is not of a nature to prejudice the position of creditors or shareholders of the company, or that it is on other grounds just and equitable to grant relief, may, on the application of the company or any person interested, and on such terms and conditions as seem to the court just and expedient, order that the time for registration shall be extended or (as the case may be) that the omission or mis-statement shall be rectified.
Every company shall cause a copy of every instrument creating a charge requiring registration under this Chapter to be kept at the company’s registered office.
In the case of a series of uniform debentures, a copy of one debenture of the series is sufficient.
Every company shall keep at its registered office a register of charges and enter in it all charges specifically affecting property of the company, and all floating charges on any property of the company.
There shall be given in each case a short description of the property charged, the amount of the charge and, except in the case of securities to bearer, the names of the persons entitled to it.
If an officer of the company knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the omission of an entry required to be made in pursuance of this section, he is liable to a fine.
The copies of instruments creating charges requiring registration under this Chapter with the registrar of companies, and the register of charges kept in pursuance of section 422, shall be open during business hours (but subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company in general meeting may impose, so that not less than 2 hours in each day be allowed for inspection) to the inspection of any creditor or member of the company without fee.
The register of charges shall be open to the inspection of any other person on payment of such fee, not exceeding 5 pence for each inspection, as the company may prescribe.
If inspection of the copies or register is refused, every officer of the company who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If such a refusal occurs in relation to a company, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of the copies or register.
This Chapter extends to charges on property in Scotland which are created, and to charges on property in Scotland which is acquired, by a company incorporated outside Great Britain which has a place of business in Scotland.
In relation to such a company, sections 421 and 422 apply with the substitution, for the reference to the company’s registered office, of a reference to its principal place of business in Scotland.
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Where a compromise or arrangement is proposed between a company and its creditors, or any class of them, or between the company and its members, or any class of them, the court may on the application of the company or any creditor or member of it or, in the case of a company being wound up, of the liquidator, order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, or of the members of the company or class of members (as the case may be), to be summoned in such manner as the court directs.
If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors or members or class of members (as the case may be), present and voting either in person or by proxy at the meeting, agree to any compromise or arrangement, the compromise or arrangement, if sanctioned by the court, is binding on all creditors or the class of creditors or on the members or class of members (as the case may be), and also on the company or, in the case of a company in the course of being wound up, on the liquidator and contributories of the company.
The court's order under subsection (2) has no effect until an office copy of it has been delivered to the registrar of companies for registration ; and a copy of every such order shall be annexed to every copy of the company's memorandum issued after the order has been made or, in the case of a company not having a memorandum, of every copy so issued of the instrument constituting the company or defining its constitution
If a company makes default in complying with subsection (3), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
An order under subsection (1) pronounced in Scotland by the judge acting as vacation judge in pursuance of section 4 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1933 is not subject to review, reduction, suspension or stay of execution.
In this section and the next—
" company " means any company liable to be wound up under this Act, and
" arrangement" includes a reorganisation of the company's share capital by the consolidation of shares of different classes or by the division of shares into shares of different classes, or by both of those methods.
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The following applies where a meeting of creditors or any class of creditors, or of members or any class of members, is summoned under section 425.
With every notice summoning the meeting which is .sent to a creditor or member there shall be sent also a statement explaining the effect of the compromise or arrangement and in particular stating any material interests of the directors of the company (whether as directors or as members or as creditors of the company or otherwise) and the effect on those interests of the compromise or arrangement, in so far as it is different from the effect on the like interests of other persons.
In every notice summoning the meeting which is given by advertisement there shall be included cither such a statement as above-mentioned or a notification of the place at which, and the manner in which, creditors or members entitled to attend the meeting may obtain copies of the statement.
Where the compromise or arrangement affects the rights of debenture holders of the company, the statement shall give the like explanation as respects the trustees of any deed for securing the issue of the debentures as it is required to give as respects the company's directors.
Where a notice given by advertisement includes a notification that copies of a statement explaining the effect of the compromise or arrangement proposed can be obtained by creditors or members entitled to attend the meeting, every such creditor or member shall, on making application in the manner indicated by the notice, be furnished by the company free of charge with a copy of the statement.
If a company makes default in complying with any requirement of this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine; and for this purpose a liquidator of the company and a trustee of a deed for securing the issue of debentures of the company is deemed an officer of it. However, a person is not liable under this subsection if he shows that the default was due to the refusal of another person, being a director or trustee for debenture holders, to supply the necessary particulars of his interests.
It is the duty of any director of the company, and of any trustee for its debenture holders, to give notice to the company of such matters relating to himself as may be necessary for purposes of this section ; and any person who makes default in complying with this subsection is liable to a fine.
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The following applies where application is made to the court under section 425 for the sanctioning of a compromise or arrangement proposed between a company and any such persons as are mentioned in that section.
If it is shown— the court may, either by the order sanctioning the compromise or arrangement or by any subsequent order, make provision for all or any of the following matters.
that the compromise or arrangement has been proposed for the purposes of, or in connection with, a scheme for the reconstruction of any company or companies, or the amalgamation of any two or more companies, and
that under the scheme the whole or any part of the undertaking or the property of any company concerned in the scheme (" a transferor company ") is to be transferred to another company (" the transferee company "),
The matters for which the court's order may make provision are—
the transfer to the transferee company of the whole or any part of the undertaking and of the property or liabilities of any transferor company,
the allotting or appropriation by the transferee company of any shares, debentures, policies or other like interests in that company which under the compromise or arrangement are to be allotted or appropriated by that company to or for any person,
the continuation by or against the transferee company of any legal proceedings pending by or against any transferor company,
the dissolution, without winding up, of any transferor company,
the provision to be made for any persons who, within such time and in such manner as the court directs, dissent from the compromise or arrangement,
such incidental, consequential and supplemental matters as are necessary to secure that the reconstruction or amalgamation is fully and effectively carried out.
If an order under this section provides for the transfer of property or liabilities, then— and property (if the order so directs) vests freed from any charge which is by virtue of the compromise or arrangement to cease to have effect.
that property is by virtue of the order transferred to, and vests in, the transferee company, and
those liabilities are, by virtue of the order, transferred to and become liabilities of that company ;
Where an order is made under this section, every company in relation to which the order is made shall cause an office copy of the order to be delivered to the registrar of companies for registration within 7 days after its making; and if default is made in complying with this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In this section the expression " property " includes property, rights and powers of every description ; the expression " liabilities " includes duties and " company " includes only a company as defined in section 735(1).
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This section applies where a scheme or contract involving the transfer of shares or any class of shares in a company (" the transferor company ") to another company, whether or not a company as defined in section 735(1) ("the transferee company") has, within 4 months after the making of the offer in that behalf by the transferee company, been approved by the holders of not less than nine-tenths in value of the shares whose transfer is involved (other than shares already held at the date of the offer by, or by a nominee for, the transferee company or its subsidiary).
In those circumstances, the transferee company may, at any time within 2 months after the expiration of the 4 months mentioned above, give notice in the prescribed manner to any dissenting shareholder that it desires to acquire his shares.
The expression " dissenting shareholder" includes a shareholder who has not assented to the scheme or contract, and any shareholder who has failed or refused to transfer his shares to the transferee company in accordance with the scheme or contract
If such a notice is given, the transferee company is then (unless on an application made by the dissenting shareholder within one month from the date on which the notice was given, the court thinks fit to order otherwise) entitled and bound to acquire those shares on the terms on which, under the scheme or contract, the shares of the approving shareholders are to be transferred to the transferee company.
But where shares in the transferor company of the same class or classes as the shares whose transfer is involved are already held (at the date of the offer) by, or by a nominee for, the transferee company or its subsidiary to a value greater than one-tenth of the aggregate of their value and that of the shares (other than those already so held) whose transfer is involved, subsections (2) and (4) do not apply unless—
the transferee company offers the same terms to all holders of the shares (other than those already so held) whose transfer is involved or, where those shares include shares of different classes, of each class of them, and
the holders who approve the scheme or contract, besides holding not less than nine-tenths in value of the shares (other than those so held) whose transfer is involved, are not less than three-fourths in number of the holders of those shares.
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This section applies where, in pursuance of such a scheme or contract as is mentioned in section 428(1), shares in a company are transferred to another company or its nominee, and those shares (together with any other shares in the first-mentioned company held by, or by a nominee for, the transferee company or its subsidiary at the date of the transfer) comprise or include nine-tenths in value of the shares in the first-mentioned company or of any class of those shares.
The transferee company shall within one month from the date of the transfer (unless on a previous transfer in pursuance of the scheme or contract it has already complied with this requirement), give notice of that fact in the prescribed manner to the holders of the remaining shares or of the remaining shares of that class (as the case may be) who have not assented to the scheme or contract.
Any such holder may, within 3 months from the giving of that notice to him, himself give notice (in the prescribed form) requiring the transferee company to acquire the shares in question.
If a shareholder gives notice under subsection (3) with respect to any shares, the transferee company is then entitled and bound to acquire those shares on the terms on which under the scheme or contract the shares of the approving shareholders were transferred to it, or on such other terms as may be agreed or as the court on the application of either the transferee company or the shareholder thinks fit to order.
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Where notice has been given by the transferee company under section 428(2) and the court has not, on an application made by the dissenting shareholder, ordered to the contrary, the two following subsections apply.
The transferee company shall, on expiration of one month from the date on which the notice has been given (or, if an application to the court by the dissenting shareholder is then pending, after that application has been disposed of) transmit a copy of the notice to the transferor company together with an instrument of transfer executed on behalf of the shareholder by any person appointed by the transferee company and on its own behalf by the transferee company. An instrument of transfer is not required for any share for which a share warrant is for the time being outstanding.
The transferee company shall also pay or transfer to the transferor company the amount or other consideration representing the price payable by the transferee company for the shares which by virtue of section 428(4) that company is entitled to acquire; and the transferor company shall thereupon register the transferee company as the holder of those shares.
Any sums received by the transferor company under this section shall be paid into a separate bank account, and any such sums and any other consideration so received shall be held by that company on trust for the several persons entitled to the shares in respect of which those sums, or that other consideration, were respectively received.
The Secretary of State may appoint one or more competent inspectors to investigate the affairs of a company and to report the result of their investigations to him .
The appointment may be made—
in the case of a company having a share capital, on the application either of not less than 200 members or of members holding not less than one-tenth of the shares issued, (excluding any shares held as treasury shares)
in the case of a company not having a share capital, on the application of not less than one-fifth in number of the persons on the company’s register of members, and
in any case, on application of the company.
The application shall be supported by such evidence as the Secretary of State may require for the purpose of showing that the applicant or applicants have good reason for requiring the investigation.
The Secretary of State may, before appointing inspectors, require the applicant or applicants to give security, to an amount not exceeding £5,000, or such other sum as he may by order specify, for payment of the costs of the investigation. An order under this subsection shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
The Secretary of State shall appoint one or more competent inspectors to investigate the affairs of a company and report the result of their investigations to him, if the court by order declares that its affairs out to be so investigated.
The Secretary of State may make such an appointment if it appears to him that there are circumstances suggesting—
that the company’s affairs are being or have been conducted with intent to defraud its creditors or the creditors of any other person, or otherwise for a fraudulent or unlawful purpose, or in a manner which is unfairly prejudicial to some part of its members, or
that any actual or proposed act or omission of the company (including an act or omission on its behalf) is or would be so prejudicial, or that the company was formed for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose, or
that persons concerned with the company’s formation or the management of its affairs have in connection therewith been guilty of fraud, misfeasance or other misconduct towards it or towards its members, or
that the company’s members have not been given all the information with respect to its affairs which they might reasonably expect.
Subsections (1) and (2) are without prejudice to the powers of the Secretary of State under section 431; and the power conferred by subsection (2) is exercisable with respect to a body corporate notwithstanding that it is in course of being voluntarily wound up.
Inspectors may be appointed under subsection (2) on terms that any report they may make is not for publication; and in such a case, the provisions of section 437(3) (availability and publication of inspectors’ reports) do not apply.
The reference in subsection (2)(a) to a company’s members includes any person who is not a member but to whom shares in the company have been transferred or transmitted by operation of law.
If inspectors appointed under section 431 or 432 to investigate the affairs of a company think it necessary for the purposes of their investigation to investigate also the affairs of another body corporate which is or at any relevant time has been the company’s subsidiary or holding company, or a subsidiary of its holding company or a holding company of its subsidiary, they have power to do so; and they shall report on the affairs of the other body corporate so far as they think that the results of their investigation of its affairs are relevant to the investigation of the affairs of the company first mentioned above.
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When inspectors are appointed under section 431 or 432, it is the duty of all officers and agents of the company, and of all officers and agents of any other body corporate whose affairs are investigated under section 433(1)—
to produce to the inspectors all documents of or relating to the company or, as the case may be, the other body corporate which are in their custody or power,
to attend before the inspectors when required to do so, and
otherwise to give the inspectors all assistance in connection with the investigation which they are reasonably able to give.
If the inspectors consider that an officer or agent of the company or other body corporate, or any other person, is or may be in possession of information relating to a matter which they believe to be relevant to the investigation, they may require him— and it is that person’s duty to comply with the requirement.
to produce to them any documents in his custody or power relating to that matter,
to attend before them, and
otherwise to give them all assistance in connection with the investigation which he is reasonably able to give;
An inspector may for the purposes of the investigation examine any person on oath, and may administer an oath accordingly.
In this section a reference to officers or to agents includes past, as well as present, officers or agents (as the case may be); and “agents”, in relation to a company or other body corporate, includes its bankers and solicitors and persons employed by it as auditors, whether these persons are or are not officers of the company or other body corporate.
An answer given by a person to a question put to him in exercise of powers conferred by this section (whether as it has effect in relation to an investigation under any of sections 431 to 433, or as applied by any other section in this Part) may be used in evidence against him.
However, in criminal proceedings in which that person is charged with an offence to which this subsection applies— by or on behalf of the prosecution, unless evidence relating to it is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, in the proceedings by or on behalf of that person.
no evidence relating to the answer may be adduced, and
no question relating to it may be asked,
Subsection (5A) applies to any offence other than—
an offence under section 2 or 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 (false statements made on oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath); or
an offence under section 44(1) or (2) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (false statements made on oath or otherwise than on oath); or
an offence under Article 7 or 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (false statements made on oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath).
In this section “document” includes information recorded in any form.
The power under this section to require production of a document includes power, in the case of a document not in hard copy form, to require the production of a copy of the document—
in hard copy form, or
in a form from which a hard copy can be readily obtained.
An inspector may take copies of or extracts from a document produced in pursuance of this section.
If an inspector has reasonable grounds for believing that a director, or past director, of the company or other body corporate whose affairs he is investigating maintains or has maintained a bank account of any description (whether alone or jointly with another person and whether in Great Britain or elsewhere), into or out of which there has been paid— the inspector may require the director to produce to him all documents in the director's possession, or under his control, relating to that bank account.
the emoluments or part of the emoluments of his office as such director particulars of which have not been disclosed in the accounts of the company or other body corporate for any financial year, contrary to paragraphs 24 to 26 of Schedule 5, or
any money which has resulted from or been used in the financing of an undisclosed transaction, arrangement or agreement, or
any money which has been in any way connected with an act or omission, or series of acts or omissions, which on the part of that director constituted misconduct (whether fraudulent or not) towards the company or body corporate or its members,
For purposes of subsection (1)(b), an " undisclosed " transaction, arrangement or agreement is one—
particulars of which have not been disclosed in the notes to the accounts of any company for any financial year, contrary to section 232 and Part I of Schedule 6 (disclosure of contracts between companies and their directors, etc.), or
in respect of which an amount outstanding was not included in the aggregate amounts required to be disclosed in the notes to the accounts of any company for any financial year by section 234 and Part III of Schedule 6, contrary to that section (transactions between banks and their directors), or
particulars of which were not included in the register of transactions, arrangements and agreements required to be maintained by section 343, contrary to that section.
If any person— the inspectors may certify that fact in writing to the court.
fails to comply with section 434(1)(a) or (c),
refuses to comply with a requirement under section 434(1)(b) or (2), or
refuses to answer any question put to him by the inspectors for the purposes of the investigation,
If that person— the inspectors may certify the refusal in writing to the court.
refuses to produce any book or document which it is his duty under section 434 or 435 to produce, or
refuses to attend before the inspectors when required to do so, or
refuses to answer any question put to him by the inspectors with respect to the affairs of the company or other body corporate (as the case may be),
The court may thereupon enquire into the case; and, after hearing any witnesses who may be produced against or on behalf of the alleged offender and after hearing any statement which may be offered in defence, the court may punish the offender in like manner as if he had been guilty of contempt of the court.
The inspectors may, and if so directed by the Secretary of State shall, make interim reports to the Secretary of State, and on the conclusion of their investigation shall make a final report to him. . . .
If the inspectors were appointed under section 432 in pursuance of an order of the court, the Secretary of State shall furnish a copy of any report of theirs to the court.
Any persons who have been appointed under section 431 or 432 may at any time and, if the Secretary of State directs them to do so, shall inform him of any matters coming to their knowledge as a result of their investigations.
In any case the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit—
forward a copy of any report made by the inspectors to the company’s registered office,
furnish a copy on request and on payment of the prescribed fee to—
any member of the company or other body corporate which is the subject of the report,
any person whose conduct is referred to in the report,
the auditors of that company or body corporate,
the applicants for the investigation,
any other person whose financial interests appear to the Secretary of State to be affected by the matters dealt with in the report, whether as a creditor of the company or body corporate, or otherwise, and
cause any such report to be printed and published.
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If the company is registered under the Companies Act 2006 in Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State must send a copy of any interim or final report by the inspectors to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.
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If, from any report made under section 437 or from information or documents obtained under section 447 or 448 below, it appears to the Secretary of State that any civil proceedings ought in the public interest to be brought by any body corporate, he may himself bring such proceedings in the name and on behalf of the body corporate.
The Secretary of State shall indemnify the body corporate against any costs or expenses incurred by it in or in connection with proceedings brought under this section.
The expenses of an investigation under any of the powers conferred by this Part shall be defrayed in the first instance by the Secretary of State, but he may recover those expenses from the persons liable in accordance with this section. There shall be treated as expenses of the investigation, in particular, such reasonable sums as the Secretary of State may determine in respect of general staff costs and overheads.
A person who is convicted on a prosecution instituted as a result of the investigation . . . may in the same proceedings be ordered to pay those expenses to such extent as may be specified in the order.
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A body corporate dealt with by an inspectors’ report, where the inspectors were appointed otherwise than of the Secretary of State’s own motion, is liable except where it was the applicant for the investigation, and except so far as the Secretary of State otherwise directs.
Where inspectors were appointed— the applicant or applicants for the investigation is or are liable to such extent (if any) as the Secretary of State may direct.
under section 431, or
on an application under section 442(3),
The report of inspectors appointed otherwise than of the Secretary of State’s own motion may, if they think fit, and shall if the Secretary of State so directs, include a recommendation as to the directions (if any) which they think appropriate, in the light of their investigation, to be given under subsection (4) or (5) of this section.
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Any liability to repay the Secretary of State imposed by subsection (2) above is (subject to satisfaction of his right to repayment) a liability also to indemnify all persons against liability under subsections (4) and (5). . . .
A person liable under any one of those subsections is entitled to contribution from any other person liable under the same subsection, according to the amount of their respective liabilities under it.
Expenses to be defrayed by the Secretary of State under this section shall, so far as not recovered under it, be paid out of money provided by Parliament.
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A copy of any report of inspectors appointed under this Part, certified by the Secretary of State to be a true copy, is admissible in any legal proceedings as evidence of the opinion of the inspectors in relation to any matter contained in the report and, in proceedings on an application under section 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986or Article 11 of the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002, as evidence of any fact stated therein.
A document purporting to be such a certificate as is mentioned above shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such a certificate, unless the contrary is proved.
Where it appears to the Secretary of State that there is good reason to do so, he may appoint one or more competent inspectors to investigate and report on the membership of any company, and otherwise with respect to the company, for the purpose of determining the true persons who are or have been financially interested in the success or failure (real or apparent) of the company or able to control or materially to influence its policy.
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If an application for investigation under this section with respect to particular shares or debentures of a company is made to the Secretary of State by members of the company, and the number of applicants or the amount of shares held by them is not less than that required for an application for the appointment of inspectors under section 431(2)(a) or (b), then, subject to the following provisions, the Secretary of State shall appoint inspectors to conduct the investigation applied for.
the Secretary of State shall appoint inspectors to conduct the investigation (unless he is satisfied that the application is vexatious), and
the inspectors' appointment shall not exclude from the scope of their investigation any matter which the application seeks to have included, except in so far as the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is unreasonable for that matter to be investigated.
Subject to the terms of their appointment, the inspectors’ powers extend to the investigation of any circumstances suggesting the existance of an arrangement or understanding which, though not legally binding, is or was observed or likely to be observed in practice and which is relevant to the purposes of the investigation.
The Secretary of State shall not appoint inspectors if he is satisfied that the application is vexatious; and where inspectors are appointed their terms of appointment shall exclude any matter in so far as the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is unreasonable for it to be investigated.
The Secretary of State may, before appointing inspectors, require the applicant or applicants to give security, to an amount not exceeding £5,000, or such other sum as he may by order specify, for payment of the costs of the investigation. An order under this subsection shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
If on an application under subsection (3) it appears to the Secretary of State that the powers conferred by section 444 are sufficient for the purposes of investigating the matters which inspectors would be appointed to investigate, he may instead conduct the investigation under that section.
For purposes of an investigation under section 442, sections 433(1), 434, 436 and 437 apply with the necessary modifications of references to the affairs of the company or to those of any other body corporate, subject however to the following subsections.
Those sections apply to— as they apply in relation to officers and agents of the company or the other body corporate (as the case may be).
all persons who are or have been, or whom the inspector has reasonable cause to believe to be or have been, financially interested in the success or failure or the apparent success or failure of the company or any other body corporate whose membership is investigated with that of the company, or able to control or materially influence its policy (including persons concerned only on behalf of others), and
any other person whom the inspector has reasonable cause to believe possesses information relevant to the investigation,
If the Secretary of State is of opinion that there is good reason for not divulging any part of a report made by virtue of section 442 and this section, he may under section 437 disclose the report with the omission of that part; and he may cause to be kept by the registrar of companies a copy of the report with that part omitted or, in the case of any other such report, a copy of the whole report.
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If it appears to the Secretary of State that there is good reason to investigate the ownership of any shares in or debentures of a company and that it is unnecessary to appoint inspectors for the purpose, he may require any person whom he has reasonable cause to believe to have or to be able to obtain any information as to the present and past interests in those shares or debentures and the names and addresses of the persons interested and of any persons who act or have acted on their behalf in relation to the shares or debentures to give any such information to the Secretary of State.
For this purpose a person is deemed to have an interest in shares or debentures if he has any right to acquire or dispose of them or of any interest in them, or to vote in respect of them, or if his consent is necessary for the exercise of any of the rights of other persons interested in them, or if other persons interested in them can be required, or are accustomed, to exercise their rights in accordance with his instructions.
A person who fails to give information required of him under this section, or who in giving such information makes any statement which he knows to be false in a material particular, or recklessly makes any statement which is false in a material particular, commits an offence .
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both);
on summary conviction—
in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both) and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-fiftieth of the greater of £5,000 or the amount corresponding to level 4 on the standard scale for summary offences;
in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both) and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-fiftieth of the statutory maximum.
If in connection with an investigation under either section 442 or 444 it appears to the Secretary of State that there is difficulty in finding out the relevant facts about any shares (whether issued or to be issued), he may by order direct that the shares shall until further order be subject to the restrictions of Part XV of this Act.
This section, and Part XV in its application to orders under it, apply in relation to debentures as in relation to shares save that subsection (1A) shall not so apply.
If the Secretary of State is satisfied that an order under subsection (1) may unfairly affect the rights of third parties in respect of shares then the Secretary of State, for the purpose of protecting such rights and subject to such terms as he thinks fit, may direct that such acts by such persons or descriptions of persons and for such purposes as may be set out in the order, shall not constitute a breach of the restrictions of Part XV of this Act.
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If it appears to the Secretary of State that there are circumstances suggesting that contraventions may have occurred, in relation to a company's shares or debentures, of section 323 or 324 (taken with Schedule 13), or of subsections (3) to (5) of section 328 (restrictions on share dealings by directors and their families ; obligation of director to disclose shareholding in his own company), he may appoint one or more competent inspectors to carry out such investigations as are requisite to establish whether or not such contraventions have occurred and to report the result of their investigations to him.
The appointment of inspectors under this section may limit the period to which their investigation is to extend or confine it to shares or debentures of a particular class, or both.
For purposes of an investigation under this section, sections 434 to 436 apply—
with the substitution, for references to any other body corporate whose affairs are investigated under section 433(1), of a reference to any other body corporate which is, or has at any relevant time been, the company's subsidiary or holding company, or a subsidiary of its holding company, and
with the necessary modification of references in section 436 to the affairs of the company or other body corporate.
Sections 434 to 436 apply under the preceding subsection— as they apply to officers of the company or of the other body corporate.
to members of a recognised stock exchange or of a recognised association of dealers in securities who are individuals and to officers (past as well as present) of members of such an exchange or association being bodies corporate,
to holders of licences granted under section 3 of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 who are individuals and to officers (past as well as present) of holders of licences so granted being bodies corporate, and
to any individual declared by an order of the Secretary of State for the time being in force to be an exempted dealer for purposes of that Act, and to officers (past as well as present) of any body corporate declared by an order of the Secretary of State for the time being in force to be such a dealer,
The inspectors may, and if so directed by the Secretary of State shall, make interim reports to him ; and, on conclusion of the investigation, they shall make to him a final report. Any such report shall be written or printed, as the Secretary of State may direct; and he may cause it to be published.
" Recognised association of dealers in securities " means any body of persons which is for the time being such an association for purposes of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958.
The expenses of an investigation under this section shall be defrayed by the Secretary of State out of money provided by Parliament
The Secretary of State may act under subsections (2) and (3) in relation to a company.
a company, as defined by section 735(1);
a company to which this Act applies by virtue of section 676 or which is registered under section 680;
a body corporate incorporated in, and having a principal place of business in, Great Britain, being a body to which any of the provisions of this Act with respect to prospectuses and allotments apply by virtue of section 718 (unregistered companies); and
a body corporate incorporated outside Great Britain which is carrying on business in Great Britain or has at any time carried on business there.
The Secretary of State may give directions to the company requiring it—
to produce such documents (or documents of such description) as may be specified in the directions;
to provide such information (or information of such description) as may be so specified.
The Secretary of State may authorise a person (an investigator) to require the company or any other person—
to produce such documents (or documents of such description) as the investigator may specify;
to provide such information (or information of such description) as the investigator may specify.
A person on whom a requirement under subsection (3) is imposed may require the investigator to produce evidence of his authority.
A requirement under subsection (2) or (3) must be complied with at such time and place as may be specified in the directions or by the investigator (as the case may be).
if the books or papers are produced—
to take copies of them or extracts from them, and
to require that person, or any other person who is a present or past officer of, or is or was at any time employed by, the body in question, to provide an explanation of any of them;
if the books or papers are not produced, to require the person who was required to produce them to state, to the best of his knowledge and belief, where they are.
The production of a document in pursuance of this section does not affect any lien which a person has on the document.
The Secretary of State or the investigator (as the case may be) may take copies of or extracts from a document produced in pursuance of this section.
A “document” includes information recorded in any form.
The power under this section to require production of a document includes power, in the case of a document not in hard copy form, to require the production of a copy of the document—
in hard copy form, or
in a form from which a hard copy can be readily obtained.
A justice of the peace may issue a warrant under this section if satisfied on information on oath given by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, or by a person appointed or authorised to exercise powers under this Part, that there are reasonable grounds for believing that there are on any premises documents whose production has been required under this Part and which have not been produced in compliance with the requirement.
A justice of the peace may also issue a warrant under this section if satisfied on information on oath given by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, or by a person appointed or authorised to exercise powers under this Part—:
that there are reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed for which the penalty on conviction on indictment is imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and that there are on any premises documents relating to whether the offence has been committed,
that the Secretary of State, or the person so appointed or authorised, has power to require the production of the documents under this Part, and
that there are reasonable grounds for believing that if production was so required the documents would not be produced but would be removed from the premises, hidden, tampered with or destroyed.
A warrant under this section shall authorise a constable, together with any other person named in it and any other constables—
to enter the premises specified in the information, using such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose;
to search the premises and take possession of any documents appearing to be such documents as are mentioned in subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be, or to take, in relation to any such documents, any other steps which may appear to be necessary for preserving them or preventing interference with them;
to take copies of any such documents; and
to require any person named in the warrant to provide an explanation of them or to state where they may be found.
If in the case of a warrant under subsection (2) the justice of the peace is satisfied on information on oath that there are reasonable grounds for believing that there are also on the premises other documents relevant to the investigation, the warrant shall also authorise the actions mentioned in subsection (3) to be taken in relation to such documents.
for a period of 3 months, or
if within that period there are commenced any such criminal proceedings as are mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b) of the next following section (being proceedings to which the books or papers are relevant), until the conclusion of those proceedings.
A warrant under this section shall continue in force until the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is issued.
Any documents of which possession is taken under this section may be retained—
for a period of three months; or
if within that period proceedings to which the documents are relevant are commenced against any person for any criminal offence, until the conclusion of those proceedings.
Any person who intentionally obstructs the exercise of any rights conferred by a warrant issued under this section or fails without reasonable excuse to comply with any requirement imposed in accordance with subsection (3)(d) is guilty of an offence . . .
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to a fine;
on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.
For the purposes of sections 449 and 451A (provision for security of information) documents obtained under this section shall be treated as if they had been obtained under the provision of this Part under which their production was or, as the case may be, could have been required.
In the application of this section to Scotland for the references to a justice of the peace substitute references to a justice of the peace or a sheriff, and for the references to information on oath substitute references to evidence on oath.
In this section “document” includes information recorded in any form.
A statement made by a person in compliance with a requirement under section 447 may be used in evidence against him.
But in criminal proceedings in which the person is charged with a relevant offence— unless evidence relating to it is adduced or a question relating to it is asked in the proceedings by or on behalf of that person.
no evidence relating to the statement may be adduced by or on behalf of the prosecution, and
no question relating to it may be asked by or on behalf of the prosecution,
A relevant offence is any offence other than the following—
an offence under section 451,
an offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 (false statement made otherwise than on oath), or
an offence under section 44(2) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (false statement made otherwise than on oath), or
an offence under Article 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (false statements made otherwise than on oath).
This section applies to information (in whatever form) obtained—
in pursuance of a requirement imposed under section 447;
by means of a relevant disclosure within the meaning of section 448A(2);
by an investigator in consequence of the exercise of his powers under section 453A.
for the purpose of enabling the Secretary of State to exercise, in relation to that or any other body, any of his functions under this Act, the Insider Dealing Act, the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 and the Insurance Companies Act 1982,
for the purposes of proceedings under section 448.
Such information must not be disclosed unless the disclosure—
is made to a person specified in Schedule 15C, or
is of a description specified in Schedule 15D.
The Secretary of State may by order amend Schedules 15C and 15D.
in relation to information or a document relating to a body other than one carrying on industrial assurance business (as defined by section 1(2) of the Industrial Assurance Act 1923), each of the following is a competent authority—
the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and any officer of his,
an inspector appointed under this Part by the Secretary of State,
the Treasury, and any officer of the Treasury,
the Lord Advocate,
the Director of Public Prosecutions.
any constable, and
any procurator fiscal;
in relation to information or a document relating to a body carrying on industrial assurance business (as so defined), all the same persons as above specified are competent authorities, and also the Industrial Assurance Commissioner and any officer of his.
An order under subsection (3) must not—
amend Schedule 15C by specifying a person unless the person exercises functions of a public nature (whether or not he exercises any other function);
amend Schedule 15D by adding or modifying a description of disclosure unless the purpose for which the disclosure is permitted is likely to facilitate the exercise of a function of a public nature.
An order under subsection (3) must be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
A person who discloses any information in contravention of this section is guilty of an offence.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both);
on summary conviction—
in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);
in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both).
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Any information which may by virtue of this section be disclosed to a person specified in Schedule 15C may be disclosed to any officer or employee of the person.
This section does not prohibit the disclosure of information if the information is or has been available to the public from any other source.
For the purposes of this section, information obtained by an investigator in consequence of the exercise of his powers under section 453A includes information obtained by a person accompanying the investigator in pursuance of subsection (4) of that section in consequence of that person’s accompanying the investigator.
Nothing in this section authorises the making of a disclosure in contravention of the data protection legislation.
An officer of a company. . . who— is guilty of an offence, unless he proves that he had no intention to conceal the state of affairs of the company or to defeat the law.
destroys, mutilates or falsifies, or is privy to the destruction, mutilation or falsification of a document affecting, or relating to the company’s property or affairs, or
makes, or is privy to the making of, a false entry in such a document,
Such a person as above mentioned who fraudulently either parts with, alters or makes an omission in any such document or is privy to fraudulent parting with, fraudulent altering or fraudulent making of an omission in, any such document, is guilty of an offence.
Subsection (1) applies to an officer of an authorised insurance company which is not a body corporate as it applies to an officer of a company.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or a fine (or both);
on summary conviction—
in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);
in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both).
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In this section “document” includes information recorded in any form.
A person who makes a relevant disclosure is not liable by reason only of that disclosure in any proceedings relating to a breach of an obligation of confidence.
A relevant disclosure is a disclosure which satisfies each of the following conditions—
it is made to the Secretary of State otherwise than in compliance with a requirement under this Part;
it is of a kind that the person making the disclosure could be required to make in pursuance of this Part;
the person who makes the disclosure does so in good faith and in the reasonable belief that the disclosure is capable of assisting the Secretary of State for the purposes of the exercise of his functions under this Part;
the information disclosed is not more than is reasonably necessary for the purpose of assisting the Secretary of State for the purposes of the exercise of those functions;
the disclosure is not one falling within subsection (3) or (4).
A disclosure falls within this subsection if the disclosure is prohibited by virtue of any enactment whenever passed or made.
A disclosure falls within this subsection if—
it is made by a person carrying on the business of banking or by a lawyer, and
it involves the disclosure of information in respect of which he owes an obligation of confidence in that capacity.
In this section “enactment” has the meaning given by section 1293 of the Companies Act 2006.
A person commits an offence if in purported compliance with a requirement under section 447 to provide information—
he provides information which he knows to be false in a material particular;
he recklessly provides information which is false in a material particular.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both);
on summary conviction—
in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);
in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both).
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This section applies to information obtained—
under sections 434 to 446E ;
by an inspector in consequence of the exercise of his powers under section 453A.
The Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit—
disclose any information to which this section applies to any person to whom, or for any purpose for which, disclosure is permitted under section 449, or
authorise or require an inspector appointed under this Part to disclose such information to any such person or for any such purpose.
Information to which this section applies may also be disclosed by an inspector appointed under this Part to—
another inspector appointed under this Part;
a person appointed under— to conduct an investigation; or
section 167 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (general investigations),
section 168 of that Act (investigations in particular cases),
section 169(1)(b) of that Act (investigation in support of overseas regulator),
section 284 of that Act (investigations into affairs of certain collective investment schemes), or
regulations made as a result of section 262(2)(k) of that Act (investigations into open-ended investment companies),
a person authorised to exercise powers under—
section 447 of this Act; or
section 84 of the Companies Act 1989 (exercise of powers to assist overseas regulatory authority).
Any information which may by virtue of subsection (3) be disclosed to any person may be disclosed to any officer or servant of that person.
The Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, disclose any information obtained under section 444 to—
the company whose ownership was the subject of the investigation,
any member of the company,
any person whose conduct was investigated in the course of the investigation,
the auditors of the company, or
any person whose financial interests appear to the Secretary of State to be affected by matters covered by the investigation.
For the purposes of this section, information obtained by an inspector in consequence of the exercise of his powers under section 453A includes information obtained by a person accompanying the inspector in pursuance of subsection (4) of that section in consequence of that person’s accompanying the inspector.
The reference to an inspector in subsection (2)(b) above includes a reference to a person accompanying an inspector in pursuance of section 453A(4).
An inspector or investigator may act under subsection (2) in relation to a company if—
he is authorised to do so by the Secretary of State, and
he thinks that to do so will materially assist him in the exercise of his functions under this Part in relation to the company.
An inspector or investigator may at all reasonable times—
require entry to relevant premises, and
remain there for such period as he thinks necessary for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1)(b).
Relevant premises are premises which the inspector or investigator believes are used (wholly or partly) for the purposes of the company’s business.
In exercising his powers under subsection (2), an inspector or investigator may be accompanied by such other persons as he thinks appropriate.
A person who intentionally obstructs a person lawfully acting under subsection (2) or (4) is guilty of an offence.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to a fine;
on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.
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An inspector is a person appointed under section 431, 432 or 442.
An investigator is a person authorised for the purposes of section 447.
This section applies for the purposes of section 453A.
The requirements of subsection (3) must be complied with at the time an inspector or investigator seeks to enter relevant premises under section 453A(2)(a).
The requirements are—
the inspector or investigator must produce evidence of his identity and evidence of his appointment or authorisation (as the case may be);
any person accompanying the inspector or investigator must produce evidence of his identity.
The inspector or investigator must, as soon as practicable after obtaining entry, give to an appropriate recipient a written statement containing such information as to— as may be prescribed by regulations.
the powers of the investigator or inspector (as the case may be) under section 453A;
the rights and obligations of the company, occupier and the persons present on the premises,
If during the time the inspector or investigator is on the premises there is no person present who appears to him to be an appropriate recipient for the purposes of subsection (8), the inspector or investigator must as soon as reasonably practicable send to the company—
a notice of the fact and time that the visit took place, and
the statement mentioned in subsection (4).
As soon as reasonably practicable after exercising his powers under section 453A(2), the inspector or investigator must prepare a written record of the visit and—
if requested to do so by the company he must give it a copy of the record;
in a case where the company is not the sole occupier of the premises, if requested to do so by an occupier he must give the occupier a copy of the record.
The written record must contain such information as may be prescribed by regulations.
If the inspector or investigator thinks that the company is the sole occupier of the premises an appropriate recipient is a person who is present on the premises and who appears to the inspector or investigator to be—
an officer of the company, or
a person otherwise engaged in the business of the company if the inspector or investigator thinks that no officer of the company is present on the premises.
If the inspector or investigator thinks that the company is not the occupier or sole occupier of the premises an appropriate recipient is—
a person who is an appropriate recipient for the purposes of subsection (8), and (if different)
a person who is present on the premises and who appears to the inspector or investigator to be an occupier of the premises or otherwise in charge of them.
A statutory instrument containing regulations made under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
This section applies if a person fails to comply with a requirement imposed by an inspector, the Secretary of State or an investigator in pursuance of either of the following provisions—
section 447;
section 453A.
The inspector, Secretary of State or investigator (as the case may be) may certify the fact in writing to the court.
If, after hearing— the court is satisfied that the offender failed without reasonable excuse to comply with the requirement, it may deal with him as if he had been guilty of contempt of the court.
any witnesses who may be produced against or on behalf of the alleged offender;
any statement which may be offered in defence,
Where an offence under any of sections 448, 449 to 451 and 453A is committed by a body corporate, every officer of the body who is in default also commits the offence. For this purpose—
any person who purports to act as director, manager or secretary of the body is treated as an officer of the body, and
if the body is a company, any shadow director is treated as an officer of the company.
In exercising his functions an inspector shall comply with any direction given to him by the Secretary of State under this section.
The Secretary of State may give an inspector appointed under section 431, 432(2) or 442(1) a direction—
as to the subject matter of his investigation (whether by reference to a specified area of a company's operation, a specified transaction, a period of time or otherwise), or
which requires the inspector to take or not to take a specified step in his investigation.
The Secretary of State may give an inspector appointed under any provision of this Part a direction requiring him to secure that a specified report under section 437—
includes the inspector's views on a specified matter,
does not include any reference to a specified matter,
is made in a specified form or manner, or
is made by a specified date.
A direction under this section—
may be given on an inspector's appointment,
may vary or revoke a direction previously given, and
may be given at the request of an inspector.
In this section—
a reference to an inspector's investigation includes any investigation he undertakes, or could undertake, under section 433(1) (power to investigate affairs of holding company or subsidiary);
“specified” means specified in a direction under this section.
The Secretary of State may direct an inspector to take no further steps in his investigation.
The Secretary of State may give a direction under this section to an inspector appointed under section 432(1) or 442(3) only on the grounds that it appears to him that—
matters have come to light in the course of the inspector's investigation which suggest that a criminal offence has been committed, and
those matters have been referred to the appropriate prosecuting authority.
Where the Secretary of State gives a direction under this section, any direction already given to the inspector under section 437(1) to produce an interim report, and any direction given to him under section 446A(3) in relation to such a report, shall cease to have effect.
Where the Secretary of State gives a direction under this section, the inspector shall not make a final report to the Secretary of State unless—
the direction was made on the grounds mentioned in subsection (2) and the Secretary of State directs the inspector to make a final report to him, or
the inspector was appointed under section 432(1) (appointment in pursuance of order of the court).
An inspector shall comply with any direction given to him under this section.
In this section, a reference to an inspector's investigation includes any investigation he undertakes, or could undertake, under section 433(1) (power to investigate affairs of holding company or subsidiary).
Nothing in sections 431 to 446E compels the disclosure by any person to the Secretary of State or to an inspector appointed by him of information in respect of which in an action in the High Court a claim to legal professional privilege, or in an action in the Court of Session a claim to confidentiality of communications, could be maintained.
by any person of information which he would in an action in the High Court or the Court of Session be entitled to refuse to disclose on grounds of legal professional privilege except, if he is a lawyer, the name and address of his client,
by a company's bankers (as such) of information as to the affairs of any of their customers other than the company.
Nothing in sections 447 to 451—
compels the production by any person of a document or the disclosure by any person of information in respect of which in an action in the High Court a claim to legal professional privilege, or in an action in the Court of Session a claim to confidentiality of communications, could be maintained;
authorises the taking of possession of any such document which is in the person’s possession.
Nothing in section 434, 443 or 446 requires a person (except as mentioned in subsection (1B) below) to disclose information or produce documents in respect of which he owes an obligation of confidence by virtue of carrying on the business of banking unless—
the person to whom the obligation of confidence is owed is the company or other body corporate under investigation,
the person to whom the obligation of confidence is owed consents to the disclosure or production, or
the making of the requirement is authorised by the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State must not under section 447 require, or authorise a person to require— unless one of the conditions in subsection (4) is met.
the production by a person carrying on the business of banking of a document relating to the affairs of a customer of his, or
the disclosure by him of information relating to those affairs,
Subsection (1A) does not apply where the person owing the obligation of confidence is the company or other body corporate under investigation under section 431, 432 or 433.
The conditions are—
the Secretary of State thinks it is necessary to do so for the purpose of investigating the affairs of the person carrying on the business of banking;
the customer is a person on whom a requirement has been imposed under section 447;
the customer is a person on whom a requirement to produce information or documents has been imposed by an investigator appointed by the Secretary of State in pursuance of section 171 or 173 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (powers of persons appointed under section 167 or as a result of section 168(2) to conduct an investigation).
Despite subsections (1) and (2) a person who is a lawyer may be compelled to disclose the name and address of his client.
The provisions of this Part apply to bodies corporate incorporated outside the United Kingdom which are carrying on business in the United Kingdom, or have at any time carried on business there, as they apply to companies under this Act; but subject to the following exceptions, adaptations and modifications.
Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
The following provisions do not apply to such bodies—
section 431 (investigation on application of company or its members),
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sections 442 to 445 (investigation of company ownership and power to obtain information as to those interested in shares, &c.), . . .
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The other provisions of this Part apply to such bodies subject to such adaptations and modifications as may be specified by regulations made by the Secretary of State.
An inspector may resign by notice in writing to the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State may revoke the appointment of an inspector by notice in writing to the inspector.
Where— the Secretary of State may appoint one or more competent inspectors to continue the investigation.
an inspector resigns,
an inspector's appointment is revoked, or
an inspector dies,
An appointment under subsection (1) shall be treated for the purposes of this Part (apart from this section) as an appointment under the provision of this Part under which the former inspector was appointed.
The Secretary of State must exercise his power under subsection (1) so as to secure that at least one inspector continues the investigation.
Subsection (3) does not apply if—
the Secretary of State could give any replacement inspector a direction under section 446B (termination of investigation), and
such a direction would (under subsection (4) of that section) result in a final report not being made.
In this section, references to an investigation include any investigation the former inspector conducted under section 433(1) (power to investigate affairs of holding company or subsidiary).
This section applies to a person who was appointed as an inspector under this Part—
who has resigned, or
whose appointment has been revoked.
This section also applies to an inspector to whom the Secretary of State has given a direction under section 446B (termination of investigation).
The Secretary of State may direct a person to whom this section applies to produce documents obtained or generated by that person during the course of his investigation to—
the Secretary of State, or
an inspector appointed under this Part.
The power under subsection (3) to require production of a document includes power, in the case of a document not in hard copy form, to require the production of a copy of the document—
in hard copy form, or
in a form from which a hard copy can be readily obtained.
The Secretary of State may take copies of or extracts from a document produced in pursuance of this section.
The Secretary of State may direct a person to whom this section applies to inform him of any matters that came to that person's knowledge as a result of his investigation.
A person shall comply with any direction given to him under this section.
In this section—
references to the investigation of a former inspector or inspector include any investigation he conducted under section 433(1) (power to investigate affairs of holding company or subsidiary), and
“document” includes information recorded in any form.
So long as any shares are directed to be subject to the restrictions of this Part then, subject to any directions made in relation to an order pursuant to section 445(1A) or 456(1A)—
any transfer of those shares or, in the case of unissued shares, any transfer of the right to be issued with them, and any issue of them, is void;
no voting rights are exercisable in respect of the shares;
no further shares shall be issued in right of them or in pursuance of any offer made to their holder; and
except in a liquidation, no payment shall be made of any sums due from the company on the shares, whether in respect of capital or otherwise.
Where shares are subject to the restrictions of subsection (1)(a), any agreement to transfer the shares or, in the case of unissued shares, the right to be issued with them is void (except such agreement or right as may be made or exercised under the terms of directions made by the Secretary of State or the court under section 445(1A) or 456(1A) oran agreement to transfer the shares on the making of an order under section 456(3)(b) below).
Where shares are subject to the restrictions of subsection (1)(c) or (d), an agreement to transfer any right to be issued with other shares in right of those shares, or to receive any payment on them (otherwise than in a liquidation) is void (except such agreement or right as may be made or exercised under the terms of directions made by the Secretary of State or the court under section 445(1A) or 456(1A) oran agreement to transfer any such right on the transfer of the shares on the making of an order under section 456(3)(b) below).
Subject to the terms of any directions made under section 445(1A) or 456 a person commits an offence if he—
exercises or purports to exercise any right to dispose of any shares which, to his knowledge, are for the time being subject to the restrictions of this Part or of any right to be issued with any such shares, or
votes in respect of any such shares (whether as holder or proxy), or appoints a proxy to vote in respect of them, or
being the holder of any such shares, fails to notify of their being subject to those restrictions any person whom he does not know to be aware of that fact but does know to be entitled (apart from the restrictions) to vote in respect of those shares whether as holder or as proxy, or
being the holder of any such shares, or being entitled to any right to be issued with other shares in right of them, or to receive any payment on them (otherwise than in a liquidation), enters into any agreement which is void under section 454(2) or (3).
Subject to the terms of any directions made under section 445(1A) or 456 if shares in a company are issued in contravention of the restrictions, an offence is committed by—
the company, and
every officer of the company who is in default.
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A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
on conviction on indictment, to a fine;
on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.
Where shares in a company are by order made subject to the restrictions of this Part, application may be made to the court for an order directing that the shares be no longer so subject.
If the order applying the restrictions was made by the Secretary of State, or he has refused to make an order disapplying them, the application may be made by any person aggrieved; . . . .
Where the court is satisfied that an order subjecting the shares tothe restrictions of this Part unfairly affects the rights of third parties in respect of shares then the court, for the purpose of protecting such rights and subject to such terms as it thinks fit and in addition to any order it may make under subsection (1), may direct on an application made under that subsection that such acts by such persons or descriptions of persons and for such purposes, as may be set out in the order, shall not constitute a breach of the restrictions of Part XV of this Act. Subsection (3) does not apply to an order made under this subsection.
Subject as follows, an order of the court or the Secretary of State directing that shares shall cease to be subject to the restrictions may be made only if—
the court or (as the case may be) the Secretary of State is satisfied that the relevant facts about the shares have been disclosed to the company and no unfair advantage has accrued to any person as a result of the earlier failure to make that disclosure, or
the shares are to be transferred for valuable consideration and the court (in any case) or the Secretary of State (if the order was made under section . . . 445) approves the transfer.
Without prejudice to the power of the court to give directions under subsection (1A), where shares in a company are subject to the restrictions, the court may on application order the shares to be sold, subject to the court’s approval as to the sale, and may also direct that the shares shall cease to be subject to the restrictions. An application to the court under this subsection may be made by the Secretary of State . . . , or by the company.
Where an order has been made under subsection (4), the court may on application make such further order relating to the sale or transfer of the shares as it thinks fit. An application to the court under this subsection may be made—
by the Secretary of State . . . , or
by the company, or
by the person appointed by or in pursuance of the order to effect the sale, or
by any person interested in the shares.
An order (whether of the Secretary of State or the court) directing that shares shall cease to be subject to the restrictions of this Part, if it is— may continue the restrictions mentioned in paragraphs (c) and (d) of section 454(1), either in whole or in part, so far as they relate to any right acquired or offer made before the transfer.
expressed to be made with a view to permitting a transfer of the shares, or
made under subsection (4) of this section,
Subsection (3) does not apply to an order directing that shares shall cease to be subject to any restrictions which have been continued in force in relation to those shares under subsection (6).
Where shares are sold in pursuance of an order of the court under section 456(4) the proceeds of sale, less the costs of the sale, shall be paid into court for the benefit of the persons who are beneficially interested in the shares; and any such person may apply to the court for the whole or part of those proceeds to be paid to him.
On application under subsection (1) the court shall (subject as provided below) order the payment to the applicant of the whole of the proceeds of sale together with any interest thereon or, if any other person had a beneficial interest in the shares at the time of their sale, such proportion of those proceeds and interest as is equal to the proportion which the value of the applicant’s interest in the shares bears to the total value of the shares.
On granting an application for an order under section 456(4) or (5) the court may order that the applicant’s costs be paid out of the proceeds of sale; and if that order is made, the applicant is entitled to payment of his costs out of those proceeds before any person interested in the shares in question receives any part of those proceeds.
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A member of a company may apply to the court by petition for an order under this Part on the ground that the company's affairs are being or have been conducted in a manner which is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of some part of the members (including at least himself) or that any actual or proposed act or omission of the company (including an act or omission on its behalf) is or would be so prejudicial.
The provisions of this Part apply to a person who is not a member of a company but to whom shares in the company have been transferred or transmitted by operation of law, as those provisions apply to a member of the company; and references to a member or members are to be construed accordingly.
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If in the case of any company—
the Secretary of State has received a report under section 437, or exercised his powers under section 447 or 448 of this Act or section 44(2) to (6) of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 (inspection of company's books and papers), and
it appears to him that the company's affairs are being or have been conducted in a manner which is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of some part of the members, or that any actual or proposed act or omission of the company (including an act or omission on its behalf) is or would be so prejudicial. he may himself (in addition to or instead of presenting a petition under section 440 for the winding up of the company) apply to the court by petition for an order under this Part.
In this section (and, so far as applicable for its purposes, in the section next following) " company " means any body corporate which is liable to be wound up under this Act
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If the court is satisfied that a petition under this Part is well founded, it may make such order as it thinks fit for giving relief in respect of the matters complained of.
Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the court's order may—
regulate the conduct of the company's affairs in the future,
require the company to refrain from doing or continuing an act complained of by the petitioner or to do an act which the petitioner has complained it has omitted to do,
authorise civil proceedings to be brought in the name and on behalf of the company by such person or persons and on such terms as the court may direct,
provide for the purchase of the shares of any members of the company by other members or by the company itself and, in the case of a purchase by the company itself, the reduction of the company's capital accordingly.
If an order under this Part requires the company not to make any, or any specified, alteration in the memorandum or articles, the company does not then have power without leave of the court to make any such alteration in breach of that requirement.
Any alteration in the company's memorandum or articles made by virtue of an order under this Part is of the same effect as if duly made by resolution of the company, and the provisions of this Act apply to the memorandum or articles as so altered accordingly.
An office copy of an order under this Part altering, or giving leave to alter, a company's memorandum or articles shall, within 14 days from the making of the order or such longer period as the court may allow, be delivered by the company to the registrar of companies for registration ; and if a company makes default in complying with this subsection, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Section 663 (winding-up rules) applies in relation to a petition under this Part as in relation to a winding-up petition.
It is competent under the law of Scotland for an incorporated company (whether a company within the meaning of this Act or not), for the purpose of securing any debt or other obligation (including a cautionary obligation) incurred or to be incurred by, or binding upon, the company or any other person, to create in favour of the creditor in the debt or obligation a charge, in this Part referred to as a floating charge, over all or any part of the property (including uncalled capital) which may from time to time be comprised in its property and undertaking.
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Execution in accordance with this section includes execution by an attorney authorised for such purpose by the company by writing under its common seal; and any such execution on behalf of the company binds the company.
References in this Part to the instrument by which a floating charge was created are, in the case of a floating charge created by words in a bond or other written acknowledgment, references to the bond or, as the case may be, the other written acknowledgment.
Subject to this Act, a floating charge has effect in accordance with this Part and Part III of the Insolvency Act 1986 in relation to any heritable property in Scotland to which it relates, notwithstanding that the instrument creating it is not recorded in the Register of Sasines or, as appropriate, registered in accordance with the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979.
Where a company goes into liquidation within the meaning of section 247(2) of the Insolvency Act 1986, a floating charge created by the company attaches to the property then comprised in the company’s property and undertaking or, as the case may be, in part of that property and undertaking, but does so subject to the rights of any person who—
has effectually executed diligence on the property or any part of it; or
holds a fixed security over the property or any part of it ranking in priority to the floating charge; or
holds over the property or any part of it another floating charge so ranking.
The provisions of Part IV of the Insolvency Act (except section 185) have effect in relation to a floating charge, subject to subsection (1), as if the charge were a fixed security over the property to which it has attached in respect of the principal of the debt or obligation to which it relates and any interest due or to become due thereon.
Nothing in this section derogates from the provisions of sections 53(7) and 54(6) of the Insolvency Act (attachment of floating charge on appointment of receiver), or prejudices the operation of sections 175 and 176 of that Act (payment of preferential debts in winding up).
prejudices the operation of section 614(2);
derogates from the provisions of sections 469(7) and 470(6) in this Part.
. . . interest accrues, in respect of a floating charge which after 16th November 1972 attaches to the property of the company, until payment of the sum due under the charge is made.
Subject to subsection (2), the instrument creating a floating charge over all or any part of the company’s property under section 462 may contain—
provisions prohibiting or restricting the creation of any fixed security or any other floating charge having priority over, or ranking pari passu with, the floating charge; or
with the consent of the holder of any subsisting floating charge or fixed security which would be adversely affected, provisions regulating the order in which the floating charge shall rank with any other subsisting or future floating charges or fixed securities over that property or any part of it.
Where all or any part of the property of a company is subject both to a floating charge and to a fixed security arising by operation of law, the fixed security has priority over the floating charge.
Where an instrument creating a floating charge contains any such provision as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a), that provision shall be effective to confer priority on the floating charge over any fixed security or floating charge created after the date of the instrument.
The order of ranking of the floating charge with any other subsisting or future floating charges or fixed securities over all or any part of the company’s property is determined in accordance with the provisions of subsections (4) and (5) except where it is determined in accordance with any provision such as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1).
Subject to the provisions of this section—
a fixed security, the right to which has been constituted as a real right before a floating charge has attached to all or any part of the property of the company, has priority of ranking over the floating charge;
floating charges rank with one another according to the time of registration in accordance with Chapter II of Part XII;
floating charges which have been received by the registrar for registration by the same postal delivery rank with one another equally.
Where the holder of a floating charge over all or any part of the company’s property which has been registered in accordance with Chapter II of Part XII has received intimation in writing of the subsequent registration in accordance with that Chapter of another floating charge over the same property or any part thereof, the preference in ranking of the first-mentioned floating charge is restricted to security for—
the holder’s present advances;
future advances which he may be required to make under the instrument creating the floating charge or under any ancillary document;
interest due or to become due on all such advances; . . .
any expenses or outlays which may reasonably be incurred by the holder ;and
(in the case of a floating charge to secure a contingent liability other than a liability arising under any further advances made from time to time) the maximum sum to which that contingent liability is capable of amounting whether or not it is contractually limited.
This section is subject to Part XII and tosections 175 and 176 of the Insolvency Act.
Any floating charge which— is deemed to have subsisted as a valid floating charge as from the date of its creation.
purported to subsist as a floating charge on 17th November 1972, and
if it had been created on or after that date, would have been validly created by virtue of the Companies (Floating Charges and Receivers) (Scotland) Act 1972,
Any provision which— is deemed to have been a valid provision as from the date of its making.
is contained in an instrument creating a floating charge or in any ancillary document executed prior to, and still subsisting at, the commencement of that Act,
relates to the ranking of charges, and
if it had been made after the commencement of that Act, would have been a valid provision,
The instrument creating a floating charge under section 462 or any ancillary document may be altered by the execution of an instrument of alteration by the company, the holder of the charge and the holder of any other charge (including a fixed security) which would be adversely affected by the alteration.
Without prejudice to any enactment or rule of law regarding the execution of documents, such an instrument of alteration is validly executed if it is executed—
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where trustees for debenture-holders are acting under and in accordance with a trust deed, by those trustees ; or
where, in the case of a series of secured debentures, no such trustees are acting, by or on behalf of—
a majority in nominal value of those present or represented by proxy and voting at a meeting of debenture-holders at which the holders of at least one-third in nominal value of the outstanding debentures of the series are present or so represented; or
where no such meeting is held, the holders of at least one-half in nominal value of the outstanding debentures of the series; . . .
in such manner as may be provided for in the instrument creating the floating charge or any ancillary document.
Section 464 applies to an instrument of alteration under this section as it applies to an instrument creating a floating charge.
Subsection (4A) applies to an alteration of a floating charge, where the alteration is one which—
prohibits or restricts the creation of any fixed security or any other floating charge having priority over, or ranking pari passu with, the floating charge; or
varies, or otherwise regulates the order of, the ranking of the floating charge in relation to fixed securities or to other floating charges; or
releases property from the floating charge; or
increases the amount secured by the floating charge.
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references to the creation of a charge were references to the execution of such alteration ; and
for the words from the beginning of subsection (2) to the word " applies" there were substituted the words " Every alteration to a floating charge created by a company ".
Every alteration to a floating charge created by a company is, so far as any security on the company’s property or any part of it is conferred by the alteration, void against the liquidator or administrator and any creditor of the company, unless the documents referred to in subsection (4B) are delivered to the registrar for registration by the company or any person interested in the charge before the end of the relevant period allowed for delivery.
Any reference (however expressed) in any enactment, including this Act, to a floating charge is, for the purposes of this section and unless the context otherwise requires, to be construed as including a reference to the floating charge as altered by an alteration falling under subsection (4) of this section.
The documents referred to in subsection (4A) are—
a certified copy of the instrument of alteration, and
a statement of particulars including—
the registered name and number of the company;
the date of creation of the charge;
a description of the instrument (if any) by which the charge was created or evidenced;
short particulars of the property or undertaking charged as set out when the charge was registered;
date(s) of execution of the instrument of alteration;
names and address(es) of the persons who have executed the instrument of alteration.
In subsection (4A) “the relevant period allowed for delivery” is—
the period of 21 days beginning with the day after the date of execution of the instrument of alteration, or
if an order under section 859F(3) of the Companies Act 2006 (as applied by subsection (4E)) has been made, the period allowed by the order.
Subsection (4A) is without prejudice to any contract or obligation for repayment of the money secured by the alteration to the charge; and when an alteration becomes void under subsection (4A) the money secured by it immediately becomes payable.
Sections 859F, 859G, 859I, 859M and 859N of the Companies Act 2006 apply to an alteration to a floating charge to which subsection (4A) applies as they apply to a charge.
As applied by subsection (4E), those sections apply as if—
references to the documents required or delivered under section 859A or 859B were to the documents referred to in subsection (4B);
references to the period allowed for delivery under the section concerned were to the period referred to in subsection (4C)(a);
references to the delivery of a certified copy of an instrument to the registrar for the purposes of Chapter A1 of Part 25 of the Companies Act 2006 were to the delivery of a certified copy of an instrument of alteration to the registrar for the purposes of this section;
references to registration in accordance with a provision of Chapter A1 of Part 25 of the Companies Act 2006 were to registration in accordance with this section;
references to a section 859D statement of particulars were to the statement of particulars referred to in subsection (4B)(b);
references to registration under section 859A or 859B were to registration under this section;
references to a statement or notice delivered to the registrar in accordance with Chapter A1 of Part 25 of the Companies Act 2006 were to a statement delivered to the registrar in accordance with subsection (4A).
It is competent under the law of Scotland for the holder of a floating charge over all or any part of the property (including uncalled capital), which may from time to time be comprised in the property and undertaking of an incorporated company (whether a company within the meaning of this Act or not) which the Court of Session has jurisdiction to wind up, to appoint a receiver of such part of the property of the company as is subject to the charge.
It is competent under the law of Scotland for the court, on the application of the holder of such a floating charge, to appoint a receiver of such part of the property of the company as is subject to the charge.
The following are disqualified from being appointed as receiver—
a body corporate;
an undischarged bankrupt; and
a firm according to the law of Scotland.
A body corporate or a firm according to the law of Scotland which acts as a receiver is liable to a fine.
An undischarged bankrupt who so acts is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
In this section, " receiver" includes joint receivers.
A receiver may be appointed under section 467(1) by the holder of the floating charge on the occurrence of any event which, by the provisions of the instrument creating the charge, entitles the holder of the charge to make that appointment and, in so far as not otherwise provided for by the instrument, on the occurrence of any of the following events, namely—
the expiry of a period of 21 days after the making of a demand for payment of the whole or any part of the principal sum secured by the charge, without payment having been made;
the expiry of a period of two months during the whole of which interest due and payable under the charge has been in arrears;
the making of an order or the passing of a resolution to wind up the company ;
the appointment of a receiver by virtue of any other floating charge created by the company.
A receiver may be appointed by the court under section 467(2) on the occurrence of any event which, by the provisions of the instrument creating the floating charge, entitles the holder of the charge to make that appointment and, in so far as not otherwise provided for by the instrument, on the occurrence of any of the following events, namely—
where the court, on the application of the holder of the charge, pronounces itself satisfied that the position of the holder of the charge is likely to be prejudiced if no such appointment is made;
any of the events referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) above.
The appointment of a receiver by the holder of the floating charge under section 467(1) shall be by means of a validly executed instrument in writing (referred to as the " instrument of appointment"), a copy (certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct copy) whereof shall be delivered by or on behalf of the person making the appointment to the registrar of companies for registration within 7 days of its execution and shall be accompanied by a notice in the prescribed form.
If any person without reasonable excuse makes default in complying with the requirements of subsection (1), he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The instrument of appointment is validly executed—
by a company, if it is executed in accordance with the provisions of section 36 of this Act as if it were a contract; and
by any other person, if it is executed in the manner required or permitted by the law of Scotland in the case of an attested deed.
The instrument may be executed on behalf of the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver is to be appointed—
by any person duly authorised in writing by the holder to execute the instrument; and
in the case of an appointment of a receiver by the holders of a series of secured debentures, by any person authorised by resolution of the debenture-holders to execute the instrument.
On receipt of the certified copy of the instrument of appointment in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, the registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, enter the particulars of the appointment in the register of charges.
The receiver is to be regarded as having been appointed on the date of the execution of the instrument of his appointment.
On the appointment of a receiver under this section, the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed attaches to the property then subject to the charge; and such attachment has effect as if the charge was a fixed security over the property to which it has attached.
Application for the appointment of a receiver by the court under section 467(2) shall be by petition to the court, which shall be served on the company.
On such application, the court shall, if it thinks fit, issue an interlocutor making the appointment of the receiver on such terms as to caution as it may think fit.
A copy (certified by the clerk of the court to be a correct copy) of the court's interlocutor making the appointment shall be delivered by or on behalf of the petitioner to the registrar of companies for registration, accompanied by a notice in the prescribed form, within 7 days of the date of the interlocutor or such longer period as the court may allow. If any person without reasonable excuse makes default in complying with the requirements of this subsection he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
On receipt of the certified copy interlocutor in accordance with subsection (3), and on receipt of a certificate by the appropriate officer of the court that caution as ordered by the court has been found, the registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, enter the particulars of the appointment in the register of charges.
The receiver is to be regarded as having been appointed on the date of his being appointed by the court.
On the appointment of a receiver under this section, the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed attaches to the property then subject to the charge; and such attachment has effect as if the charge were a fixed security over the property to which it has attached.
In making rules of court for the purposes of this section, the Court of Session shall have regard to the need for special provision for cases which appear to the court to require to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Subject to subsection (2) below, a receiver has in relation to such part of the property of the company as is attached by the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed, the powers, if any, given to him by the instrument creating that charge and, in addition, he has under this Part the following powers as respects that property, in so far as these are not inconsistent with any provision contained in that instrument, namely—
power to take possession of, collect and get in the property from the company or a liquidator thereof or any other person, and for that purpose, to take such proceedings as may seem to him expedient;
power to sell, feu, hire out or otherwise dispose of the property by public roup or private bargain and with or without advertisement;
power to borrow money and grant security therefor over the property;
power to appoint a solicitor or accountant or other professionally qualified person to assist him in the performance of his functions;
power to apply to the court for directions in connection with the performance of his functions;
power to bring or defend any action or other legal proceedings in the name and on behalf of the company;
power to refer to arbitration all questions affecting the company;
power to effect and maintain insurances in respect of the business and property of the company;
power to use the company's seal;
power to do all acts and to execute in the name and on behalf of the company any deed, receipt or other document;
power to draw, accept, make and endorse any bill of exchange or promissory note in the name and on behalf of the company ;
power to appoint any agent to do any business which he is unable to do himself or which can more conveniently be done by an agent and power to employ and discharge servants;
power to have carried out to the best advantage any work on the property of the company and in general to do all such other things as may be necessary for the realisation of the property ;
power to make any payment which is necessary or incidental to the performance of his functions ;
power to carry on the business of the company so far as he thinks it desirable to do so;
power to grant any lease of the property, and to input and output tenants, and to take on lease any property required or convenient for the business of the company;
power to rank and claim in the bankruptcy, insolvency, sequestration or liquidation of any person or company indebted to the company and to receive dividends, and to accede to trust deeds for creditors of any such person ;
power to present or defend a petition for the winding up of the company ; and
power to do all other things incidental to the exercise of the powers mentioned in this subsection.
Subsection (1) applies—
subject to the rights of any person who has effectually executed diligence on all or any part of the property of the company prior to the appointment of the receiver; and
subject to the rights of any person who holds over all or any part of the property of the company a fixed security or floating charge having priority over, or ranking pari passu with, the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed.
A person transacting with a receiver shall not be concerned to inquire whether any event has happened to authorise the receiver to act.
Where there are two or more floating charges subsisting over all or any part of the property of the company, a receiver may be appointed under this Chapter by virtue of each such charge, but a receiver appointed by, or on the application of, the holder of a floating charge having priority of ranking over any other floating charge by virtue of which a receiver has been appointed has the powers given to a receiver by section 471 to the exclusion of any other receiver.
Where two or more floating charges rank with one another equally, and two or more receivers have been appointed by virtue of such charges, the receivers so appointed are deemed to have been appointed as joint receivers.
Receivers appointed, or deemed to have been appointed, as joint receivers shall act jointly unless the instrument of appointment or respective instruments of appointment otherwise provide.
Subject to subsection (5) below, the powers of a receiver appointed by, or on the application of, the holder of a floating charge are suspended by, and as from the date of, the appointment of a receiver by, or on the application of, the holder of a floating charge having priority of ranking over that charge to such extent as may be necessary to enable the receiver second mentioned to exercise his powers under section 471 ; and any powers so suspended take effect again when the floating charge having priority of ranking ceases to attach to the property then subject to the charge, whether such cessation is by virtue of section 478(6) or otherwise.
The suspension of the powers of a receiver under subsection (4) does not have the effect of requiring him to release any part of the property (including any letters or documents) of the company from his control until he receives from the receiver superseding him a valid indemnity (subject to the limit of the value of such part of the property of the company as is subject to the charge by virtue of which he was appointed) in respect of any expenses, charges and liabilities he may have incurred in the performance of his functions as receiver.
The suspension of the powers of a receiver under subsection (4) does not cause the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed to cease to attach to the property to which it attached by virtue of section 469(7) or 470(6).
Nothing in this section prevents the same receiver being appointed by virtue of two or more floating charges.
A receiver is deemed to be the agent of the company in relation to such property of the company as is attached by the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed.
Subject to subsection (1), a receiver (including a receiver whose powers are subsequently suspended under section 472) is personally liable on any contract entered into by him in the performance of his functions, except in so far as the contract otherwise provides.
A receiver who is personally liable by virtue of subsection (2) is entitled to be indemnified out of the property in respect of which he was appointed.
Any contract entered into by or on behalf of the company prior to the appointment of a receiver continues in force (subject to its terms) notwithstanding that appointment, but the receiver does not by virtue only of his appointment incur any personal liability on any such contract.
Any contract entered into by a receiver in the performance of his functions continues in force (subject to its terms) although the powers of the receiver are subsequently suspended under section 472.
The remuneration to be paid to a receiver is to be determined by agreement between the receiver and the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed.
Where the remuneration to be paid to the receiver has not been determined under subsection (1) or where it has been so determined but is disputed by any of the persons mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d), it may be fixed instead by the Auditor of the Court of Session on application made to him by—
the receiver ;
the holder of any floating charge or fixed security over all or any part of the property of the company ;
the company; or
the liquidator of the company.
Application to the Auditor of the Court of Session under subsection (2) shall be made in writing not later than one month after the sending of the abstract of receipts and payments of the receiver mentioned below in this Chapter which discloses the remuneration, if any, payable to the receiver.
Where the receiver has been paid or has retained for his remuneration for any period before the remuneration has been fixed by the Auditor of the Court of Session under subsection (2) any amount in excess of the remuneration so fixed for that period, the receiver or his personal representatives shall account for the excess.
Where a receiver is appointed and the company is not at the time of the appointment in course of being wound up, the debts which fall under subsection (2) of this section shall be paid out of any assets coming to the hands of the receiver in priority to any claim for principal or interest by the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed.
Debts falling under this subsection are debts which satisfy the conditions of this subsection, that is to say, they are debts—
which in every winding up are, under the provisions of Part XX relating to preferential payments, to be paid in priority to all other debts ; and
which, by the end of a period of six months after advertisement by the receiver for claims in the Edinburgh Gazette and in a newspaper circulating in the district where the company carries on business, either—
have been intimated to him ; or
have become known to him.
In the application of Part XX, section 614 and Schedule 19 are to be read as if the provision for payment of accrued holiday remuneration becoming payable on the termination of employment before or by the effect of the winding-up order or resolution were a provision for payment of such remuneration becoming payable on the termination of employment before or by the effect of the appointment of the receiver.
The periods of time mentioned in Schedule 19 are to be reckoned from the date of the appointment of the receiver under section 469(6) or 470(5).
Any payments made under this section shall be recouped as far as may be out of the assets of the company available for payment of ordinary creditors.
Subject to section 477, and to the rights of any of the following categories of persons, namely— the receiver shall pay monies received by him to the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed in or towards satisfaction of the debt secured by the floating charge.
the holder of any fixed security which is over property subject to the floating charge and which ranks prior to, or pari passu with, the floating charge ;
all persons who have effectually executed diligence on any part of the property of the company which is subject to the charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed ;
creditors in respect of all liabilities, charges and expenses incurred by or on behalf of the receiver;
the receiver in respect of his liabilities, expenses and remuneration; and
the preferential creditors entitled to payment under section 475,
Any balance of monies remaining after the provisions of subsection (1) of this section and section 477 have been satisfied shall be paid in accordance with their respective rights and interests to the following persons, as the case may require, namely—
any other receiver;
the holder of a fixed security which is over property subject to the floating charge;
the company or its liquidator, as the case may be.
Where any question arises as to the person entitled to a payment under this section, or where a receipt or a discharge of a security cannot be obtained in respect of any such payment, the receiver shall consign the amount of such payment in any joint stock bank of issue in Scotland in name of the Accountant of Court for behoof of the person or persons entitled thereto.
Where the receiver sells or disposes, or is desirous of selling or disposing, of any property or interest in property of the company which is subject to the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed and which is— and the receiver is unable to obtain the consent of such creditor or, as the case may be, such person to such a sale or disposal, the receiver may apply to the court for authority to sell or dispose of the property or interest in property free of such security, interest, burden, encumbrance or diligence.
subject to any security or interest of, or burden or encumbrance in favour of, a creditor the ranking of which is prior to, pari passu with, or postponed to the floating charge; or
property or an interest in property affected or attached by effectual diligence executed by any person ;
On such an application, the court may, if it thinks fit, authorise the sale or disposal of the property or interest in question free of such security, interest, burden, encumbrance or diligence, and such authorisation may be on such terms or conditions as the court thinks fit: But that authorisation shall not be given where a fixed security over the property or interest in question which ranks prior to the floating charge has not been met or provided for in full.
Where any sale or disposal is effected in accordance with the authorisation of the court under subsection (2) of this section, the receiver shall grant to the purchaser or disponee an appropriate document of transfer or conveyance of the property or interest in question, and that document has the effect, or, where recording, intimation or registration of that document is a legal requirement for completion of title to the property or interest, then that recording, intimation or registration, as the case may be, has the effect, of—
disencumbering the property or interest of the security, interest, burden or encumbrance affecting it; and
freeing the property or interest from the diligence executed upon it.
Nothing in this section prejudices the right of any creditor of the company to rank for his debt in the winding up of the company.
A receiver appointed by the holder of a floating charge under section 467(1) may resign on giving one month's notice thereof to—
the holders of floating charges over all or any part of the property of the company ;
the company or its liquidator; and
the holders of any fixed security over property of the company which is subject to the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed.
A receiver appointed by the court under section 467(2) may resign only with the authority of the court and on such terms and conditions, if any, as may be laid down by the court.
Subject to subsection (4) below, a receiver may, on application to the court by the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed, be removed by the court on cause shown.
Where a receiver ceases to act as such, then, in respect of any expenses, charges or other liabilities he may have incurred in the performance of his functions as receiver, he is entitled to be indemnified out of the property which is subject to the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed.
When a receiver ceases to act as such otherwise than by death he shall, and, when a receiver is removed by the court, the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed shall, within 7 days of the cessation or removal, as the case may be, give the registrar of companies notice to that effect, and the registrar shall enter the notice in the register of charges. If the receiver or the holder of the floating charge, as the case may require, makes default in complying with the requirements of this subsection, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If by the expiry of a period of one month following upon the removal of the receiver or his ceasing to act as such no other receiver has been appointed, the floating charge by virtue of which the receiver was appointed—
thereupon ceases to attach to the property then subject to the charge; and
again subsists as a floating charge.
A holder of a floating charge by virtue of which a receiver was appointed may apply to the court for directions in any matter arising in connection with the performance by the receiver of his functions.
Where a floating charge by virtue of which a person is purported to have been appointed receiver is discovered to be invalid, the court may, if it thinks fit, in whole or in part relieve that person from personal liability in respect of anything done or omitted to be done which, had he been validly appointed, would have been properly done or omitted.
The court may, if it thinks fit, make the person by whom the invalid appointment was made personally liable in respect of anything done or omitted to be done to the extent to which the person purported to have been appointed receiver has been relieved of personal liability.
Where a receiver has been appointed, every invoice, order for goods or business letter issued by or on behalf of the company or the receiver or the liquidator of the company, being a document on or in which the name of the company appears, shall contain a statement that a receiver has been appointed.
If default is made in complying with the requirements of this section, the company and any of the following persons who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default, namely, any officer of the company, any liquidator of the company and any receiver, is liable to a fine.
Where a receiver is appointed then, subject to the provisions of this section and the section next following—
he shall forthwith send notice to the company of his appointment; and
there shall, within 14 days after receipt of the notice, or such longer period as may be allowed by the court or in writing by the receiver, be made out and submitted to the receiver in accordance with section 482 a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company; and
the receiver shall, within 2 months after receipt of the statement, send—
to the registrar of companies and to the court, a copy of the statement and of any comments he sees fit to make thereon and, in the case of the registrar of companies, also a summary of the statement and of his comments (if any) thereon; and
to the company, a copy of any such comments or, if he does not see fit to make any comment, a notice to that effect; and
to the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed, to any trustees for the debenture-holders on whose behalf he was appointed and, so far as he is aware of their addresses, to all such debenture-holders, a copy of the said summary.
The receiver shall, within two months, or such longer period as the court may allow, after the expiration of the period of 12 months from the date of his appointment and of every subsequent period of twelve months, and within two months, or such longer period as the court may allow, after he ceases to act as receiver, send to— an abstract in the prescribed form showing his receipts and payments during that period of twelve months, or, where he ceases to act as receiver, during the period from the end of the period to which the last preceding abstract related (or, if no preceding abstract has been sent under this section, from the date of his appointment) up to the date of his so ceasing, and the aggregate amounts of his receipts and of his payments during all preceding periods since his appointment.
the registrar of companies;
the company;
the holder of the floating charge by virtue of which he was appointed;
any trustees for the debenture-holders of the company on whose behalf he was appointed;
all such debenture-holders (so far as he is aware of their addresses); and
the holders of all other floating charges or fixed securities over property of the company,
Where the receiver is appointed by the holder of the floating charge under section 467, this section has effect— and, in any other case, references to the court shall be taken as referring to the court by which the receiver was appointed.
with the omission of the references to the court in subsection (1); and
with the substitution for the references to the court in subsection (2) of references to the Secretary of State;
Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to the appointment of a receiver to act with an existing receiver or in place of a receiver dying or ceasing to act, except that, where that subsection applies to a receiver who dies or ceases to act before it has been fully complied with, the references in paragraphs (b) and (c) of the subsection include (subject to subsection (5)) reference to his successor and to any continuing receiver. Nothing in this subsection shall be taken as limiting the meaning of the expression " the receiver " where used in, or in relation to, subsection (2).
Where the company is being wound up, this section and section 482 shall apply notwithstanding that the receiver and the liquidator are the same person, but with any necessary modifications arising from that fact
Nothing in subsection (2) above prejudices the duty of the receiver to render proper accounts of his receipts and payments to the persons to whom, and at the times at which, he may be required to do so apart from that subsection.
If the receiver makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The statement as to the affairs of a company required by section 481 to be submitted to the receiver (or his successor) shall show as at the date of the receiver's appointment the particulars of the company's assets, debts and liabilities, the names, residences and occupations of its creditors, the securities held by them respectively, the dates when the securities were respectively given and such further or other information as may be prescribed.
The statement shall be submitted by, and be verified by the statutory declaration of, one or more of the persons who are at the date of the receiver's appointment the directors, and by the person who is at that date the secretary, of the company, or by such of the persons mentioned below in this subsection as the receiver (or his successor), subject to the direction of the court, may require to submit and verify the statement, that is to say, persons—
who are or have been officers of the company ;
who have taken part in the formation of the company at any time within one year before the date of the receiver's appointment;
who are in the employment of the company, or have been in its employment within that year, and are, in the opinion of the receiver, capable of giving the information required;
who are, or have been within that year, officers of, or in the employment of, a company which is, or within that year was, an officer of the company to which the statement relates.
Any person making the statement and statutory declaration shall be allowed, and shall be paid by the receiver (or his successor) out of his receipts, such costs and expenses incurred in the preparation and making of the statement and statutory declaration as the receiver (or his successor) may consider reasonable, subject to an appeal to the court.
Where the receiver is appointed by the holder of the floating charge under section 467(1), this section has effect with the substitution for the references to the court in subsections (2) and (3) of references to the Secretary of State ; and in any other case references to the court are to be taken as referring to the court by which the receiver was appointed.
If any person without reasonable excuse makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
References in this section to the receiver's successor include a continuing receiver.
If any receiver— the court may, on an application made for the purpose, make an order directing the receiver to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order.
having made default in filing, delivering or making any return, account or other document, or in giving any notice, which a receiver is by law required to file, deliver, make or give, fails to make good the default within 14 days after the service on him of a notice requiring him to do so; or
has, after being required at any time by the liquidator of the company so to do, failed to render proper accounts of his receipts and payments and to vouch the same and to pay over to the liquidator the amount properly payable to him,
In the case of any such default as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a), an application for the purposes of this section may be made by any member or creditor of the company or by the registrar of companies, and, in the case of any such default as is mentioned in subsection (1)(b) the application shall be made by the liquidator, and, in either case, the order may provide that all expenses of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the receiver.
Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of any enactments imposing penalties on receivers in respect of any such default as is mentioned in subsection (1).
In this Chapter, unless the contrary intention appears, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively assigned to them, that is to say—
C. Creditors (13) 1. Debenture loans (7) 2. Bank loans and overdrafts 3. Payments received on account (8) 4. Trade creditors 5. Bills of exchange payable 6. Amounts owed to group undertakings 7. Amounts owed to undertakings in which the company has a participating interest 8. Other creditors including taxation and social security (9) 9. Accruals and deferred income (10)
In respect of the amount of each item which is or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown in the company’s balance sheet under the general item “investments” (whether as fixed assets or as current assets) there shall be stated— Where the amount of any listed investments is stated for any item in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(a), the following amounts shall also be stated—
In respect of each item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate of the following amounts, that is to say— Subject to sub-paragraph (3), in relation to each debt falling to be taken into account under sub-paragraph (1), the terms of payment or repayment and the rate of any interest payable on the debt shall be stated. If the number of debts is such that, in the opinion of the directors, compliance with sub-paragraph (2) would result in a statement of excessive length, it shall be sufficient to give a general indication of the terms of payment or repayment and the rates of any interest payable on the debts. In respect of each item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated— References above in this paragraph to an item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet include references, where amounts falling due to creditors within one year and after more than one year are distinguished in the balance sheet— and references to items shown under “creditors” include references to items which would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown under that heading.
If any fixed cumulative dividends on the company’s shares are in arrear, there shall be stated—
the amount of the arrears; and
the period for which the dividends or, if there is more than one class, each class of them are in arrear. Guarantees and other financial commitments
The list referred to in subsection (1)(b)(i) shall contain the following particulars with respect to the secretary (or, where there are joint secretaries, with respect to each of them)—
in the case of an individual, his name, any former name and his usual residential address;
in the case of a corporation or Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office.
" secured debenture " means a bond, debenture, debenture stock or other security which, either itself or by reference to any other instrument, creates a floating charge over all or any part of the property of the company, but does not include a security which creates no charge other than a fixed security ;
Where a floating charge, secured debenture or series of secured debentures has been created by the company, then, except where the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Chapter to the holder of the floating charge shall—
where the floating charge, secured debenture or series of secured debentures provides for a receiver to be appointed by any person or body, be construed as a reference to that person or body;
where, in the case of a series of secured debentures, no such provision has been made therein but—
there are trustees acting for the debenture-holders under and in accordance with a trust deed, be construed as a reference to those trustees; and
where no such trustees are acting, be construed as a reference to—
a majority in nominal value of those present or represented by proxy and voting at a meeting of debenture-holders at which the holders of at least one-third in nominal value of the outstanding debentures of the series are present or so represented; or
where no such meeting is held, the holders of at least one-half in nominal value of the outstanding debentures of the series.
Any reference in this Chapter to a floating charge, secured debenture, series of secured debentures or instrument creating a charge includes, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to that floating charge, debenture, series of debentures or instrument as varied by any instrument.
The notice referred to in section 478(5) and the notice referred to in section 481(1)(a) and the statutory declaration referred to in section 482(2) shall be in such form as may be prescribed.
Any power conferred by this Part on the Secretary of State to make regulations is exercisable by statutory instrument; and a statutory instrument made in the exercise of any power so conferred to prescribe a fee is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively assigned to them, that is to say—
“ancillary document” means— a document which relates to the floating charge and which was executed by the debtor or creditor in the charge before the registration of the charge in accordance with Chapter II or Part XII; or an instrument of alteration such as is mentioned in section 466 in this Part;
9. Income from shares in group undertakings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The following information shall be given with respect to the company’s share capital— In the case of any part of the allotted share capital that consists of redeemable shares, the following information shall be given—
Where any amount is transferred— and the reserves or provisions are or would but for paragraph 3(4)(b) be shown as separate items in the company’s balance sheet, the information mentioned in the following sub-paragraph shall be given in respect of the aggregate of reserves or provisions included in the same item. That information is— Particulars shall be given of each provision included in the item “other provisions” in the company’s balance sheet in any case where the amount of that provision is material. Provision for taxation
Where the aggregates shown under paragraph 1(1)(a), (b) and (c) total £200,000 or more, the following shall be shown, namely— Where sub-paragraph (1) applies and the highest paid director has performed qualifying services during the financial year by reference to which the rate or amount of any defined benefits that may become payable will be calculated, there shall also be shown— Subject to sub-paragraph (4), where sub-paragraph (1) applies in the case of a company which is not a listed company, there shall also be shown— Where the highest paid director has not been involved in any of the transactions specified in sub-paragraph (3), that fact need not be stated. In this paragraph—
A body corporate is treated as a fellow subsidiary of another body corporate if both are subsidiaries of the same body corporate but neither is the other's.
“Long lease” means a lease in the case of which the portion of the term for which it was granted remaining unexpired at the end of the financial year is not less than 50 years. “Short lease” means a lease which is not a long lease. “Lease” includes an agreement for a lease.
Amounts which in the particular context of any provision of this Schedule are not material may be disregarded for the purposes of that provision.
If the company has allotted any shares during the financial year, the following information shall be given—
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the classes of shares allotted; and
as respects each class of shares, the number allotted, their aggregate nominal value, and the consideration received by the company for the allotment.
With respect to any contingent right to the allotment of shares in the company the following particulars shall be given— In sub-paragraph (1) above “contingent right to the allotment of shares” means any option to subscribe for shares and any other right to require the allotment of shares to any person whether arising on the conversion into shares of securities of any other description or otherwise.
If the company has issued any debentures during the financial year to which the accounts relate, the following information shall be given— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where any of the company’s debentures are held by a nominee of or trustee for the company, the nominal amount of the debentures and the amount at which they are stated in the accounting records kept by the company in accordance with section 221 of this Act shall be stated. Fixed assets
This Part extends to Scotland only.
A body corporate is not qualified for appointment as receiver of the property of a company, and any body corporate which acts as such a receiver is liable to a fine.
If a person being an undischarged bankrupt acts as receiver or manager of the property of a company on behalf of debenture holders, he is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both. This does not apply to a receiver or manager acting under an appointment made by the court.
Where application is made to the court to appoint a receiver on behalf of the debenture holders or other creditors of a company which is being wound up by the court, the official receiver may be appointed.
A receiver or manager of the property of a company appointed under powers contained in an instrument may apply to the court for directions in relation to any particular matter arising in connection with the performance of his functions.
On such an application, the court may give such directions, or may make such order declaring the rights of persons before the court or otherwise, as it thinks just.
A receiver or manager so appointed is, to the same extent as if he had been appointed by order of a court— but this subsection does not limit any right to indemnity which the receiver or manager would have apart from it, nor limit his liability on contracts entered into without authority, nor confer any right to indemnity in respect of that liability.
personally liable on any contract entered into by him in the performance of his functions (except in so far as the contract otherwise provides), and
entitled in respect of that liability to indemnity out of the assets;
When a receiver or manager of the property of a company has been appointed, every invoice, order for goods or business letter issued by or on behalf of the company or the receiver or manager or the liquidator of the company, being a document on or in which the company's name appears, shall contain a statement that a receiver or manager has been appointed.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and any of the following persons, who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default, namely, any officer of the company, any liquidator of the company and any receiver or manager, is liable to a fine.
The court may, on an application made by the liquidator of a company, by order fix the amount to be paid by way of remuneration to a person who, under powers contained in an instrument, has been appointed receiver or manager of the company's property.
The court's power under subsection (1). where no previous order has been made with respect thereto under the subsection— But the power conferred by paragraph (c) shall not be exercised as respects any period before the making of the application for the order under this section, unless in the court's opinion there are special circumstances making it proper for the power to be exercised.
extends to fixing the remuneration for any period before the making of the order or the application for it, and
is exercisable notwithstanding that the receiver or manager has died or ceased to act before the making of the order or the application, and
where the receiver or manager has been paid or has retained for his remuneration for any period before the making of the order any amount in excess of that so fixed for that period, extends to requiring him or his personal representatives to account for the excess or such part of it as may be specified in the order.
The court may from time to time on an application made either by the liquidator or by the receiver or manager, vary or amend an order made under subsection (1).
The following applies where, in the case of a company registered in England and Wales, a receiver or manager of the whole (or substantially the whole) of the company's property is appointed on behalf of the holders of any debentures of the company secured by a floating charge. In this and the following two sections, he is referred to as " the receiver ".
Subject to the following provisions of this section, and to sections 496 and 497—
the receiver shall forthwith send to the company notice of his appointment in the prescribed form, and
there shall within 14 days after receipt of the notice (or such longer period as may be allowed by the court or by the receiver) be made out and submitted to the receiver in accordance with section 496 a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company.
The receiver shall, within 2 months after receipt of the statement, send—
to the registrar of companies and to the court, a copy of the statement and of any comments he sees fit to make on it and, in the case of the registrar of companies, also a summary of the statement and of his comments (if any) on it; and
to the company, a copy of any such comments as above mentioned or, if he does not see fit to make any comments, a notice to that effect; and
to any trustees for the debenture holders on whose be half he was appointed and, so far as he is aware of their addresses, to all such debenture holders a copy of the summary.
If the receiver is appointed under powers contained in an instrument, subsections (2) and (3) have effect with the omission of references to the court; and in any other case references to the court are to the court by which the receiver was appointed.
This section does not apply in relation to the appointment of a receiver or manager to act— except that, where it applies to a receiver or manager who dies or ceases to act before it has been fully complied with, the references in subsection (2)(b) and (3) to the receiver include (subject to the next subsection) his successor and any continuing receiver or manager.
with an existing receiver or manager, or
in place of a receiver or manager dying or ceasing to act,
If the company is being wound up, this section and section 496 apply notwithstanding that the receiver or manager and the liquidator are the same person, but with any necessary modifications arising from that fact.
If the receiver makes default in complying with this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
The company's statement of affairs required by section 495 to be submitted to the receiver (or his successor) shall show as at the date of the receiver's appointment—
the particulars of the company's assets, debts and liabilities,
the names, residences and occupations of its creditors.
the securities held by them respectively,
the dates when the securities were respectively given, and
such further or other information as may be prescribed.
The statement shall be submitted by, and be verified by affidavit of, one or more of the persons who are at the date of the receiver's appointment the directors and by the person who is at that date the secretary of the company, or by such of the persons mentioned in the next subsection as the receiver (or his successor), subject to the direction of the court, may require to submit and verify the statement.
The persons referred to above are those—
who are or have been officers of the company,
who have taken part in the company's formation at any time within one year before the date of the receiver's appointment,
who are in the company's employment, or have been in its employment during that year and are in the receiver's opinion capable of giving the information required,
who are or have been during that year officers of or in the employment of a company which is, or within that year was, an officer of the company to which the statement relates.
A person making the statement and affidavit shall be allowed, and shall be paid by the receiver (or his successor) out of his receipts, such costs and expenses incurred in and about the preparation and making of the statement and affidavit as the receiver (or his successor) may consider reasonable, subject to an appeal to the court.
Where the receiver is appointed under powers contained in an instrument, this section applies with the substitution for references to the court of references to the Secretary of State, and for references to an affidavit of references to a statutory declaration ; and in any other case references to the court are to the court by which the receiver was appointed.
If a person without reasonable excuse makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
References in this section to the receiver's successor include a continuing receiver or manager.
In the case mentioned in section 495(1), the receiver shall— send the requisite accounts of his receipts and payments to the registrar of companies, to any trustees for the debenture holders on whose behalf he was appointed, to the company and (so far as he is aware of their addresses) to all such debenture holders.
within 2 months (or such longer period as the court may allow) after the expiration of 12 months from the date of his appointment and of every subsequent period of 12 months, and
within 2 months (or such longer period as the court may allow) after he ceases to act as receiver or manager of the company's property,
The requisite accounts shall be an abstract in the prescribed form showing—
receipts and payments during the relevant period of 12 months, or
where the receiver ceases to act, receipts and payments during the period from the end of the period of 12 months to which the last preceding abstract related (or, if no preceding abstract has been sent under this section, from the date of his appointment) up to the date of his so ceasing, and the aggregate amount of receipts and payments during all preceding periods since his appointment.
Nothing in section 495(5) is to be taken as limiting the meaning of the expression " the receiver" where used in, or in relation to, subsection (1) or (2) above.
Where the receiver is appointed under powers contained in an instrument, this section has effect with the substitution of the Secretary of State for the court; and in any other case references to the court are to the court by which the receiver was appointed.
This section applies, where the company is being wound up, notwithstanding that the receiver or manager and the liquidator are the same person, but with any necessary modifications arising from that fact.
This section does not prejudice the receiver's duty to render proper accounts of his receipts and payments to the persons to whom, and at the times at which, be may be required to do so apart from this section.
If the receiver makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Except where section 497 applies, every receiver or manager of a company's property who has been appointed under powers contained in an instrument shall deliver to the registrar of companies for registration the requisite accounts of his receipts and payments.
The accounts shall be delivered within one month (or such longer period as the registrar may allow) after the expiration of 6 months from the date of his appointment and of every subsequent period of 6 months, and also within one month after he ceases to act as receiver or manager.
The requisite accounts shall be an abstract in the prescribed form showing—
receipts and payments during the relevant period of 6 months, or
where the receiver or manager ceases to act, receipts and payments during the period from the end of the period of 6 months to which the last preceding abstract related (or, if no preceding abstract has been delivered under this section, from the date of his appointment) up to the date of his so ceasing, and the aggregate amount of receipts and payments during all preceding periods since his appointment.
A receiver or manager who makes default in complying with this section is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a receiver or manager of a company's property— the court may, on an application made for the purpose, make an order directing the receiver or manager (as the case may be) to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order.
having made default in filing, delivering or making any return, account or other document, or in giving any notice, which a receiver or manager is by law required to file, deliver, make or give, fails to make good the default within 14 days after the service on him of a notice requiring him to do so, or
having been appointed under powers contained in an instrument, has, after being required at any time by the liquidator of the company to do so, failed to render proper accounts of his receipts and payments and to vouch them and pay over to the liquidator the amount properly payable to him,
In the case of the default mentioned in subsection (1)(a), application to the court may be made by any member or creditor of the company or by the registrar of companies; and in the case of the default mentioned in subsection (1)(b), the application shall be made by the liquidator. In either case the court's order may provide that all costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the receiver or manager, as the case may be.
Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of any enactment imposing penalties on receivers in respect of any such default as is mentioned in subsection (1).
It is hereby declared that, except where the context otherwise requires—
any reference in this Act to a receiver or manager of the property of a company, or to a receiver of it, includes a reference to a receiver or manager, or (as the case may be) to a receiver of part only of that property and to a receiver only of the income arising from the property or from part of it, and
any reference in this Act to the appointment of a receiver or manager under powers contained in an instrument includes a reference to an appointment made under powers which, by virtue of any enactment, are implied in and have effect as if contained in an instrument.
The winding up of a company may be either—
by the court, or
voluntary, or
subject to me supervision of the court.
This Part applies, unless the contrary appears, to the winding up of a company in any of those modes.
When a company is wound up, every present and past member is liable to contribute to its assets to any amount sufficient for payment of its debts and liabilities, and the costs, charges and expenses of the winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.
This is subject as follows—
a past member is not liable to contribute if he has ceased to be a member for one year or more before the commencement of the winding up;
a past member is not liable to contribute in respect of any debt or liability of the company contracted after he ceased to be a member;
a past member is not liable to contribute unless it appears to the court that the existing members are unable to satisfy the contributions required to be made by them in pursuance of this Act;
in the case of a company limited by shares, no contribution is required from any member exceeding the amount (if any) unpaid on the shares in respect of which he is liable as a present or past member;
nothing in this Act invalidates any provision contained in a policy of insurance or other contract whereby the liability of individual members on the policy or contract is restricted, or whereby the funds of the company are alone made liable in respect of the policy or contract;
a sum due to any member of the company (in his character of a member) by way of dividends, profits or otherwise is not deemed to be a debt of the company, payable to that member in a case of competition between himself and any other creditor not a member of the company, but any such sum may be taken into account for the purpose of the final adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.
In the case of a company limited by guarantee, no contribution is required from any member exceeding the amount undertaken to be contributed by him to the company's assets in the event of its being wound up; but if it is a company with a share capital, every member of it is liable (in addition to the amount so undertaken to be contributed to the assets), to contribute to the extent of any sums unpaid on shares held by him.
In the winding up of a limited company, any director or manager (whether past or present) whose liability is under this Act unlimited is liable, in addition to his liability (if any) to contribute as an ordinary member, to make a further contribution as if he were at the commencement of the winding up a member of an unlimited company.
However—
a past director or manager is not liable to make such further contribution if he has ceased to hold office for a year or more before the commencement of the winding up;
a past director or manager is not liable to make such further contribution in respect of any debt or liability of the company contracted after he ceased to hold office;
subject to the company's articles, a director or manager is not liable to make such further contribution unless the court deems it necessary to require that contribution in order to satisfy the company's debts and liabilities and the costs, charges and expenses of the winding up.
This section applies where a company is being wound up and—
it has under Chapter VII of Part V made a payment out of capital in respect of the redemption or purchase of any of its own shares (the payment being referred to below as " the relevant payment"), and
the aggregate amount of the company's assets and the amounts paid by way of contribution to its assets (apart from this section) is not sufficient for payment of its debts and liabilities and the costs, charges and expenses of the winding up.
If the winding up commenced within one year of the date on which the relevant payment was made, then— are, so as to enable that insufficiency to be met, liable to contribute to the following extent to the company's assets.
the person from whom the shares were redeemed or purchased, and
the directors who signed the statutory declaration made in accordance with section 173(3) for purposes of the redemption or purchase (except a director who shows that he had reasonable grounds for forming the opinion set out in the declaration),
A person from whom any of the shares were redeemed or purchased is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding so much of the relevant payment as was made by the company in respect of his shares; and the directors are jointly and severally liable with that person to contribute that amount.
A person who has contributed any amount to the assets in pursuance of this section may apply to the court for an order directing any other person jointly and severally liable in respect of that amount to pay him such amount as the court thinks just and equitable.
Sections 502 and 503 above do not apply in relation to liability accruing by virtue of this section.
This section is deemed included in Chapter VII of Part V for the purposes of the Secretary of State's power to make regulations under section 179.
This section applies in the case of a company being wound up which was at some former time registered as unlimited but has re-registered—
as a public company under section 43 of this Act (or the former corresponding provision, section 5 of the Companies Act 1980), or
as a limited company under section 51 of this Act (or the former corresponding provision, section 44 of the Companies Act 1967).
Notwithstanding section 502(2)(a) above, a past member of the company who was a member of it at the time of re-registration, if the winding up commences within the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the company was re-registered, is liable to contribute to the assets of the company in respect of debts and liabilities contracted before that time.
If no persons who were members of the company at that time are existing members of it, a person who at that time was a present or past member is liable to contribute as above notwithstanding that the existing members have satisfied the contributions required to be made by them under this Act. This applies subject to section 502(2)(a) above and to subsection (2) of this section, but notwithstanding section 502(2)(c).
Notwithstanding section 502(2)(d) and (3), there is no limit on the amount which a person who, at that time, was a past or present member of the company is liable to contribute as above.
This section applies in the case of a company being wound up which was at some former time registered as limited but has been re-registered as unlimited under section 49 (or the former corresponding provision, section 43 of the Companies Act 1967).
A person who, at the time when the application for the company to be re-registered was lodged, was a past member of the company and did not after that again become a member of it is not liable to contribute to the assets of the company more than he would have been liable to contribute had the company not been re-registered.
In this Act, the expression "contributory" means every person liable to contribute to the assets of a company in the event of its being wound up, and for the purposes of all proceedings for determining, and all proceedings prior to the final determination of, the persons who are to be deemed contributories, includes any person alleged to be a contributory.
A reference in a company's articles to a contributory does not (unless the context requires) include a person who is a contributory only by virtue of section 504. This subsection is deemed included in Chapter VII of Part V for the purposes of the Secretary of State's power to make regulations under section 179.
The liability of a contributory creates a debt (in England and Wales in the nature of a specialty) accruing due from him at the time when his liability commenced, but payable at the times when calls are made for enforcing the liability.
If a contributory dies either before or after he has been placed on the list of contributories, his personal representatives, and the heirs and legatees of heritage of his heritable estate in Scotland, are liable in a due course of administration to contribute to the assets of the company in discharge of his liability and are contributories accordingly.
Where the personal representatives are placed on the list of contributories, the heirs or legatees of heritage need not be added, but they may be added as and when the court thinks fit.
If in England and Wales the personal representatives make default in paying any money ordered to be paid by them, proceedings may be taken for administering the estate of the deceased contributory and for compelling payment out of it of the money due.
The following applies if a contributory becomes bankrupt, either before or after he has been placed on the list of contributories.
His trustee in bankruptcy represents him for all purposes of the winding up, and is a contributory accordingly.
The trustee may be called on to admit to proof against the bankrupt's estate, or otherwise allow to be paid out of the bankrupt's assets in due course of law, any money due from the bankrupt in respect of his liability to contribute to the company's assets.
There may be proved against the bankrupt's estate the estimated value of his liability to future calls as well as calls already made.
The following applies in the event of a company being wound up which has been registered under section 680 (or the previous corresponding provision).
Every person is a contributory, in respect of the company's debts and liabilities contracted before registration, who is liable—
to pay, or contribute to the payment of, any debt or liability so contracted, or
to pay, or contribute to the payment of, any sum for the adjustment of the rights of the members among themselves in respect of any such debt or liability, or
to pay, or contribute to the payment of, the costs and expenses of winding up the company, so far as relates to the debts or liabilities above-mentioned.
Every contributory is liable to contribute to the assets of the company, in the course of the winding up, all sums due from him in respect of any such liability.
In the event of the death, bankruptcy or insolvency of any contributory, provisions of this Act with respect to the personal representatives, to the heirs and legatees of heritage of the heritable estate in Scotland of deceased contributories and to the trustees of bankrupt or insolvent contributories respectively, apply.
The High Court has jurisdiction to wind up any company registered in England and Wales.
Where the amount of a company's share capital paid up or credited as paid up does not exceed £120,000, then (subject to the provisions of this section) the county court of the district in which the company's registered office is situated has concurrent jurisdiction with the High Court to wind up the company.
The money sum for the time being specified in subsection (2) is subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664; but no reduction of it affects any case in which proceedings were begun before the coming into force of the reduction.
The Lord Chancellor may by order in a statutory instrument exclude a county court from having winding-up jurisdiction, and for the purposes of that jurisdiction may attach its district, or any part thereof, to any other county court, and may by statutory instrument revoke or vary any such order. In exercising the powers of this section, the Lord Chancellor shall provide that a county court is not to have winding-up jurisdiction unless it has for the time being jurisdiction in bankruptcy.
Every court in England and Wales having winding-up jurisdiction has for the purposes of that jurisdiction all the powers of the High Court; and every prescribed officer of the court shall perform any duties which an officer of the High Court may discharge by order of a judge of that court or otherwise in relation to winding up.
For purposes of this section, a company's " registered office" is the place which has longest been its registered office during the 6 months immediately preceding the presentation of the petition for winding up.
Nothing in section 512 invalidates a proceeding by reason of its being taken in the wrong court
The winding up of a company by the court in England and Wales, or any procedings in the winding up, may be retained in the court in which the proceedings were commenced, although it may not be the court in which they ought to have been commenced.
If any question arises in any winding up proceedings in a county court which all the parties to the proceeding, or which one of them and the judge of the court, desire to have determined in the first instance in the High Court, the judge shall state the facts in the form of a special case for the opinion of the High Court; and thereupon the special case and the proceedings for such of them as may be required) shall be transmitted to the High Court for the purposes of the determination.
The Court of Session has jurisdiction to wind up any company registered in Scotland.
When the Court of Session is in vacation, the jurisdiction conferred on that court by this section may (subject to the provisions of this Part) be exercised by the judge acting as vacation judge in pursuance of section 4 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1933.
Where the amount of a company's share capital paid up or credited as paid up does not exceed £120,000, the sheriff court of the sheriffdom in which the company's registered office is situated has concurrent jurisdiction with the Court of Session to wind up the company; but—
the Court of Session may, if it thinks expedient having regard to the amount of the company's assets to do so—
remit to a sheriff court any petition presented to the Court of Session for winding up such a company, or
require such a petition presented to a sheriff court to be remitted to the Court of Session ; and
the Court of Session may require any such petition as above-mentioned presented to one sheriff court to be remitted to another sheriff court; and
in a winding up in the sheriff court it is lawful for the sheriff to submit a stated case for the opinion of the Court of Session on any question of law arising in that winding up.
For the purposes of this section, the expression " registered office " means the place which has longest been the company's registered office during the 6 months immediately preceding the presentation of the petition for winding up.
The money sum for the time being specified in subsection (3) is subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664; but no reduction of it affects any case in which proceedings were begun before the coming into force of the reduction.
The Court of Session may, by Act of Sederunt, make provision for the taking of proceedings in a winding up before one of the Lords Ordinary ; and, where provision is so made, the Lord Ordinary has, for the purposes of the winding up, all the powers and jurisdiction of the court.
However, the Lord Ordinary may report to the Inner House any matter which may arise in the course of a winding up.
A company may be wound up by the court if—
the company has by special resolution resolved that the company be wound up by the court.
being a public company which was registered as such on its original incorporation, the company has not been issued with a certificate under section 117 (public company share capital requirements) and more than a year has expired since it was so registered.
it is an old public company, within the meaning of section 1 of the Consequential Provisions Act.
the company does not commence its business within a year from its incorporation or suspends its business for a whole year,
the number of members is reduced below 2,
the company is unable to pay its debts,
the court is of the opinion that it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up.
In Scotland, a company which the Court of Session has jurisdiction to wind up may be wound up by the Court if there is subsisting a floating charge over property comprised in the company's property and undertaking, and the court is satisfied that the security of the creditor entitled to the benefit of the floating charge is in jeopardy. For this purpose a creditor's security is deemed to be in jeopardy if the Court is satisfied that events have occurred or are about to occur which render it unreasonable in the creditor's interests that the company should retain power to dispose of the property which is subject to the floating charge.
A company is deemed unable to pay its debts—
if a creditor (by assignment or otherwise) to whom the company is indebted in a sum exceeding £750 then due has served on the company, by leaving it at the company's registered office, a written demand requiring the company to pay the sum so due and the company has for 3 weeks thereafter neglected to pay the sum or to secure or compound for it to the reasonable satisfaction of the creditor, or
if, in England and Wales, execution or other process issued on a judgment, decree or order of any court in favour of a creditor of the company is returned unsatisfied in whole or in part, or
if, in Scotland, the induciae of a charge for payment on an extract decree, or an extract registered bond, or an extract registered protest, have expired without payment being made, or
if, in Northern Ireland, a certificate of unenforceability has been granted in respect of a judgment against the company, or
if it is proved to the satisfaction of the court that the company is unable to pay its debts (and, in determining that question, the court shall take into account the company's contingent and prospective liabilities).
The money sum for the time being specified in subsection (1)(a) is subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664: but no increase of it affects any case in which the winding-up petition was presented before the coming into force of the increase.
Subject to the provisions of this section, an application to the court for the winding up of a company shall be by petition presented either by the company or by any creditor or creditors (including any contingent or prospective creditor or creditors), contributory or contributories, or by all or any of those parties, together or separately.
Except as mentioned below, a contributory is not entitled to present a winding-up petition unless either—
the number of members is reduced below 2, or
the shares in respect of which he is a contributory, or some of them, either were originally allotted to him, or have been held by him, and registered in his name, for at least 6 months during the 18 months before the commencement of the winding up, or have devolved on him through the death of a former holder.
A person who is liable under section 504 to contribute to a company's assets in the event of its being wound up may petition on either of the grounds set out in section 517(1)(f) and (g), and subsection (2) above does not then apply; but unless the person is a contributory otherwise than under section 504 he may not in his character as contributory petition on any other ground. This subsection is deemed included in Chapter VII of Part V for the purposes of the Secretary of State's power to make regulations under section 179.
If the ground of the petition is that in section 517(1)(b) or (c), a winding-up petition may be presented by the Secretary of State.
The court shall not hear a petition presented by a contingent or prospective creditor until such security for costs has been given as the court thinks reasonable (or until caution is found, if so ordered by a Scottish court) and until a prima facie case for winding up has been established to the satisfaction of the court.
In a case falling within section 440 (expedient in the public interest, following report of inspectors, etc.) a winding-up petition may be presented by the Secretary of State.
Where a company is being wound up voluntarily or subject to supervision in England and Wales, a winding-up petition may be presented by the official receiver attached to the court as well as by any other person authorised in that behalf under the other provisions of this section ; but the court shall not make a winding-up order on the petition unless it is satisfied that the voluntary winding up or winding up subject to supervision cannot be continued with due regard to the interests of the creditors or contributories.
On hearing a winding-up petition the court may dismiss it, or adjourn the hearing conditionally or unconditionally, or make an interim order, or any other order that it thinks fit; but the court shall not refuse to make a winding-up order on the ground only that the company's assets have been mortgaged to an amount equal to or in excess of those assets or that the company has no assets.
If the petition is presented by members of the company as contributories on the ground that it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up, the court, if it is of opinion— shall make a winding-up order; but this does not apply if the court is also of the opinion both that some other remedy is available to the petitioners and that they are acting unreasonably in seeking to have the company wound up instead of pursuing that other remedy.
that the petitioners are entitled to relief either by winding up the company or by some other means, and
that in the absence of any other remedy it would be just and equitable that the company should be wound up,
At any time after the presentation of a winding-up petition, and before a winding-up order has been made, the company, or any creditor or contributory, may— and the court to which application is so made may (as the case may be) stay, sist or restrain the proceedings accordingly on such terms as it thinks fit
where any action or proceeding against the company is pending in the High Court or Court of Appeal in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, apply to the court in which the action or proceeding is pending for a stay of proceedings therein, and
where any other action or proceeding is pending against the company, apply to the court having jurisdiction to wind up the company to restrain further proceedings in the action or proceeding,
In the case of a company registered under section 680, where the application to stay, sist or restrain is by a creditor, this section extends to actions and proceedings against any contributory of the company.
In a winding up by the court, any disposition of the company's property, and any transfer of shares, or alteration in the status of the company's members, made after the commencement of the winding up is, unless the court otherwise orders, void.
Where a company registered in England and Wales is being wound up by the court, any attachment, sequestration, distress or execution put in force against the estate or effects of the company after the commencement of the winding up is void.
This section, so far as relates to any estate or effects of the company situated in England and Wales, applies in the case of a company registered in Scotland as it applies in the case of a company registered in England and Wales.
If, before the presentation of a petition for the winding up of a company by the court, a resolution has been passed by the company for voluntary winding up, the winding up of the company is deemed to have commenced at the time of the passing of the resolution ; and unless the court, on proof of fraud or mistake, directs otherwise, all proceedings taken in the voluntary winding up are deemed to have been validly taken.
In any other case, the winding up of a company by the court is deemed to commence at the time of the presentation of the petition for winding up.
On the making of a winding-up order, a copy of the order must forthwith be forwarded by the company (or otherwise as may be prescribed) to the registrar of companies, who shall enter it in his records relating to the company.
When a winding-up order has been made or a provisional liquidator has been appointed, no action or proceeding shall be proceeded with or commenced against the company except by leave of the court and subject to such terms as the court may impose.
When an order has been made for winding up a company registered under section 680, no action or proceeding shall be commenced or proceeded with against the company or any contributory of the company, in respect of any debt of the company, except by leave of the court, and subject to such terms as the court may impose.
An order for winding up a company operates in favour of all the creditors and of all contributories of the company as if made on the joint petition of a creditor and of a contributory.
For the purposes of this Act as it relates to the winding up of companies by the court in England and Wales, the term " official receiver" means the official receiver (if any) attached to the court for bankruptcy purposes or, if there is more than one such official receiver, then such one of them as the Secretary of State may appoint or, if there is no such official receiver, then an officer appointed for the purpose by the Secretary of State.
Any such officer shall, for the purpose of his duties under this Act, be styled " the official receiver".
If in the case of the winding up of a company by the court in England and Wales it appears to the court desirable, with a view to securing the more convenient and economical conduct of the winding up, that some officer other than the person who would under section 526 be the official receiver should be the official receiver for the purposes of that winding up, the court may appoint that other officer to act.
The officer so appointed is then deemed, for all purposes of this Act, to be the official receiver in that winding up.
Where the court in England and Wales has made a winding-up order or appointed a provisional liquidator, there shall (unless the court otherwise orders) be made out and submitted to the official receiver a statement as to the affairs of the company in the prescribed form.
The statement shall be verified by affidavit and show particulars of the company's assets, its debts and liabilities, the names, residences and occupations of its creditors, the securities held by them respectively, the dates when the securities were respectively given, and such further or other information as may be prescribed or as the official receiver may require.
The statement shall be submitted and verified by one or more of the persons who are at the relevant date the directors and by the person who at that date is the secretary of the company, or by such of the persons mentioned in the following subsection as the official receiver (subject to the direction of the court) may require to submit and verify the statement.
The persons referred to above are—
those who are or have been officers of the company,
those who have taken part in the formation of the company at any time within one year before the relevant date,
those who are in the employment of the company, or have been in its employment within the year just mentioned, and are in the opinion of the official receiver capable of giving the information required, and
those who are or have been within that year officers of or in the employment of a company which is, or within that year was, an officer of the company to which the statement relates.
For purposes of this section, " the relevant date " is—
in a case where a provisional liquidator is appointed the date of his appointment, and
in a case where no such appointment is made, the date of the winding-up order.
The statement of affairs required by this section shall be submitted within 14 days from the relevant date, or within such extended time as the official receiver or the court may for special reasons appoint.
If a person, without reasonable excuse, makes default in complying with the requirements of this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
A person making or concurring in the making of the statement and affidavit required by section 528 shall be allowed, and shall be paid by the official receiver or provisional liquidator (as the case may be) out of the company's assets such costs and expenses incurred in and about the preparation and making of the statement and affidavit as the official receiver may consider reasonable, subject to an appeal to the court.
A person stating himself in writing to be a creditor or contributory of the company is entitled by himself or by his agent at all reasonable times, on payment of the prescribed fee, to inspect the statement submitted under section 528, and to a copy of or extract from it.
A person untruthfully so stating himself to be a creditor or contributory is guilty of a contempt of court and, on the application of the official receiver or the liquidator, punishable accordingly.
The statement required by section 528 may be used in evidence against any person making or concurring in making it
When a winding-up order is made, the official receiver shall, as soon as practicable after the receipt of the statement to be submitted under section 528 (or, in a case where the court orders that no statement shall be submitted, as soon as practicable after the date of the order) submit a preliminary report to the court—
as to the amount of capital issued, subscribed and paid up, and the estimated amount of assets and liabilities, and
if the company has failed, as to the causes of the failure, and
whether in his opinion further enquiry is desirable as to any matter relating to the promotion, formation or failure of the company or the conduct of its business.
The official receiver may also, if he thinks fit, make further reports (one or more) stating the manner in which the company was formed and whether in his opinion any fraud has been committed by any person in its promotion or formation, or by any officer of the company in relation to it since its formation, and any other matter which in his opinion it is desirable to bring to the notice of the court
If the official receiver states in any such further report that in his opinion a fraud has been committed as above-mentioned, the court has the further powers provided in sections 563 and 564 (public examination of promoters and officers).
For the purpose of conducting the proceedings in winding up a company and performing such duties in reference thereto as the court may impose, the court may appoint a liquidator or liquidators.
Subject to the provisions of this section, the court may, at any time after the presentation of a winding-up petition, appoint a liquidator provisionally.
In England and Wales, the appointment of a provisional liquidator may be made at any time before the making of a winding-up order, and either the official receiver or any other fit person may be appointed.
In Scotland, such an appointment may be made at any time before the first appointment of liquidators.
When a liquidator is provisionally appointed by the court, his powers may be limited by the order appointing him.
The following provisions with respect to liquidators have effect on a winding-up order being made in England and Wales.
The official receiver by virtue of his office becomes the provisional liquidator and shall continue to act as such until he or another person becomes liquidator and is capable of acting as such.
The official receiver shall summon separate meetings of the company's creditors and contributories for the purpose of determining whether or not an application is to be made to the court for appointing a liquidator in the place of the official receiver.
The court may make any appointment and order required to give effect to that determination; and, if there is a difference between the determinations of the meetings of the creditors and contributories in respect of the matter in question, the court shall decide the difference and make such order thereon as it may think fit.
If a liquidator is not appointed by the court, the official receiver shall be the liquidator of the company.
The official receiver is, ex officio, the liquidator during any vacancy.
A liquidator shall be described, where a person other than the official receiver is liquidator, by the style of " the liquidator " and, where the official receiver is liquidator, by the style of " the official receiver and liquidator ", of the particular company in respect of which he is appointed (and not by his individual name).
If in the winding up of a company by the court in England and Wales a person other than the official receiver is appointed liquidator, that person—
cannot act as liquidator until he has notified his appointment to the registrar of companies and given security in the prescribed manner to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State,
shall give the official receiver such information, and such access to and facilities for inspecting the company's books and documents, and generally such aid as may be requisite for enabling that officer to perform his duties under this Act.
The following provisions with respect to liquidators have effect in a winding up by the court in Scotland.
The court may determine whether any and what caution is to be found by a liquidator on his appointment.
A liquidator shall be described by the style of " the official liquidator " of the particular company in respect of which he is appointed (and not by his individual name).
Where an order has been made for winding up a company subject to supervision and an order is afterwards made for winding up by the court, the court may by the last-mentioned or by a subsequent order appoint any person who is then liquidator, either provisionally or permanently, and either with or without any other person, to be liquidator in the winding up by the court.
A liquidator appointed by the court may resign or, on cause shown, be removed by the court
Where a person other than the official receiver is appointed liquidator, he shall receive such salary or remuneration by way of percentage or otherwise as the court may direct; and, if more such persons than one are appointed liquidators, their remuneration shall be distributed among them in such proportions as the court directs.
A vacancy in the office of a liquidator appointed by the court shall be filled by the court
If more than one liquidator is appointed by the court the court shall declare whether any act required or authorised by this Act to be done by the liquidator is to be done by all or any one or more of the persons appointed.
Subject to section 634 (disqualification of bodies corporate for appointment as liquidator), the acts of a liquidator are valid notwithstanding any defects that may afterwards be discovered in his appointment or qualification.
When a winding-up order has been made, or where a provisional liquidator has been appointed, the liquidator or the provisional liquidator (as the case may be) shall take into his custody or under his control all the property and things in action to which the company is or appears to be entitled.
In a winding up by the court in Scotland, if and so long as there is no liquidator, all the property of the company is deemed to be in the custody of the court.
When a company is being wound up by the court, the court may on the application of the liquidator by order direct that all or any part of the property of whatsoever description belonging to the company or held by trustees on its behalf shall vest in the liquidator by his official name; and thereupon the property to which the order relates vests accordingly.
The liquidator may, after giving such indemnity (if any) as the court may direct, bring or defend in his official name any action or other legal proceeding which relates to that property or which it is necessary to bring or defend for the purpose of effectually winding up the company and recovering its property.
The liquidator in a winding up by the court has power, with the sanction either of the court or of the committee of inspection—
to bring or defend any action or other legal proceeding in the name and on behalf of the company,
to carry on the business of the company so far as may be necessary for its beneficial winding up,
to appoint a solicitor to assist him in the performance of his duties,
to pay any class of creditors in full,
to make any compromise or arrangement with creditors or persons claiming to be creditors, or having or alleging themselves to have any claim (present or future, certain or contingent, ascertained or sounding only in damages) against the company, or whereby the company may be rendered liable.
to compromise all calls and liabilities to calls, debts and liabilities capable of resulting in debts, and all claims (present or future, certain or contingent, ascertained or sounding only in damages) subsisting or supposed to subsist between the company and a contributory or alleged contributory or other debtor or person apprehending liability to the company, and all questions in any way relating to or affecting the assets or the winding up of the company, on such terms as may be agreed, and take any security for the discharge of any such call, debt, liability or claim and give a complete discharge in respect of it
The liquidator in a winding up by the court has the power—
to sell any of the company's property by public auction or private contract, with power to transfer the whole thereof to any person or to sell the same in parcels,
to do all acts and to execute, in the name and on behalf of the company, all deeds, receipts and other documents and for that purpose to use, when necessary, the company's seal,
to prove, rank and claim in the bankruptcy, insolvency or sequestration of any contributory for any balance against his estate, and to receive dividends in the bankruptcy, insolvency or sequestration in respect of that balance, as a separate debt due from the bankrupt or insolvent, and rateably with the other separate creditors,
to draw, accept, make and indorse any bill of exchange or promissory note in the name and on behalf of the company, with the same effect with respect to the company's liability as if the bill or note had been drawn, accepted, made or indorsed by or on behalf of the company in the course of its business,
to raise on the security of the assets of the company any money requisite,
to take out in his official name letters of administration to any deceased contributory, and to do in his official name any other act necessary for obtaining payment of any money due from a contributory or his estate which cannot conveniently be done in the name of the company (and in all such cases the money due is deemed, for the purpose of enabling the liquidator to take out the letters of administration or recover the money, to be due to the liquidator himself),
to appoint an agent to do any business which the liquidator is unable to do himself,
to do all such other things as may be necessary for winding up the company's affairs and distributing its assets.
The exercise by the liquidator in a winding up by the court of the powers conferred by this section is subject to the control of the court, and any creditor or contributory may apply to the court with respect to any exercise or proposed exercise of any of those powers.
In the case of a winding up in Scotland, the court may provide by order that the liquidator may, where there is no committee of inspection, exercise any of the powers mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b) without the sanction or intervention of the court
In a winding up by the court in Scotland, the liquidator has (subject to general rules), the same powers as a trustee on a bankrupt estate.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, the liquidator of a company which is being wound up by the court in England and Wales shall, in the administration of the company's assets and their distribution among its creditors, have regard to any directions that may be given by resolution of the creditors or contributories at any general meeting or by the committee of inspection.
Directions given by the creditors or contributories at any general meeting are, in case of conflict, deemed to override any directions given by the committee of inspection.
The liquidator may summon general meetings of the creditors or contributories for the purpose of ascertaining their wishes; and it is his duty to summon meetings at such times as the creditors or contributories by resolution (either at the meeting appointing the liquidator or otherwise) may direct, or whenever requested in writing to do so by one-tenth in value of the creditors or contributories (as the case may be).
The liquidator may apply to the court (in the prescribed manner) for directions in relation to any particular matter arising in the winding up.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, the liquidator shall use his own discretion in the management of the estate and its distribution among the creditors.
If any person is aggrieved by any act or decision of the liquidator, that person may apply to the court; and the court may confirm, reverse or modify the act or decision complained of, and make such order in the case as it thinks just.
Every liquidator of a company which is being wound up by the court in England and Wales shall keep, in the prescribed manner, proper books in which he shall cause to be made entries or minutes of proceedings at meetings, and of such other matters as may be prescribed.
Any creditor or contributory may, subject to the control of the court, personally or by his agent inspect any such books.
The following applies to a liquidator of a company which is being wound up by the court in England and Wales.
Subject to the next subsection, the liquidator shall, in such manner and at such times as the Secretary of State (with the concurrence of the Treasury) directs, pay the money received by him to the Insolvency Services Account at the Bank of England ; and the Secretary of State shall furnish him with a certificate of receipt of the money so paid.
However, if the committee of inspection satisfies the Secretary of State that for the purpose of carrying on the company's business or of obtaining advances, or for any other reason, it is for the advantage of the creditors or contributories that the liquidator should have an account at any other bank, the Secretary of State shall, on the application of the committee of inspection, authorise the liquidator to make his payments into and out of such other bank as the committee may select, and thereupon those payments shall be made in the prescribed manner.
If the liquidator at any time retains for more than 10 days a sum exceeding £100 or such other amount as the Secretary of State in any particular case authorises him to retain, then unless he explains the retention to the Secretary of State's satisfaction, he shall pay interest on the amount so retained in excess at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum, and is liable to disallowance of all or such part of his remuneration as the Secretary of State thinks just, and to be removed from his office by the Secretary of State, and is liable to pay any expenses occasioned by reason of his default.
The liquidator shall not pay any sums received by him as liquidator into his private banking account.
The money sum for the time being specified in subsection (4) is subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664.
The following applies in the case of a company which is being wound up by the court in England and Wales.
The liquidator shall, at such times as may be prescribed but not less than twice in each year during his tenure of office, send to the Secretary of State (or as he directs) an account of his receipts and payments as liquidator.
The account shall be in the prescribed form, shall be made in duplicate, and shall be verified by a statutory declaration in the prescribed form; and the Secretary of State may cause the account to be audited.
The liquidator shall furnish the Secretary of State with such vouchers and information as he requires, and the Secretary of State may at any time require the production of, and inspect, any books or accounts kept by the liquidator. This applies whether or not the Secretary of State decides to cause the account to be audited, and extends to production and inspection at the liquidator's premises.
After the account has been audited (or, as the case may be, forthwith if the Secretary of State decides not to have an audit) one copy of the account shall be filed by the Secretary of State, to be retained by him, and the other copy shall be delivered to the court for filing, each copy when filed to be open to inspection by any person on payment of the prescribed fee.
The liquidator shall, when the account has been audited (alternatively, when he has been notified of the Secretary of State's decision not to have an audit), cause the account, or a summary of it, to be printed, and shall send a printed copy by post to every creditor or contributory. The Secretary of State may in any case dispense with compliance with this subsection.
The Secretary of State shall take cognizance of the conduct of liquidators of companies which are being wound up by the court in England and Wales; and— the Secretary of State shall inquire into the matter, and take such action on it as he thinks expedient
if a liquidator does not faithfully perform his duties and duly observe all the requirements imposed on him by statute, rules or otherwise with respect to the performance of his duties, or
if any complaint is made to the Secretary of State by any creditor or contributory in regard thereto,
The Secretary of State may at any time require the liquidator to answer any inquiry in relation to a winding up in which he is engaged and may, if the Secretary of State thinks fit, apply to the court to examine him or any other person on oath concerning the winding up.
The Secretary of State may also direct a local investigation to be made of the liquidator's books and vouchers.
The following applies to the liquidator of a company which is being wound up by the court in England and Wales.
When the liquidator has realised all the company's property, or so much of it as can (in his opinion) be realised without needlessly protracting the liquidation, and has distributed a final dividend (if any) to the creditors, and adjusted the rights of the contributories among themselves, and made a final return (if any) to the contributories, or has resigned, or has been removed from his office, the following subsection has effect
The Secretary of State shall, on the liquidator's application, cause a report on the latter's accounts to be prepared and, on his complying with all the Secretary of State's requirements, shall take into consideration the report and any objection which may be urged by any creditor or contributory or person interested against the release of the liquidator, and shall either grant or withhold the release accordingly, subject nevertheless to an appeal to the High Court.
If the release of the liquidator is withheld, the court may, on the application of any creditor or contributory or person interested, make such order as it thinks just, charging the liquidator with the consequences of any act or default which he may have done or made contrary to his duty.
An order of the Secretary of State releasing the liquidator discharges him from all liability in respect of any act done or default made by him in the administration of the company's affairs or otherwise in relation to his conduct as liquidator; but any such order may be revoked on proof that it was obtained by fraud or by suppression or concealment of any material fact.
If the liquidator has not previously resigned or been removed, his release operates as removal of him from his office.
When a winding-up order has been made by the court in England and Wales, and separate meetings of creditors and contributories have been summoned for the purpose of determining whether an application should be made to the court for the appointment of a liquidator in place of the official receiver, it is the business of those meetings to determine further whether or not an application is to be made to the court for the appointment of a committee of inspection to act with the liquidator, and who are to be members of the committee if appointed.
In Scotland, when a winding-up order has been made by the court, the liquidator shall summon separate meetings of the company's creditors and contributories for the purpose of determining whether or not an application is to be made to the court for the appointment of a committee of inspection and who are to be the members of the committee if appointed. However, if the winding-up order has been made on the ground that the company is unable to pay its debts, it is not necessary for the liquidator to summon a meeting of the contributories.
The court may make the appointment and order required to give effect to such determination ; and if there is a difference between the determinations of the meetings of the creditors and contributories in respect of the matters referred to above, the court shall decide the difference and make such order on those matters as the court may think fit.
Subject as follows, the committee of inspection (if appointed) shall consist of creditors and contributories of the company or persons holding general powers of attorney from creditors or contributories in such proportions as may be agreed on by the meetings of creditors and contributories or as, in case of difference, may be determined by the court
In Scotland—
if a winding-up order has been made on the ground that the company is unable to pay its debts, the committee shall consist of creditors or persons holding general powers of attorney from creditors, and
the committee has, in addition to the powers and duties conferred and imposed on it by this Act, such of the powers and dudes of commissioners on a bankrupt estate as may be conferred and imposed on committees of inspection by general rules.
Schedule 17 has effect with respect to the committee of inspection and its proceedings.
If in the case of a winding up in England and Wales there is no committee of inspection, the Secretary of State may, on the application of the liquidator, do any act or thing or give any direction or permission which is by this Act authorised or required to be done or given by the committee.
The court may at any time after an order for winding up, on the application either of the liquidator or the official receiver or any creditor or contributory, and on proof to the satisfaction of the court that all proceedings in the winding up ought to be stayed or sisted, make an order staying or sisting the proceedings, either altogether or for a limited time, on such terms and conditions as the court thinks fit.
The court may, before making an order, require the official receiver to furnish to the court a report with respect to any facts or matters which are in his opinion relevant to the application.
A copy of every order made under this section shall forthwith be forwarded by the company, or otherwise as may be prescribed, to the registrar of companies, who shall enter it in his records relating to the company.
As soon as may be after making a winding-up order, the court shall settle a list of contributories, with power to rectify the register of members in all cases where rectification is required in pursuance of this Act, and shall cause the company's assets to be collected, and applied in discharge of its liabilities.
If it appears to the court that it will not be necessary to make calls on or adjust the rights of contributories, the court may dispense with the settlement of a list of contributories.
In settling the list, the court shall distinguish between persons who are contributories in their own right and persons who are contributories as being representatives of or liable for the debts of others.
The court may, at any time after making a winding-up order, require any contributory for the time being on the list of contributories and any trustee, receiver, banker, agent or officer of the company to pay, deliver, convey, surrender or transfer forthwith (or within such time as the court directs) to the liquidator any money, property or books and papers in his hands to which the company is prima facie entitled.
The court may, at any time after making a winding-up order, make an order on any contributory for the time being on the list of contributories to pay, in manner directed by the order, any money due from him (or from the estate of the person whom he represents) to the company, exclusive of any money payable by him or the estate by virtue of any call in pursuance of this Act
The court in making such an order may—
in the case of an unlimited company, allow to the contributory by way of set-off any money due to him or the estate which he represents from the company on any independent dealing or contract with the company, but not any money due to him as a member of the company in respect of any dividend or profit and
in the case of a limited company, make to any director or manager whose liability is unlimited or to his estate the like allowance.
In the case of any company, whether limited or unlimited, when all the creditors are paid in full, any money due on any account whatever to a contributory from the company may be allowed to him by way of set-off against any subsequent call.
The court may, at any time after making a winding-up order, and either before or after it has ascertained the sufficiency of the company's assets, make calls on all or any of the contributories for the time being settled on the list of the contributories to the extent of their liability, for payment of any money which the court considers necessary to satisfy the company's debts and liabilities, and tho costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves, and make an order for payment of any calls so made.
In making a call the court may take into consideration the probability that some of the contributories may partly or wholly fail to pay it
The court may order any contributory, purchaser or other person from whom money is due to the company to pay the amount due into the Bank of England (or any branch of it) to the account of the liquidator instead of to the liquidator, and any such order may be enforced in the same manner as if it had directed payment to the liquidator.
All money and securities paid or delivered into the Bank of England (or branch) in the event of a winding up by the court are subject in all respects to the orders of the court.
An order made by the court on a contributory is conclusive evidence that the money (if any) thereby appearing to be due or ordered to be paid is due, but subject to any right of appeal.
All other pertinent matters stated in the order are to be taken as truly stated as against all persons and in all proceedings, except proceedings in Scotland against the heritable estate of a deceased contributory; and in that case the order is only prima facie evidence for the purpose of charging his heritable estate, unless his heirs or legatees of heritage were on the list of contributories at the time of the order being made.
Where in proceedings in England and Wales the official receiver becomes the liquidator of a company, whether provisionally or otherwise, he may, if satisfied that the nature of the company's estate or business, or the interests of the creditors or contributories generally, require the appointment of a special manager of the estate or business other than himself, apply to the court.
The court may on the application appoint a special manager of the company's estate or business to act during such time as the court may direct, with such powers (including any of the powers of a receiver or manager) as may be entrusted to him by the court.
The special manager shall give such security and account in such manner as the Secretary of State directs, and shall receive such remuneration as may be fixed by the court.
The court may fix a time or times within which creditors are to prove their debts or claims or to be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before those debts are proved.
The court shall adjust the rights of the contributories among themselves and distribute any surplus among the persons entitled to it
The court may, at any time after making a winding-up order, make such order for inspection of the company's books and papers by creditors and contributories as the court thinks just; and any books and papers in the company's possession may be inspected by creditors and contributories accordingly, but not further or otherwise.
Nothing in this section excludes or restricts any statutory rights of a government department or person acting under the authority of a government department.
The court may, in the event of the assets being insufficient to satisfy the liabilities, make an order as to the payment out of the assets of the costs, charges and expenses incurred in the winding up in such order of priority as the court thinks just
The court may, at any time after the appointment of a provisional liquidator or the making of a winding-up order, summon before it any officer of the company or any person known or suspected to have in his possession any property of the company or supposed to be indebted to the company, or any person whom the court deems capable of giving information concerning the promotion, formation, trade, dealings, affairs or property of the company.
The court may examine the officer or other person summoned on oath concerning those matters either by word of mouth or on written interrogatories, and may reduce his answers to writing and require him to sign them.
The court may require him to produce any books and papers in his custody or power relating to the company; but if he claims any lien on books or papers produced by him, the production is without prejudice to that lien, and the court has jurisdiction in the winding up to determine all questions relating to that lien.
If a person so summoned, after being tendered a reasonable sum for his expenses, refuses to come before the court at the time appointed, not having a lawful impediment (made known to the court at the time of its sitting and allowed by it), the court may cause him to be apprehended and brought before the court for examination.
In the winding up by the court of a company registered in Scotland, the court has power to require the attendance of any officer of the company at any meeting of creditors or of contributories, or of a committee of inspection, for the purpose of giving information as to the trade, dealings, affairs or property of the company.
Where an order has been made in England and Wales for winding up a company by the court, and the official receiver has made a further report under this Act stating that in his opinion a fraud has been committed by any person in the promotion or formation of the company, or by any officer of the company in relation to it since its formation, the following applies.
The court may, after consideration of the report, direct (hat that person or officer shall attend before the court on a day appointed by the court for that purpose and be publicly examined as to the promotion or formation of the company, or the conduct of its business, or as to the conduct or dealings of that person as an officer of it.
The official receiver shall take part in the examination and for that purpose may, if specially authorised by the Secretary of State in that behalf, employ a solicitor with or without counsel.
The liquidator (where the official receiver is not the liquidator) and any creditor or contributory may also take part in the examination either personally or by solicitor or counsel.
On a public examination ordered by the court under section 563, the court may put such questions to the person examined as it thinks fit.
The person examined shall be examined on oath and shall answer all such questions as the court may put or allow to be put to him.
The person shall at his own cost, before his examination, be furnished with a copy of the official receiver's report, and may at his own cost employ a solicitor with or without counsel, who is at liberty to put to him such questions as the court may deem just for the purpose of enabling him to explain or qualify any answers given by him.
If the person applies to the court to be exculpated from any charges made or suggested against him, it is the duty of the official receiver to appear on the bearing of the application and call the court's attention to any matters which appear to him to be relevant; and if the court, after hearing evidence given or witnesses called by the official receiver, grants the application, the court may allow the applicant such costs as in its discretion it thinks fit.
Notes of a person's public examination shall be taken down in writing, and shall be read over to or by, and signed by, him and may thereafter be used in evidence against him, and shall be open to the inspection of any creditor or contributory at all reasonable times.
The court may, if it thinks fit, adjourn the examination from time to time.
The examination may, if the court so directs (and subject to general rules) be held before any Circuit judge, or before any officer of the Supreme Court being an official referee, master or registrar in bankruptcy, or before a district registrar of the High Court named for the purpose by the Lord Chancellor; and the powers of the court under this section may be exercised by the person before whom the examination is held.
The court, at any time either before or after making a winding-up order, on proof of probable cause for believing that a contributory is about to quit the United Kingdom or otherwise to abscond or to remove or conceal any of his property for the purpose of evading payment of calls or of avoiding examination respecting the company's affairs, may cause the contributory to be arrested and his books and papers and movable personal property to be seized and him and them to be kept safely until such time as the court may order.
Powers conferred by this Act on the court are in addition to and not in restriction of any existing powers of instituting proceedings against a contributory or debtor of the company, or the estate of any contributory or debtor, for the recovery of any call or other sums.
Provision may be made by general rules for enabling or requiring all or any of the powers and duties conferred and imposed on the court in England and Wales by this Act in respect of the following matters— to be exercised or performed by the liquidator as an officer of the court, and subject to the court's control.
the holding and conducting of meetings to ascertain the wishes of creditors and contributories,
the settling of lists of contributories and the rectifying of the register of members where required, and the collection and application of the assets,
the payment, delivery, conveyance, surrender or transfer of money, property, books or papers to the liquidator.
the making of calls,
the fixing of a time within which debts and claims must be proved,
But the liquidator shall not, without the special leave of the court, rectify the register of members, and shall not make any call without either that special leave or the sanction of the committee of inspection.
When the company's affairs have been completely wound up, the court (if the liquidator makes an application in that behalf) shall make an order that the company be dissolved from the date of the order, and the company is then dissolved accordingly.
A copy of the order shall within 14 days from its date be forwarded by the liquidator to the registrar of companies who shall record the company's dissolution.
If the liquidator makes default in complying with the requirements of subsection (2), he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
In Scotland, where an order, interlocutor or decree has been made for winding up a company by the court, it is competent to the court, on production by the liquidators of a list certified by them of the names of the contributories liable in payment of any calls, and of the amount due by each contributory, and of the date when that amount became due, to pronounce forthwith a decree against those contributories for payment of the sums so certified to be due, with interest from that date until payment (at 5 per cent, per annum) in the same way and to the same effect as if they had severally consented to registration for execution, on a charge of 6 days, of a legal obligation to pay those calls and interest.
The decree may be extracted immediately, and no suspension of it is competent, except on caution or consignation, unless with special leave of the court.
An order made by the court in England and Wales for or in the course of winding up a company shall be enforced in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the courts that would respectively have jurisdiction in respect of that company if registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland and in the same manner in all respects as if the order had been made by those courts.
Orders, interlocutors and decrees made by the court in Scotland for or in the course of winding up a company shall in like manner be enforced in England and Wales and Northern Ireland by any court which would respectively have jurisdiction in respect of that company if registered in that part of the United Kingdom where the order is required to be enforced, and in the same manner in all respects as if the order had been made by that court.
Where an order, interlocutor or decree made by one court is required to be enforced by another court, an office copy of it shall be produced to the proper officer of the court required to enforce it
The production of an office copy is sufficient evidence of the order, interlocutor or decree; and thereupon the last-mentioned court shall take the requisite steps in the matter for enforcing it in the same manner as if it had been made by that court
This section extends to Northern Ireland.
Subject to the provisions of this section and to rules of court, an appeal from any order or decision made or given in the winding up of a company by the court in Scotland under this Act lies in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as an appeal from an order or decision of the court in cases within its ordinary jurisdiction.
In regard to orders or judgments pronounced by the judge acting as vacation judge in pursuance of section 4 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1933—
none of the orders specified in Part I of Schedule 16 to this Act are subject to review, reduction, suspension or stay of execution, and
every other order or judgment (except as mentioned below) may be submitted to review by the Inner House by reclaiming motion enrolled within 14 days from the date of the order or judgment.
However, an order being one of those specified in Part II of the Schedule shall, from the date of the order and notwithstanding that it has been submitted to review as above, be carried out and receive effect until the Inner House have disposed of the matter.
In regard to orders or judgments pronounced in Scotland by a Lord Ordinary before whom proceedings in a winding up are being taken, any such order or judgment may be submitted to review by the Inner House by reclaiming motion enrolled within 14 days from its date; but should it not be so submitted to review during session, the provisions of this section in regard to orders or judgments pronounced by the judge acting as vacation judge apply.
Nothing in this section affects provisions of this Act in reference to decrees in Scotland for payment of calls in the winding up of companies, whether voluntary or by, or subject to the supervision of, the court
A company may be wound up voluntarily—
when the period (if any) fixed for the duration of the company by the articles expires, or the event (if any) occurs, on the occurrence of which the articles provide that the company is to be dissolved, and the company in general meeting has passed a resolution requiring it to be wound up voluntarily;
if the company resolves by special resolution that it be wound up voluntarily ;
if the company resolves by extraordinary resolution to the effect that it cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business, and that it is advisable to wind up.
In this Act the expression " a resolution for voluntary winding up " means a resolution passed under any of the paragraphs of subsection (1).
A resolution passed under paragraph (a) of subsection (1), as well as a special resolution under paragraph (b) and an extraordinary resolution under paragraph (c), is subject to section 380 (copy of resolution to be forwarded to registrar of companies within 15 days).
When a company has passed a resolution for voluntary winding up, it shall, within 14 days after the passing of the resolution, give notice of the resolution by advertisement in the Gazette.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. For purposes of this subsection the liquidator is deemed an officer of the company.
A voluntary winding up is deemed to commence at the time of the passing of the resolution for voluntary winding up.
In case of a voluntary winding up, the company shall from the commencement of the winding up cease to carry on its business, except so far as may be required for its beneficial winding up.
However, the corporate state and corporate powers of the company, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in its articles, continue until the company is dissolved.
Any transfer of shares, not being a transfer made to or with the sanction of the liquidator, and any alteration in the status of the company's members, made after the commencement of a voluntary winding up is void.
Where it is proposed to wind up a company voluntarily, the directors (or, in the case of a company having more than two directors, the majority of them) may at a directors' meeting make a statutory declaration to the effect that they have made a full inquiry into the company's affairs and that, having done so, they have formed the opinion that the company will be able to pay its debts in full within such period, not exceeding 12 months from the commencement of the winding up, as may be specified in the declaration.
Such a declaration by the directors has no effect for purposes of this Act unless—
it is made within the 5 weeks immediately preceding the date of the passing of the resolution for winding up, or on that date but before the passing of the resolution, and
it embodies a statement of the company's assets and liabilities as at the latest practicable date before the making of the declaration.
The declaration shall be delivered to the registrar of companies before the expiration of 15 days immediately following the date on which the resolution for winding up is passed.
A director making a declaration under this section without having reasonable grounds for the opinion that the company will be able to pay its debts in full within the period specified is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
If the company is wound up in pursuance of a resolution passed within 5 weeks after the making of the declaration, and its debts are not paid or provided for in full within the period specified, it is to be presumed (unless the contrary is shown) that the director did not have reasonable grounds for his opinion.
If a declaration required by subsection (3) to be delivered to the registrar is not so delivered within the time prescribed by that subsection, the company and every officer in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
A winding up in the case of which a directors' statutory declaration under section 577 has been made is a " members' voluntary winding up "; and a winding up in the case of which such a declaration has not been made is a " creditors' voluntary winding up ".
The provisions contained in sections 580 to 586 apply in relation to a members' voluntary winding up.
The company in general meeting shall appoint one or more liquidators for the purpose of winding up the company's affairs and distributing its assets, and may fix the remuneration to be paid to him or them.
On the appointment of a liquidator all the powers of the directors cease, except so far as the company in general meeting or the liquidator sanctions their continuance.
If a vacancy occurs by death, resignation or otherwise in the office of liquidator appointed by the company, the company in general meeting may, subject to any arrangement with its creditors, fill the vacancy.
For that purpose a general meeting may be convened by any contributory or, if there were more liquidators than one, by the continuing liquidators.
The meeting shall be held in manner provided by this Act or by the articles, or in such manner as may, on application by any contributory or by the continuing liquidators, be determined by the court.
The following applies where a company is proposed to be, or is being, wound up altogether voluntarily, and the whole or part of its business or property is proposed to be transferred or sold to another company (" the transferee company "), whether or not this latter is a company within the meaning of this Act.
The liquidator of the company to be, or being, wound up (" the transferor company ") may, with the sanction of a special resolution of that company, conferring cither a general authority on himself or an authority in respect of any particular arrangement, receive, in compensation or part compensation for the transfer or sale, shares, policies or other like interests in the transferee company for distribution among the members of the transferor company.
Alternatively, the liquidator may (with that sanction) enter into any other arrangement whereby the members of the transferor company may, in lieu of receiving cash, shares, policies or other like interests (or in addition thereto), participate in the profits of, or receive any other benefit from, the transferee company.
A sale or arrangement in pursuance of this section is binding on members of the transferor company.
If a member of the transferor company who did not vote in favour of the special resolution expresses his dissent from it in writing addressed to the liquidator, and left at the company's registered office within 7 days after the passing of the resolution, he may require the liquidator either to abstain from carrying the resolution into effect or to purchase his interest at a price to be determined by agreement or by arbitration in manner provided by this section.
If the liquidator elects to purchase the member's interest, the purchase money must be paid before the company is dissolved and be raised by the liquidator in such manner as may be determined by special resolution.
A special resolution is not invalid for purposes of this section by reason that it is passed before or concurrently with a resolution for voluntary winding up or for appointing liquidators ; but, if an order is made within a year for winding up the company by or subject to the supervision of the court, the special resolution is not valid unless sanctioned by the court.
For purposes of an arbitration under this section, the provisions of the Companies Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 or, in the case of a winding up in Scotland, the Companies Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1845 with respect to the settlement of disputes by arbitration are incorporated with this Act, and—
in the construction of those provisions this Act is deemed the special Act and " the company " means the transferor company, and
any appointment by the incorporated provisions directed to be made under the hand of the secretary or any two of the directors may be made in writing by the liquidator (or, if there is more than one liquidator, then any two or more of them).
If the liquidator is at any time of opinion that the company will not be able to pay its debts in full within the period stated in the directors' declaration under section 577, he shall forthwith summon a meeting of the creditors, and shall lay before the meeting a statement of the company's assets and liabilities.
If the liquidator fails to comply with this section, he is liable to a fine.
Subject to section 586, in the event of the winding up continuing for more than one year, the liquidator shall summon a general meeting of the company at the end of the first year from the commencement of the winding up, and of each succeeding year, or at the first convenient date within 3 months from the end of the year or such longer period as the Secretary of State may allow, and shall lay before the meeting an account of his acts and dealings and of the conduct of the winding up during the preceding year.
If the liquidator fails to comply with this section, he is liable to a fine.
As soon as the company's affairs are fully wound up, the liquidator shall make up an account of the winding up, showing how it has been conducted and the company's property has been disposed of, and thereupon shall call a general meeting of the company for the purpose of laying before it the account, and giving an explanation of it
The meeting shall be called by advertisement in the Gazette, specifying its time, place and object and published at least one month before the meeting.
Within one week after the meeting, the liquidator shall send to the registrar of companies a copy of the account, and shall make a return to him of the holding of the meeting and of its date; and if the copy is not sent or the return is not made in accordance with this subsection the liquidator is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a quorum is not present at the meeting, the liquidator shall, in lieu of the return mentioned above, make a return that the meeting was duly summoned and that no quorum was present; and upon such a return being made, the provisions of subsection (3) as to the making of the return are deemed complied with.
The registrar on receiving the account and either of these returns shall forthwith register them, and on the expiration of 3 months from the registration of the return the company is deemed to be dissolved; but the court may, on the application of the liquidator or of any other person who appears to the court to be interested, make an order deferring the date at which the dissolution of the company is to take effect for such time as the court thinks fit.
It is the duty of the person on whose application an order of the court under this section is made within 7 days after the making of the order to deliver to the registrar an office copy of the order for registration; and if that person fails to do so he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If the liquidator fails to call a general meeting of the company as required by subsection (1), he is liable to a fine.
Where section 583 has effect, sections 594 and 595 apply to the winding up to the exclusion of sections 584 and 585, as if the winding up were a creditors' voluntary winding up and not a members' voluntary winding up.
However, the liquidator is not required to summon a meeting of creditors under section 594 at the end of the first year from the commencement of the winding up, unless the meeting held under section 583 is held more than 3 months before the end of that year.
The provisions contained in sections 588 to 595 apply in relation to a creditors' voluntary winding up.
The company shall give at least 7 days' notice of the company meeting at which the resolution for voluntary winding up is to be proposed. This applies notwithstanding any power of the members, or of any particular majority of the members, to exclude or waive any other requirement of this Act or the company's articles with respect to the period of notice to be given of any company meeting.
The company shall in addition—
cause a meeting of its creditors to be summoned for the day, or the day next following the day, on which the company meeting is to be held,
cause the notices of the creditors' meeting to be sent by post to the creditors simultaneously with the sending of the notices of the company meeting, and
cause notice of the creditors' meeting to be advertised once in the Gazette and once at least in two local newspapers circulating in the district in which the company's registered office or its principal place of business is situated.
The directors of the company shall— and it is the duty of the director so appointed to attend the meeting and preside at it.
cause a full statement of the position of the company's affairs, together with a list of its creditors and the estimated amount of their claims, to be laid before the creditors' meeting, and
appoint one of their number to preside at the meeting;
If the company meeting at which the resolution for voluntary winding up is to be proposed is adjourned and the resolution is passed at an adjourned meeting, any resolution passed at the creditors' meeting held under subsection (2) has effect as if it had been passed immediately after the passing of the resolution for voluntary winding up.
If default is made— the company, the directors or the director (as the case may be) is or are liable to a fine; and, in the case of default by the company, every officer of the company who is in default is also so liable.
by the company in complying with subsections (1) and (2),
by the directors in complying with subsection (3),
by any director in complying with that subsection, so far as requiring him to attend and preside at the creditors' meeting,
Failure to give notice of the company meeting as required by subsection (1) does not affect the validity of any resolution passed or other thing done at that meeting which would be valid apart from that subsection.
The creditors and the company at their respective meetings mentioned in section 588 may nominate a person to be liquidator for the purpose of winding up the company's affairs and distributing its assets.
If the creditors and the company nominate different persons, the person nominated by the creditors shall be liquidator; and if no person is nominated by the creditors the person (if any) nominated by the company shall be liquidator.
In the case of different persons being nominated, any director, member or creditor of the company may, within 7 days after the date on which the nomination was made by the creditors, apply to the court for an order either—
directing that the person nominated as liquidator by the company shall be liquidator instead of or jointly with the person nominated by the creditors, or
appointing some other person to be liquidator instead of the person nominated by the creditors.
The creditors at the meeting to be held under section 588 or at any subsequent meeting may, if they think fit, appoint a committee of inspection consisting of not more than 5 persons.
If such a committee is appointed, the company may, either at the meeting at which the resolution for voluntary winding up is passed or at any time subsequently in general meeting, appoint such number of persons as they think fit to act as members of the committee, not exceeding 5.
However, the creditors may, if they think fit, resolve that all or any of the persons so appointed by the company ought not to be members of the committee of inspection : and if the creditors so resolve—
the persons mentioned in the resolution are not then, unless the court otherwise directs, qualified to act as members of the committee, and
on any application to the court under this provision the court may, if it thinks fit, appoint other persons to act as such members in place of the persons mentioned in the resolution.
Schedule 17 has effect with respect to a committee of inspection appointed under this section and its proceedings.
In Scotland, such a committee has, in addition to the powers and duties conferred and imposed on it by this Act, such of the powers and duties of commissioners on a bankrupt estate as may be conferred and imposed on committees of inspection by general rules.
The committee of inspection or, if there is no such committee, the creditors may fix the remuneration to be paid to the liquidator or liquidators.
On the appointment of a liquidator, all the powers of the directors cease, except so far as the committee of inspection (or, if there is no such committee, the creditors) sanction their continuance.
If a vacancy occurs, by death, resignation or otherwise, in the office of a liquidator (other than a liquidator appointed by, or by the direction of, the court), the creditors may fill the vacancy.
Section 582 applies in the case of a creditors' voluntary winding up as in the case of a members' voluntary winding up, with the modification that the liquidator's powers under that section are not to be exercised except with the sanction either of the court or of the committee of inspection.
If the winding up continues for more than one year, the liquidator shall summon a general meeting of the company and a meeting of the creditors at the end of the first year from the commencement of the winding up, and of each succeeding year, or at the first convenient date within 3 months from the end of the year or such longer period as the Secretary of State may allow, and shall lay before the meetings an account of his acts and dealings and of the conduct of the winding up during the preceding year.
If the liquidator fails to comply with this section, he is liable to a fine.
As soon as the company's affairs are fully wound up, the liquidator shall make up an account of the winding up, snowing how it has been conducted and the company's property has been disposed of, and thereupon shall call a general meeting of the company and a meeting of the creditors for the purpose of laying the account before the meetings and giving an explanation of it.
Each such meeting shall be called by advertisement in the Gazette specifying the time, place and object of the meeting, and published at least one month before it.
Within one week after the date of the meetings (or, if they are not held on the same date, after the date of the later one) the liquidator shall send to the registrar of companies a copy of the account, and shall make a return to him of the holding of the meetings and of their dates.
If the copy is not sent or the return is not made in accordance with subsection (3), the liquidator is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
However, if a quorum is not present at either such meeting, the liquidator shall, in lieu of the return required by subsection (3), make a return that the meeting was duly summoned and that no quorum was present; and upon such return being made the provisions of that subsection as to the making of the return are, in respect of that meeting, deemed complied with.
The registrar on receiving the account and, in respect of each such meeting, either of the returns mentioned above, shall forthwith register them, and on the expiration of 3 months from their registration the company is deemed to be dissolved; but the court may, on the application of the liquidator or of any other person who appears to the court to be interested, make an order deferring the date at which the dissolution of the company is to take effect for such time as the court thinks fit.
It is the duty of the person on whose application an order of the court under this section is made, within 7 days after the making of the order, to deliver to the registrar an office copy of the order for registration; and if that person fails to do so he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If the liquidator fails to call a general meeting of the company or a meeting of the creditors as required by this section, he is liable to a fine.
The provisions of sections 597 to 605 apply to every voluntary winding up, whether a members' or a creditors' winding up.
Subject to the provisions of this Act as to preferential payments, the company's property shall on the winding up be applied in satisfaction of the company's liabilities pari passu and, subject to that application, shall (unless the articles otherwise provide) be distributed among the members according to their rights and interests in the company.
The liquidator may— exercise any of the powers given by paragraphs (d), (e) and (f) of section 539(1) to a liquidator in a winding up by the court.
in the case of a members' voluntary winding up, with the sanction of an extraordinary resolution of the company, and
in the case of a creditors' voluntary winding up, with the sanction of the court or the committee of inspection (or, if there is no such committee, a meeting of the creditors),
The liquidator may, without sanction, exercise any of the other powers given by this Act to the liquidator in a winding up by the court.
The liquidator may—
exercise the court's power of settling a list of contributories (and the list of contributories is prima facie evidence of the liability of the persons named in it to be contributories),
exercise the court's power of making calls,
summon general meetings of the company for the purpose of obtaining its sanction by special or extraordinary resolution or for any other purpose he may think fit
The liquidator shall pay the company's debts and adjust the rights of the contributories among themselves.
When several liquidators are appointed, any power given by this Act may be exercised by such one or more of them as may be determined at the time of their appointment or, in default of such determination, by any number not less than two.
If from any cause whatever there is no liquidator acting, the court may appoint a liquidator.
The court may, on cause shown, remove a liquidator and appoint another.
The liquidator shall, within 14 days after his appointment, publish in the Gazette and deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a notice of his appointment in the form prescribed by statutory instrument made by the Secretary of State.
If the liquidator fails to comply with this section he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Any arrangement entered into between a company about to be, or in the course of being, wound up and its creditors is (subject to the right of appeal under this section) binding—
on the company, if sanctioned by an extraordinary resolution, and
on the creditors, if acceded to by three-fourths in number and value of them.
Any creditor or contributory may, within 3 weeks from the completion of the arrangement, appeal to the court against it; and the court may thereupon, as it thinks just, amend, vary or confirm the arrangement.
The liquidator or any contributory or creditor may apply to the court to determine any question arising in the winding up of a company, or to exercise, as respects the enforcing of calls or any other matter, all or any of the powers which the court might exercise if the company were being wound up by the court.
The court, if satisfied that the determination of the question or the required exercise of power will be just and beneficial, may accede wholly or partially to the application on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit or may make such other order on the application as it thinks just
A copy of an order made by virtue of this section staying the proceedings in the winding up shall forthwith be forwarded by the company, or otherwise as may be prescribed, to the registrar of companies, who shall enter it in his records relating to the company.
If the court, on the application of the liquidator in the winding up of a company registered in Scotland, so directs, no action or proceeding shall be proceeded with or commenced against the company except by leave of the court and subject to such terms as the court may impose.
All costs, charges and expenses properly incurred in the winding up, including the remuneration of the liquidator, are payable out of the company's assets in priority to all other claims.
The winding up of a company under this Chapter does not bar the right of any creditor or contributory to have it wound up by the court; but in the case of an application by a contributory the court must be satisfied that the rights of the contributories will be prejudiced by a voluntary winding up.
When a company has passed a resolution for voluntary winding up, the court may make an order that the voluntary winding up shall continue but subject to such supervision of the court, and with such liberty for creditors, contributories or others to apply to the court, and generally on such terms and conditions, as the court thinks just.
A petition for the continuance of a voluntary winding up subject to the supervision of the court is deemed, for the purpose of giving jurisdiction to the court over actions, to be a petition for winding up by the court.
A winding up subject to the supervision of the court is deemed for the purposes of sections 522 and 523 (avoidance of dispositions of property, etc.) to be a winding up by the court.
Where an order is made for a winding up subject to supervision, the court may by that or any subsequent order appoint an additional liquidator.
A liquidator so appointed has the same powers, is subject to the same obligations, and in all respects stands in the same position, as if he had been duly appointed in accordance with provisions of this Act with respect to the appointment of liquidators in a voluntary winding up.
The court may remove a liquidator so appointed by the court, or any liquidator continued under the supervision order, and fill any vacancy occasioned by the removal, or by death or resignation.
Where an order is made for a winding up subject to supervision, the liquidator may (subject to any restrictions imposed by the court) exercise all his powers, without the court's sanction or intervention, in the same manner as if the company were being wound up altogether voluntarily.
However, the powers specified in paragraphs (d), (e) and (f) of section 539(1) shall not be exercised by the liquidator except with the sanction of the court or, in a case where before the order the winding up was a creditors' voluntary winding up, with the sanction of the court or the committee of inspection or (if there is no such committee) a meeting of the creditors.
A winding up subject to the supervision of the court is not a winding up by the court for the purposes of the provisions of this Act specified in Schedule 18, nor for those of section 491 (power in England and Wales to appoint official receiver as receiver for debenture holders or creditors); but, subject to this, an order for a winding up subject to supervision is deemed to be for all purposes an order for winding up by the court.
But where the order for winding up subject to supervision was made in relation to a creditors' voluntary winding up in which a committee of inspection had been appointed, the order is deemed an order for winding up by the court for the purposes of section 547(2)(b) and Schedule 17, except in so far as the operation of those provisions is excluded in a voluntary winding up by general rules.
In every winding up (subject, in the case of insolvent companies, to the application in accordance with this Act of the law of bankruptcy) all debts payable on a contingency, and all claims against the company, present or future, certain or contingent, ascertained or sounding only in damages, are admissible to proof against the company.
A just estimate is to be made (so far as possible) of the value of such debts or claims as may be subject to any contingency or sound only in damages, or for some other reason do not bear a certain value.
In the winding up of an insolvent company registered in England and Wales the same rules prevail and are to be observed with regard to the respective rights of secured and unsecured creditors, and to debts provable and to the valuation of annuities and future and contingent liabilities, as are in force for the time being under the law of bankruptcy in England and Wales with respect to the estates of persons adjudged bankrupt
All those who in any such case would be entitled to prove for and receive dividends out of the company's assets may come in under the winding up and make such claims against the company as they respectively are entitled to by virtue of this section.
In the winding up of a company registered in Scotland, the following provisions of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1913— apply, so far as is consistent with this Act, in like manner as they apply in the sequestration of a bankrupt's estate, with the substitutions specified below, and with any other necessary modifications.
sections 45 to 62 regarding voting and ranking for payment of dividends,
section 96 (reckoning of majorities), and
section 105 (interruption of prescription),
The substitutions to be made in those sections of the Act of 1913 are as follows—
for references to sequestration, substitute references to winding up,
for references to the sheriff, substitute references to the court,
for references to the trustee, substitute references to the liquidator, and
for references to the bankrupt, substitute references to the company.
In a winding up the preferential debts listed in Schedule 19 shall be paid in priority to all other debts, but with the exceptions and reservations specified in that Schedule.
The preferential debts shall—
rank equally among themselves and be paid in full, unless the assets are insufficient to meet them, in which case they shall abate in equal proportions, and
so far as the assets of the company available for payment of general creditors are insufficient to meet them, have priority over the claims of holders of debentures under any floating charge created by the company, and be paid accordingly out of any property comprised in or subject to that charge.
Subject to the retention of such sums as may be necessary for the costs and expenses of the winding up, the preferential debts shall be discharged forthwith so far as the assets are sufficient to meet them; and in the case of the debts to which priority is given by paragraph 8 of Schedule 19 (social security payments), formal proof of them is not required except in so far as is otherwise provided by general rules.
In the event of a landlord or other person distraining or having distrained on any goods or effects of the company within 3 months next before the date of a winding-up order, the preferential debts are a first charge on the goods or effects so distrained on, or the proceeds of their sale; but in respect of any money paid under such a charge, the landlord or other person has the same rights of priority as the person to whom the payment is made.
Any conveyance, mortgage, delivery of goods, payment, execution or other act relating to property made or done by or against a company within 6 months before the commencement of its winding up which, had it been made or done by or against an individual within 6 months before the presentation of a bankruptcy petition on which he is adjudged bankrupt, would be deemed in his bankruptcy a fraudulent preference, is in the event of the company being wound up deemed a fraudulent preference of its creditors and invalid accordingly.
Any conveyance or assignment by a company of all its property to trustees for the benefit of all its creditors is void to all intents.
In the application of this section to Scotland, " bankruptcy petition " means petition for sequestration.
Where in the case of a company wound up in England and Wales anything made or done is void under section 615 as a fraudulent preference of a person interested in property mortgaged or charged to secure the company's debt, then (without prejudice to any rights or liabilities arising apart from this provision) the person preferred is subject to the same liabilities, and has the same rights, as if he had undertaken to be personally liable as surety for the debt to the extent of the charge on the property or the value of his interest, whichever is the less.
The value of the person's interest is determined as at the date of the transaction constituting the fraudulent preference, and as if the interest were free of all incumbrances other than those to which the charge for the company's debt was then subject.
On an application made to the court with respect to any payment on the ground that the payment was a fraudulent preference of a surety or guarantor, the court has jurisdiction to determine any question with respect to the payment arising between the person to whom the payment was made and the surety or guarantor, and to grant relief in respect of it.
The court's jurisdiction under subsection (3) is exercisable notwithstanding that the determination of the question is not necessary for the purposes of the winding up; and the court may for the purposes of that subsection give leave to bring in the surety or guarantor as a third party as in the case of an action for the recovery of the sum paid.
Subsections (3) and (4) apply, with the necessary modifications, in relation to transactions other than the payment of money as they apply in relation to payments.
Where a company is being wound up, a floating charge on its undertaking or property created within 12 months of the commencement of the winding up is invalid (unless it is proved that the company immediately after the creation of the charge was solvent), except to the amount of any cash paid to the company at the time of or subsequently to the creation of, and in consideration for, the charge, together with interest on that amount.
Interest under this section is at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum or such other rate as may for the time being be prescribed by order of the Treasury in a statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
Where a company is being wound up in Scotland, a floating charge over all or any part of its property is not to be held an alienation or preference voidable by statute (other than by the provisions of this section) or at common law on the ground of insolvency or notour bankruptcy.
Where any part of the property of a company which is being wound up consists of land (of any tenure) burdened with onerous covenants, of shares or stock in companies, of unprofitable contracts, or of any other property that is unsaleable, or not readily saleable, by reason of its binding its possessor to the performance of any onerous act or to the payment of any sum of money, the liquidator may, with the leave of the court and subject to the provisions of this section and the next, disclaim the property.
The power to disclaim is exercisable notwithstanding that the liquidator has endeavoured to sell or has taken possession of the property or exercised any act of ownership in relation to it; and the disclaimer must be in writing signed by him.
The power is exercisable at any time within 12 months after the commencement of the winding up or such extended period as may be allowed by the court; but where any such property has not come to the liquidator's knowledge within one month after the commencement of the winding up, he may disclaim at any time within 12 months after he has become aware of it or such extended period as may be so allowed.
The disclaimer operates to determine, as from the date of disclaimer, the rights, interests and liabilities of the company, and the company's property, in or in respect of the property disclaimed; but it does not (except so far as is necessary for the purpose of releasing the company and its property from liability) affect the rights or liabilities of any other person.
This section does not apply in the case of a winding up in Scotland.
The court, before or on granting leave to disclaim under section 618, may require such notices to be given to persons interested, and impose such terms as a condition of granting leave, and make such other order in the matter, as the court thinks just.
The liquidator is not entitled to disclaim property under section 618 in a case where application in writing has been made to him by persons interested in the property requiring him to decide whether he will or will not disclaim and he has not within 28 days after the receipt of the application (or such further period as may be allowed by the court) given notice to the applicant that he intends to apply to the court for leave to disclaim.
In the case of a contract, if the liquidator after such an application does not within that period or further period disclaim the contract, the company is deemed to have adopted it.
The court may, on the application of a person who is, as against the liquidator, entitled to the benefit or subject to the burden of a contract made with the company, make an order rescinding the contract on such terms as to payment by or to either party of damages for the non-performance of the contract, or otherwise as the court thinks just; and any damages payable under the order to such a person may be proved by him as a debt in the winding up.
The court may, on an application by a person who either claims an interest in disclaimed property or is under a liability not discharged by this Act in respect of disclaimed property, and on hearing any such persons as it thinks fit, make an order for the vesting of the property in or its delivery to any persons entitled to it, or to whom it may seem just that the property should be delivered by way of compensation for such liability, or a trustee for him, and on such terms as the court thinks just
On such a vesting order being made, the property comprised in it vests accordingly in the person named in that behalf in the order, without conveyance or assignment for that purpose.
Part I of Schedule 20 has effect for the protection of third parties where the property disclaimed is of a leasehold nature.
A person injured by the operation of a disclaimer under section 618 and this section is deemed a creditor of the company to the amount of the injury, and may accordingly prove the debt in the winding up.
Where on a disclaimer under section 618 land in England and Wales vests subject to a rentcharge in the Crown or any other person, that does not impose on the Crown or that other person, or on its or his successors in title, any personal liability in respect of the rentcharge.
But this section does not affect any liability in respect of sums accruing due after the Crown or other person, or some person claiming through or under it or him, has taken possession or control of the land or has entered into occupation of it.
This section applies to land whenever vesting, and to sums whenever accrued.
Where a creditor has issued execution against the goods or land of a company or has attached any debt due to it, and the company is subsequently wound up, he is not entitled to retain the benefit of the execution or attachment against the liquidator in the winding up unless he has completed the execution or attachment before the commencement of the winding up.
However—
if a creditor has had notice of a meeting having been called at which a resolution for voluntary winding up is to be proposed, the date on which he had notice is substituted, for the purpose of subsection (1), for the date of commencement of the winding up,
a person who purchases in good faith under a sale by the sheriff any goods of a company on which execution has been levied in all cases acquires a good tide to them against the liquidator, and
the rights conferred by subsection (1) on the liquidator may be set aside by the court in favour of the creditor to such extent and subject to such terms as the court thinks fit.
For purposes of this Act—
an execution against goods is completed by seizure and sale, or by the making of a charging order under section 1 of the Charging Orders Act 1979 ;
an attachment of a debt is completed by receipt of the debt; and
an execution against land is completed by seizure, by the appointment of a receiver, or by the making of a charging order under section 1 of the Act above-mentioned.
In this section, " goods " includes all chattels personal; and " the sheriff " includes any officer charged with the execution of a writ or other process.
This section does not apply in the case of a winding up in Scotland.
The following applies where a company's goods are taken in execution and, before their sale or the completion of the execution (by the receipt or recovery of the full amount of the levy), notice is served on the sheriff that a provisional liquidator has been appointed or that a winding-up order has been made, or that a resolution for voluntary winding up has been passed.
The sheriff shall, on being so required, deliver the goods and any money seized or received in part satisfaction of the execution to the liquidator; but the costs of execution are a first charge on the goods or money so delivered, and the liquidator may sell the goods, or a sufficient part of them, for the purpose of satisfying the charge.
If under an execution in respect of a judgment for a sum exceeding £250 a company's goods are sold or money is paid in order to avoid sale, the sheriff shall deduct the costs of the execution from the proceeds of sale or the money paid and retain the balance for 14 days.
If within that time notice is served on the sheriff of a petition for the winding up of the company having been presented, or of a meeting having been called at which there is to be proposed a resolution for voluntary winding up, and an order is made or a resolution passed (as the case may be), the sheriff shall pay the balance to the liquidator, who is entitled to retain it as against the execution creditor.
The rights conferred by this section on the liquidator may be set aside by the court in favour of the creditor to such extent and subject to such terms as the court thinks fit
In this section, " goods " includes all chattels personal; and " the sheriff" includes any officer charged with the execution of a writ or other process.
The money sum for the time being specified in subsection (3) is subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664; but no increase or reduction of it affects any case where the goods are sold, or the payment to avoid sale is made, before the coming into force of the increase or reduction.
This section does not apply in the case of a winding up in Scotland.
The following applies in the case of the winding up of a company registered in Scotland.
The winding up is equivalent as at the date of its commencement, to an arrestment in execution and decree of furthcoming, and to an executed or completed poinding; and— But any arrester or poinder before that date who is thus deprived of the benefit of his diligence has preference out of those funds or effects for the expense bona fide incurred by him in the diligence.
no arrestment or poinding of the funds or effects of the company executed on or after the 60th day prior to that date is effectual, and
those funds or effects (or their proceeds if sold) shall be made forthcoming to the liquidator:
As at the date of its commencement, the winding up is equivalent to a decree of adjudication of the heritable estates of the company for the payment of its whole debts, principal and interest, accumulated at that date, subject to such preferable heritable rights and securities as existed at that date and are valid and unchallengeable, and the right to poind the ground provided below in this section.
Sections 108 to 113 and 116 of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1913 apply (so far as is consistent with this Act) to the realisation of heritable estates affected by such heritable rights and securities as are mentioned above ; and for the purposes of this Act those sections are modified as follows—
" sequestration" and " trustee" mean respectively " winding up " and " liquidator ", and
" the Lord Ordinary or the court " means " the court " as defined by this Act with respect to Scotland.
No poinding of the ground which has not been carried into execution by sale of the effects 60 days before the date of commencement of the winding up is available (except to the extent provided below) in any question with the liquidator. However, no creditor who holds a security over the heritable estate preferable to the right of the liquidator is prevented from executing a poinding of the ground after that date; but that poinding is, in competition with the liquidator, available only for interest on the debt for the current half-yearly term, and for arrears of interest for one year immediately before the commencement of that term.
This section, so far as relating to any estate or effects of the company situated in Scotland, applies in the case of a company registered in England as in the case of one registered in Scotland.
When a company is ordered to be wound up by the court, or passes a resolution for voluntary winding up, any person, being a past or present officer of the company, is deemed to have committed an offence if, within the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement of the winding up, he has—.
concealed any part of the company's property to the value of £120 or more, or concealed any debt due to or from the company,
fraudulently removed any part of the company's property to the value of £120 or more, or
concealed, destroyed, mutilated or falsified any book or paper affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or
made any false entry in any book or paper affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or
fraudulently parted with, altered or made any omission in any document affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or
pawned, pledged or disposed of any property of the company which has been obtained on credit and has not been paid for (unless the pawning, pledging or disposal was in the ordinary way of the company's business).
Such a person is deemed to have committed an offence if within the period above mentioned he has been privy to the doing by others of any of the things mentioned in paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) of subsection (1); and he commits an offence if, at any time after the commencement of the winding up, he does any of the things mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (f) of that subsection, or is privy to the doing by others of any of the things mentioned in paragraphs (c) to (e) of it.
For purposes of this section, " officer " includes a shadow director.
It is a defence—
for a person charged under paragraph (a) or (f) of subsection (1) (or under subsection (2) in respect of the things mentioned in either of those paragraphs) to prove that he had no intent to defraud, and
for a person charged under paragraph (c) or (d) of subsection (1) (or under subsection (2) in respect of the things mentioned in either of those two paragraphs) to prove that he had no intent to conceal the state of affairs of the company or to defeat the law.
Where a person pawns, pledges or disposes of any property in circumstances which amount to an offence under subsection (1)(f), every person who takes in pawn or pledge, or otherwise receives the property knowing it to be pawned, pledged or disposed of in such circumstances, is guilty of an offence.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The money sums specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) are subject to increase or reduction by regulations under section 664.
When a company is ordered to be wound up by the court or passes a resolution for voluntary winding up, a person is deemed to have committed an offence if he, being at the time an officer of the company—
with intent to defraud creditors of the company, has made or caused to be made any gift or transfer of, or charge on, or has caused or connived at the levying of any execution against, the company's property, or
with that intent, has concealed or removed any part of the company's property since, or within 2 months before, the date of any unsatisfied judgment or order for the payment of money obtained against the company.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
When a company is being wound up, whether by or under the supervision of the court or voluntarily, any person, being a past or present officer of the company, commits an offence if he—
does not to the best of his knowledge and belief fully and truly discover to the liquidator all the company's property, and how and to whom and for what consideration and when the company disposed of any part of that property (except such part as has been disposed of in the ordinary way of the company's business), or
does not deliver up to the liquidator (or as he directs) all such part of the company's property as is in his custody or under his control, and which he is required by law to deliver up, or
does not deliver up to the liquidator (or as he directs) all books and papers in his custody or under his control belonging to the company and which he is required by law to deliver up, or
knowing or believing that a false debt has been proved by any person in the winding up, fails for the period of a month to inform the liquidator of it, or
after the commencement of the winding up, prevents the production of any book or paper affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs.
Such a person commits an offence if after the commencement of the winding up he attempts to account for any part of the company's property by fictitious losses or expenses; and he is deemed to have committed that offence if he has so attempted at any meeting of the company's creditors within the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement of the winding up.
For purposes of this section, " officer " includes a shadow director.
It is a defence—
for a person charged under paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1) to prove that he had no intent to defraud, and
for a person charged under paragraph (e) of that subsection to prove that he had no intent to conceal the state of affairs of the company or to defeat the law.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
When a company is being wound up, an officer or contributory of the company commits an offence if he destroys, mutilates, alters or falsifies any books, papers or securities, or makes or is privy to the making of any false or fraudulent entry in any register, book of account or document belonging to the company with intent to defraud or deceive any person.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
When a company is being wound up, whether by or under the supervision of the court or voluntarily, any person, being a past or present officer of the company, commits an offence if he makes any material omission in any statement relating to the company's affairs.
When a company has been ordered to be wound up by the court, or has passed a resolution for voluntary winding up, any such person is deemed to have committed that offence if, prior to the winding up, he has made any material omission in any such statement.
For purposes of this section, " officer" includes a shadow director.
It is a defence for a person charged under this section to prove that he had no intent to defraud.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
When a company is being wound up, whether by or under the supervision of the court or voluntarily, any person, being a past or present officer of the company—
commits an offence if he makes any false representation or commits any other fraud for the purpose of obtaining the consent of the company's creditors or any of them to an agreement with reference to the company's affairs or to the winding up, and
is deemed to have committed that offence if, prior to the winding up, he has made any false representation, or committed any other fraud, for that purpose.
For purposes of this section, " officer" includes a shadow director.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
If in the course of the winding up of a company it appears that any business of the company has been carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person, or for any fraudulent purpose, the following has effect.
The court, on the application of the official receiver, or the liquidator or any creditor or contributory of the company, may, if it thinks proper to do so, declare that any persons who were knowingly parties to the carrying on of the business in the manner above mentioned are to be personally responsible, without any limitation of liability, for all or any of the debts or other liabilities of the company as the court may direct.
On the hearing of the application, the official receiver or the liquidator (as the case may be) may himself give evidence or call witnesses.
Where the court makes such a declaration, it may give such further directions as it thinks proper for giving effect to the declaration ; and in particular, the court may—
provide for the liability of any person under the declaration to be a charge on any debt or obligation due from the company to him, or on any mortgage or charge or any interest in a mortgage or charge on assets of the company held by or vested in him, or any person on his behalf, or any person claiming as assignee from or through the person liable or any person acting on his behalf, and
from time to time make such further order as may be necessary for enforcing any charge imposed under this subsection.
For purposes of subsection (4), " assignee "—
includes a person to whom or in whose favour, by the directions of the person made liable, the debt, obligation, mortgage or charge was created, issued or transferred or the interest created, but
does not include an assignee for valuable consideration (not including consideration by way of marriage) given in good faith and without notice of any of the matters on the ground of which the declaration is made.
This section has effect notwithstanding that the person concerned may be criminally liable in respect of matters on the ground of which the declaration under subsection (2) is to be made; and where the declaration is made in the case of a winding up in England and Wales, it is deemed a final judgment within section 1(1)(g) of the Bankruptcy Act 1914.
The following applies if in the course of winding up a company it appears that a person who has taken part in its formation or promotion, or any past or present director, manager or liquidator, or an officer of the company, has misapplied or retained or become liable or accountable for any money or property of the company, or been guilty of any misfeasance or breach of trust in relation to the company.
The court may, on the application of the official receiver or the liquidator, or of any creditor or contributory, examine into the conduct of the promoter, director, manager, liquidator or officer and compel him—
to repay or restore the money or property, or any part of it, respectively with interest at such rate as the court thinks just, or
to contribute such sum to the company's assets by way of compensation in respect of the misapplication, retainer, misfeasance or breach of trust as the court thinks just
This section has effect notwithstanding that the offence is one for which the offender may be criminally liable.
If in the case of a winding up in England and Wales an order for payment of money is made under this section, the order is deemed a final judgment within section 1(1)(g) of the Bankruptcy Act 1914.
If it appears to the court in the course of a winding up by, or subject to the supervision of, the court that any past or present officer, or any member, of the company has been guilty of any offence in relation to the company for which he is criminally liable, the court may (either on the application of a person interested in the winding up or of its own motion) direct the liquidator to refer the matter to the prosecuting authority.
" The prosecuting authority " means—
in the case of a winding up in England and Wales, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and
in the case of a winding up in Scotland, the Lord Advocate.
If it appears to the liquidator in the course of a voluntary winding up that any past or present officer of the company, or any member of it, has been guilty of any offence in relation to the company for which he is criminally liable, he shall—
forthwith report the matter to the prosecuting authority, and
furnish to that authority such information and give to him such access to and facilities for inspecting and taking copies of documents (being information or documents in the possession or under the control of the liquidator and relating to the matter in question) as the authority requires.
Where a report is made to him under subsection (3), the prosecuting authority may, if he thinks fit, refer the matter to the Secretary of State for further enquiry ; and the Secretary of State—
shall thereupon investigate the matter, and
for the purpose of his investigation may exercise any of the powers which are exercisable by inspectors appointed under section 431 or 432 to investigate a company's affairs.
If it appears to the court in the course of a voluntary winding up that any past or present officer of the company, or any member of it, has been guilty as above-mentioned, and that no report with respect to the matter has been made by the liquidator to the prosecuting authority under subsection (3), the court may (on the application of any person interested in the winding up or of its own motion) direct the liquidator to make such a report; and on a report being made accordingly this section has effect as though the report had been made in pursuance of subsection (3).
For the purpose of an investigation by the Secretary of State under section 632(4), any obligation imposed on a person by any provision of this Act to produce documents or give information to, or otherwise to assist, inspectors appointed as mentioned in that subsection is to be regarded as an obligation similarly to assist the Secretary of State in his investigation.
An answer given by a person to a question put to him in exercise of the powers conferred by section 632(4) may be used in evidence against him.
Where criminal proceedings are instituted by the prosecuting authority or the Secretary of State following any report or reference under section 632, it is the duty of the liquidator and every officer and agent of the company past and present (other than the defendant or defender) to give to that authority or the Secretary of State (as the case may be) all assistance in connection with the prosecution which he is reasonably able to give. For this purpose " agent" includes any banker or solicitor of the company and any person employed by the company as auditor, whether that person is or is not an officer of the company.
If a person fails or neglects to give assistance in the manner required by subsection (3), the court may, on the application of the prosecuting authority or the Secretary of State (as the case may be) direct the person to comply with that subsection; and if the application is made with respect to a liquidator, the court may (unless it appears that the failure or neglect to comply was due to the liquidator not having in his hands sufficient assets of the company to enable him to do so) direct that the costs shall be borne by the liquidator personally.
A body corporate is not qualified for appointment as liquidator of a company, whether in a winding up by or under the supervision of the court or in a voluntary winding up.
Any appointment made in contravention of this section is void; and a body corporate which acts as liquidator of a company is liable to a fine.
A person who gives or agrees or offers to give to any member or creditor of a company any valuable consideration with a view to securing his own appointment or nomination, or to securing or preventing the appointment or nomination of some person other than himself, as the company's liquidator is liable to a fine.
If a liquidator who has made any default— fails to make good the default within 14 days after the service on him of a notice requiring him to do so, the court has the following powers.
in filing, delivering or making any return, account or other document, or
in giving any notice which he is by law required to file, deliver, make or give,
On an application made by any creditor or contributory of the company, or by the registrar of companies, the court may make an order directing the liquidator to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order.
The court's order may provide that all costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the liquidator.
Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of any enactment imposing penalties on a liquidator in respect of any such default as is mentioned above.
When a company is being wound up, whether by or under supervision of the court or voluntarily, every invoice, order for goods or business letter issued by or on behalf of the company, or a liquidator of the company, or a receiver or manager of the company's property, being a document on or in which the name of the company appears, shall contain a statement that the company is being wound up.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and any of the following persons who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default, namely, any officer of the company, any liquidator of the company and any receiver or manager, is liable to a fine.
In the case of a winding up by the court, or of a creditors' voluntary winding up, the following has effect as regards exemption from duties chargeable under the enactments relating to stamp duties.
If the company is registered in England and Wales, the following documents are exempt from stamp duty— " Assurance " here includes deed, conveyance, assignment and surrender.
every assurance relating solely to freehold or leasehold property, or to any estate, right or interest in, any real or personal property, which forms part of the company's assets and which, after the execution of the assurance, either at law or in equity, is or remains part of those assets, and
every power of attorney, proxy paper, writ, order, certificate, or other instrument or writing relating solely to the property of any company which is being wound up as mentioned in subsection (1), or to any proceeding under such a winding up.
If the company is registered in Scotland, the following documents are exempt from stamp duty— " Conveyance" here includes assignation, instrument, discharge, writing and deed.
every conveyance relating solely to property which forms part of the company's assets and which, after the execution of the conveyance, is or remains the company's property for the benefit of its creditors.
every power of attorney, commission, factory, articles of roup or sale, submission and every other instrument and writing whatsoever relating solely to the company's property, and
every deed or writing forming part of the proceedings in the winding up.
Where a company is being wound up, all books and papers of the company and of the liquidators are, as between the contributories of the company, prima facie evidence of the truth of all matters purporting to be recorded in them.
When a company has been wound up and is about to be dissolved, its books and papers and those of the liquidators may be disposed of as follows—
in the case of a winding up by or subject to the supervision of the court, in such way as the court directs;
in the case of a members' voluntary winding up, in such way as the company by extraordinary resolution directs, and
in the case of a creditors' voluntary winding up, in such way as the committee of inspection or, if there is no such committee, the company's creditors may direct
After 5 years from the company's dissolution no responsibility rests on the company, the liquidators, or any person to whom the custody of the books and papers has been committed, by reason of any book or paper not being forthcoming to a person claiming to be interested in it.
Provision may be made by general rules—
for enabling the Secretary of State to prevent for such period as he thinks proper (but not exceeding 5 years from the company's dissolution), the destruction of the books and papers of a company which has been wound up, and
for enabling any creditor or contributory of the company to make representations to the Secretary of State and to appeal to the court from any direction which may be given by the Secretary of State in the matter.
If a person acts in contravention of general rules made for the purposes of this section, or of any direction of the Secretary of State under them, he is liable to a fine.
If the winding up of a company is not concluded within one year after its commencement, the liquidator shall, at such intervals as may be prescribed, until the winding up is concluded, send to the registrar of companies a statement in the prescribed form and containing the prescribed particulars with respect to the proceedings in, and position of, the liquidation.
If a liquidator fails to comply with this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
This section applies if, where a company is being wound up in England and Wales, it appears (either from any statement sent to the registrar under section 641 or otherwise) that a liquidator has in his hands or under his control any money—
representing unclaimed or undistributed assets of the company which have remained unclaimed or undistributed for 6 months after the date of their receipt, or
held by the company in trust in respect of dividends or other sums due to any person as a member of the company.
The liquidator shall forthwith pay the money in question to the Insolvency Services Account at the Bank of England, and is entitled to the prescribed certificate of receipt for the money so paid, and that certificate is an effectual discharge to him in respect of it
For the purpose of ascertaining and getting in any money payable into the Bank of England in pursuance of this section, the like powers may be exercised, and by the like authority, as are exercisable under section 153 of the Bankruptcy Act 1914 for the purpose of ascertaining and getting in the sums, funds and dividends referred to in that section.
Any person claiming to be entitled to money paid into the Bank of England under this section may apply to the Secretary of State for payment; and the Secretary of State may, on a certificate by the liquidator that the person claiming is entitled, make an order for payment to that person of the sum due.
Any person dissatisfied with a decision of the Secretary of State in respect of a claim made under this section may appeal to the High Court.
The following applies where a company registered in Scotland has been wound up, and is about to be dissolved.
The liquidator shall lodge in a joint stock bank of issue in Scotland (not being a bank in or of which the liquidator is acting partner, manager, agent or cashier) in the name of the Accountant of Court the whole unclaimed dividends and unapplied or undistributable balances, and the deposit receipts shall be transmitted to the Accountant of Court.
The provisions of section 153 of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1913 (so far as consistent with this Act) apply with any necessary modifications to sums lodged in a bank under this section as they apply to sums deposited under that section.
Where a resolution is passed at an adjourned meeting of a company's creditors or contributories, the resolution is treated for all purposes as having been passed on the date on which it was in fact passed, and not as having been passed on any earlier date.
The court may—
as to all matters relating to the winding up of a company, have regard to the wishes of the creditors or contributories (as proved to it by any sufficient evidence), and
if it thinks fit, for the purpose of ascertaining those wishes, direct meetings of the creditors or contributories to be called, held and conducted in such manner as the court directs, and appoint a person to act as chairman of any such meeting and report the result of it to the court.
In the case of creditors, regard shall be had to the value of each creditor's debt
In the case of contributories, regard shall be had to the number of votes conferred on each contributory by this Act of each creditor's debt.
In all proceedings under this Part, all courts, judges and persons judicially acting, and all officers, judicial or ministerial, of any court, or employed in enforcing the process of any court shall take judicial notice—
of the signature of any officer of the High Court or of a county court in England and Wales, or of the Court of Session or a sheriff court in Scotland, or of the High Court in Northern Ireland, and also
of the official seal or stamp of the several offices of the High Court in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, or of the Court of Session, appended to or impressed on any document made, issued or signed under the provisions of this Act, or any official copy of such a document.
When a company is wound up in England and Wales or in Scotland, the court may refer the whole or any part of the examination of witnesses— (" specified " meaning specified in the order of the winding-up court).
to a specified county court in England and Wales, or
to the sheriff principal for a specified sheriffdom in Scotland, or
to the High Court in Northern Ireland or a specified Northern Ireland County Court,
Any person exercising jurisdiction as a judge of the court to which the reference is made (or, in Scotland, the sheriff principal to whom it is made) shall then, by virtue of this section, be a commissioner for the purpose of taking the evidence of those witnesses.
The judge or sheriff principal has in the matter referred the same power of summoning and examining witnesses, of requiring the production and delivery of documents, of punishing defaults by witnesses, and of allowing costs and expenses to witnesses, as the court which made the winding-up order. These powers are in addition to any which the judge or sheriff principal might lawfully exercise apart from this section.
The examination so taken shall be returned or reported to the court which made the order in such manner as that court requests.
This section extends to Northern Ireland.
The court may direct the examination in Scotland of any person for the time being in Scotland (whether a contributory of the company or not), in regard to the trade, dealings, affairs or property of any company in course of being wound up, or of any person being a contributory of the company, so far as the company may be interested by reason of his being a contributory.
The order or commission to take the examination shall be directed to the sheriff principal of the sheriffdom in which the person to be examined is residing or happens to be for the time; and the sheriff principal shall summon the person to appear before him at a time and place to be specified in the summons for examination on oath as a witness or as a haver, and to produce any books or papers called for which are in his possession or power.
The sheriff principal may take the examination either orally or on written interrogatories, and shall report the same in writing in the usual form to the court, and shall transmit with the report the books and papers produced, if the originals are required and specified by the order or commission, or otherwise copies or extracts authenticated by the sheriff.
If a person so summoned fails to appear at the time and place specified, or refuses to be examined or to make the production required, the sheriff principal shall proceed against him as a witness or haver duly cited ; and failing to appear or refusing to give evidence or make production may be proceeded against by the law of Scotland.
The sheriff principal is entitled to such fees, and the witness is entitled to such allowances, as sheriffs principal when acting as commissioners under appointment from the Court of Session and as witnesses and havers are entitled to in the like cases according to the law and practice of Scotland.
If any objection is stated to the sheriff principal by the witness, either on the ground of his incompetency as a witness, or as to the production required, or on any other ground, the sheriff principal may, if he thinks fit, report the objection to the court, and suspend the examination of the witness until it has been disposed of by the court
Where a petition or application for leave to proceed with an action or proceeding against a company which is being wound up in Scotland is unopposed and is granted by the court, the costs of the petition or application shall, unless the court otherwise directs, be added to the amount of the petitioner's or applicant's claim against the company.
An affidavit required to be sworn under or for the purposes of this Part may be sworn in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Her Majesty's dominions, before any court, judge or person lawfully authorised to take and receive affidavits, or before any of Her Majesty's consuls or vice-consuls in any place outside Her dominions.
All courts, judges, justices, commissioners and persons acting judicially shall take judicial notice of the seal or stamp or signature (as the case may be) of any such court, judge, person, consul or vice-consul attached, appended or subscribed to any such affidavit, or to any other document to be used for the purposes of this Part.
Where a company has been dissolved, the court may . . . , on an application made for the purpose by the liquidator of the company or by any other person appearing to the court to be interested, make an order, on such terms as the court thinks fit, declaring the dissolution to have been void.
Thereupon such proceedings may be taken as might have been taken if the company had not been dissolved.
It is the duty of the person on whose application the order was made, within 7 days after its making (or such further time as the court may allow), to deliver to the registrar of companies for registration an office copy of the order. If the person fails to do so, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Subject to the following provisions, an application under this section may not be made after the end of the period of two years from the date of the dissolution of the company.
An application for the purpose of bringing proceedings against the company— may be made at any time; but no order shall be made on such an application if it appears to the court that the proceedings would fail by virtue of any enactment as to the time within which proceedings must be brought.
for damages in respect of personal injuries (including any sum claimed by virtue of section 1(2)(c) of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 (funeral expenses)), or
for damages under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 or the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976,
Nothing in subsection (5) affects the power of the court on making an order under this section to direct that the period between the dissolution of the company and the making of the order shall not count for the purposes of any such enactment.
In subsection (5)(a) “personal injuries” includes any disease and any impairment of a person’s physical or mental condition.
If the registrar of companies has reasonable cause to believe that a company is not carrying on business or in operation, he may send to the company by post a letter inquiring whether the company is carrying on business or in operation.
If the registrar does not within one month of sending the letter receive any answer to it, he shall within 14 days after the expiration of that month send to the company by post a registered letter referring to the first letter, and stating that no answer to it has been received, and that if an answer is not received to the second letter within one month from its date, a notice will be published in the Gazette with a view to striking the company’s name off the register.
If the registrar either receives an answer to the effect that the company is not carrying on business or in operation, or does not within one month after sending the second letter receive any answer, he may publish in the Gazette, and send to the company by post, a notice that at the expiration of 3 months from the date of that notice the name of the company mentioned in it will, unless cause is shown to the contrary, be struck off the register and the company will be dissolved.
If, in a case where a company is being wound up, the registrar has reasonable cause to believe either that no liquidator is acting, or that the affairs of the company are fully wound up, and the returns required to be made by the liquidator have not been made for a period of 6 consecutive months, the registrar shall publish in the Gazette and send to the company or the liquidator (if any) a like notice as is provided in subsection (3).
At the expiration of the time mentioned in the notice the registrar may, unless cause to the contrary is previously shown by the company, strike its name off the register, and shall publish notice of this in the Gazette; and on the publication of that notice in the Gazette the company is dissolved.
However—
the liability (if any) of every director, managing officer and member of the company continues and may be enforced as if the company had not been dissolved, and
nothing in subsection (5) affects the power of the court to wind up a company the name of which has been struck off the register.
A notice to be sent to a liquidator under this section may be addressed to him at his last known place of business; and a letter or notice to be sent under this section to a company may be addressed to the company at its registered office or, if no office has been registered, to the care of some officer of the company. If there is no officer of the company whose name and address are known to the registrar of companies, the letter or notice may be sent to each of the persons who subscribed the memorandum, addressed to him at the address mentioned in the memorandum.
Subsection (2) applies if a company or any member or creditor of it feels aggrieved by the company having been struck off the register under section 652.
The court, on an application by the company or the member or creditor made before the expiration of 20 years from publication in the Gazette of notice under section 652, may, if satisfied that the company was at the time of the striking off carrying on business or in operation, or otherwise that it is just that the company be restored to the register, order the company’s name to be restored.
On an office copy of an order under subsection (2), (2B) or (2D) being delivered to the registrar of companies for registration the company to which the order relates is deemed to have continued in existence as if its name had not been struck off; and the court may by the order give such directions and make such provisions as seem just for placing the company and all other persons in the same position (as nearly as may be) as if the company’s name had not been struck off.
Subsections (2B) and (2D) apply if a company has been struck off the register under section 652A.
The court, on an application by a notifiable person made before the expiration of 20 years from publication in the Gazette of notice under section 652A(4), may, if satisfied— order the company’s name to be restored to the register.
that any duty under section 652B or 652C with respect to the giving to that person of a copy of the company’s application under section 652A was not performed,
that the making of the company’s application under section 652A involved a breach of duty under section 652B(1) or (3), or
that it is for some other reason just to do so,
In subsection (2B), “notifiable person” means a person to whom a copy of the company’s application under section 652A was required to be given under section 652B or 652C.
The court, on an application by the Secretary of State made before the expiration of 20 years from publication in the Gazette of notice under section 652A(4), may, if satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, order the company’s name to be restored.
On application by a private company, the registrar of companies may strike the company’s name off the register.
An application by a company under this section shall—
be made on its behalf by its directors or by a majority of them,
be in the prescribed form, and
contain the prescribed information.
The registrar shall not strike a company off under this section until after the expiration of 3 months from the publication by him in the Gazette of a notice—
stating that he may exercise his power under this section in relation to the company, and
inviting any person to show cause why he should not do so.
Where the registrar strikes a company off under this section, he shall publish notice of that fact in the Gazette.
On the publication in the Gazette of a notice under subsection (4), the company to which the notice relates is dissolved.
However, the liability (if any) of every director, managing officer and member of the company continues and may be enforced as if the company had not been dissolved.
Nothing in this section affects the power of the court to wind up a company the name of which has been struck off the register.
When a company is dissolved, all property and rights whatsoever vested in or held on trust for the company immediately before its dissolution (including leasehold property, but not including property held by the company on trust for any other person) are deemed to be bona vacantia and—
accordingly belong to the Crown, or to the Duchy of Lancaster or to the Duke of Cornwall for the time being (as the case may be), and
vest and may be dealt with in the same manner as other bona vacantia accruing to the Crown, to the Duchy of Lancaster or to the Duke of Cornwall.
Except as provided by the section next following, the above has effect subject and without prejudice to any order made by the court under section 651 or 653.
A person shall not make an application under section 652A on behalf of a company if, at any time in the previous 3 months, the company has—
changed its name,
traded or otherwise carried on business,
made a disposal for value of property or rights which, immediately before ceasing to trade or otherwise carry on business, it held for the purpose of disposal for gain in the normal course of trading or otherwise carrying on business, or
engaged in any other activity, except one which is—
necessary or expedient for the purpose of making an application under section 652A, or deciding whether to do so,
necessary or expedient for the purpose of concluding the affairs of the company,
necessary or expedient for the purpose of complying with any statutory requirement, or
specified by the Secretary of State by order for the purposes of this sub-paragraph.
For the purposes of subsection (1), a company shall not be treated as trading or otherwise carrying on business by virtue only of the fact that it makes a payment in respect of a liability incurred in the course of trading or otherwise carrying on business.
A person shall not make an application under section 652A on behalf of a company at a time when any of the following is the case—
an application has been made to the court under section 425 on behalf of the company for the sanctioning of a compromise or arrangement and the matter has not been finally concluded;
a voluntary arrangement in relation to the company has been proposed under Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986 and the matter has not been finally concluded;
the company is in administration under Part II of that Act;
an application to the court for an administration order in respect of the company has been made and not finally dealt with or withdrawn;
a copy of notice of intention to appoint an administrator of the company under paragraph 14 of Schedule B1 to that Act has been filed with the court and neither of the events mentioned in paragraph 44(2)(a) and (b) of that Schedule has occurred;
a copy of notice of intention to appoint an administrator of the company under paragraph 22 of that Schedule has been filed with the court and neither of the events mentioned in paragraph 44(4)(a) and (b) of that Schedule has occurred;
the company is being wound up under Part IV of that Act, whether voluntarily or by the court, or a petition under that Part for the winding up of the company by the court has been presented and not finally dealt with or withdrawn;
there is a receiver or manager of the company’s property;
the company’s estate is being administered by a judicial factor.
For the purposes of subsection (3)(a), the matter is finally concluded if—
the application has been withdrawn,
the application has been finally dealt with without a compromise or arrangement being sanctioned by the court, or
a compromise or arrangement has been sanctioned by the court and has, together with anything required to be done under any provision made in relation to the matter by order of the court, been fully carried out.
For the purposes of subsection (3)(b), the matter is finally concluded if—
no meetings are to be summoned under section 3 of the Insolvency Act 1986,
meetings summoned under that section fail to approve the arrangement with no, or the same, modifications,
an arrangement approved by meetings summoned under that section, or in consequence of a direction under section 6(4)(b) of that Act, has been fully implemented, or
the court makes an order under subsection (5) of section 6 of that Act revoking approval given at previous meetings and, if the court gives any directions under subsection (6) of that section, the company has done whatever it is required to do under those directions.
A person who makes an application under section 652A on behalf of a company shall secure that a copy of the application is given, within 7 days from the day on which the application is made, to every person who, at any time on that day, is—
a member of the company,
an employee of the company,
a creditor of the company,
a director of the company,
a manager or trustee of any pension fund established for the benefit of employees of the company, or
a person of a description specified for the purposes of this paragraph by regulations made by the Secretary of State.
Subsection (6) shall not require a copy of the application to be given to a director who is a party to the application.
The duty imposed by subsection (6) shall cease to apply if the application is withdrawn before the end of the period for giving the copy application.
The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (1) for the purpose of altering the period in relation to which the doing of the things mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of that subsection is relevant.
The person in whom any property or right is vested by section 654 may dispose of, or of an interest in, that property or right notwithstanding that an order may be made under section 651 or 653.
Where such an order is made— or, if no consideration was received, an amount equal to the value of the property, right or interest disposed of, as at the date of the disposition.
it does not affect the disposition (but without prejudice to the order so far as it relates to any other property or right previously vested in or held on trust for the company), and
the Crown or, as the case may be, the Duke of Cornwall shall pay to the company an amount equal to—
the amount of any consideration received for the property or right, or interest therein, or
the value of any such consideration at the time of the disposition,
Where a liability accrues under subsection (2) in respect of any property or right which, before the order under section 651 or 653 was made, had accrued as bona vacantia to the Duchy of Lancaster, the Attorney General of the Duchy shall represent Her Majesty in any proceedings arising in connection with that liability.
Where a liability accrues under subsection (2) in respect of any property or right which, before the order under section 651 or 653 was made, had accrued as bona vacantia to the Duchy of Cornwall, such persons as the Duke of Cornwall (or other possessor for the time being of the Duchy) may appoint shall represent the Duke (or other possessor) in any proceedings arising out of that liability.
This section applies in relation to the disposition of any property, right or interest on or after 22nd December 1981, whether the company concerned was dissolved before, on or after that day.
Subsection (2) applies in relation to any time after the day on which a company makes an application under section 652A and before the day on which the application is finally dealt with or withdrawn.
A person who is a director of the company at the end of a day on which a person other than himself becomes—
a member of the company,
an employee of the company,
a creditor of the company,
a director of the company,
a manager or trustee of any pension fund established for the benefit of employees of the company, or
a person of a description specified for the purposes of this paragraph by regulations made by the Secretary of State, shall secure that a copy of the application is given to that person within 7 days from that day.
The duty imposed by subsection (2) shall cease to apply if the application is finally dealt with or withdrawn before the end of the period for giving the copy application.
Subsection (5) applies where, at any time on or after the day on which a company makes an application under section 652A and before the day on which the application is finally dealt with or withdrawn—
the company—
changes its name,
trades or otherwise carries on business,
makes a disposal for value of any property or rights other than those which it was necessary or expedient for it to hold for the purpose of making, or proceeding with, an application under section 652A, or
engages in any other activity, except one to which subsection (6) applies;
an application is made to the court under section 425 on behalf of the company for the sanctioning of a compromise or arrangement;
a voluntary arrangement in relation to the company is proposed under Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986;
an application to the court for an administration order in respect of the company is made under paragraph 12 of Schedule B1 to that Act;
an administrator is appointed in respect of the company under paragraph 14 or 22 of that Schedule;
a copy of notice of intention to appoint an administrator of the company under paragraph 14 or 22 of that Schedule is filed with the court;
there arise any of the circumstances in which, under section 84(1) of that Act, the company may be voluntarily wound up;
a petition is presented for the winding up of the company by the court under Part IV of that Act;
a receiver or manager of the company’s property is appointed; or
a judicial factor is appointed to administer the company’s estate.
A person who, at the end of a day on which an event mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (h) of subsection (4) occurs, is a director of the company shall secure that the company’s application is withdrawn forthwith.
This subsection applies to any activity which is—
necessary or expedient for the purpose of making, or proceeding with, an application under section 652A,
necessary or expedient for the purpose of concluding affairs of the company which are outstanding because of what has been necessary or expedient for the purpose of making, or proceeding with, such an application,
necessary or expedient for the purpose of complying with any statutory requirement, or
specified by the Secretary of State by order for the purposes of this subsection.
For the purposes of subsection (4)(a), a company shall not be treated as trading or otherwise carrying on business by virtue only of the fact that it makes a payment in respect of a liability incurred in the course of trading or otherwise carrying on business.
Where property vests in the Crown under section 654, the Crown’s title to it under that section may be disclaimed by a notice signed by the Crown representative, that is to say the Treasury Solicitor, or, in relation to property in Scotland, the Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer
The right to execute a notice of disclaimer under this section may be waived by or on behalf of the Crown either expressly or by taking possession or other act evincing that intention.
A notice of disclaimer under this section is of no effect unless it is executed—
within 12 months of the date on which the vesting of the property under section 654 came to the notice of the Crown representative, or
if an application in writing is made to the Crown representative by any person interested in the property requiring him to decide whether he will or will not disclaim, within a period of 3 months after the receipt of the application or such further period as may be allowed by the court which would have had jurisdiction to wind up the company if it had not been dissolved.
A statement in a notice of disclaimer of any property under this section that the vesting of it came to the notice of the Crown representative on a specified date, or that no such application as above mentioned was received by him with respect to the property before a specified date, is sufficient evidence of the fact stated, until the contrary is proved.
A notice of disclaimer under this section shall be delivered to the registrar of companies and retained and registered by him; and copies of it shall be published in the Gazette and sent to any persons who have given the Crown representative notice that they claim to be interested in the property.
This section applies to property vested in the Duchy of Lancaster or the Duke of Cornwall under section 654 as if for references to the Crown and the Crown representative there were respectively substituted references to the Duchy of Lancaster and to the Solicitor to that Duchy, or to the Duke of Cornwall and to the Solicitor to the Duchy of Cornwall, as the case may be.
For the purposes of sections 652B(6) and 652C(2), a document shall be treated as given to a person if it is delivered to him or left at his proper address or sent by post to him at that address.
For the purposes of subsection (1) and section 7 of the Interpretation Act 1978 (which relates to the service of documents by post) in its application to that subsection, the proper address of any person shall be his last known address, except that—
in the case of a body corporate, other than one to which subsection (3) applies, it shall be the address of its registered or principal office,
in the case of a partnership, other than one to which subsection (3) applies, it shall be the address of its principal office, and
in the case of a body corporate or partnership to which subsection (3) applies, it shall be the address of its principal office in the United Kingdom.
This subsection applies to a body corporate or partnership which—
is incorporated or formed under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, and
has a place of business in the United Kingdom.
Where a creditor of the company has more than one place of business, subsection (1) shall have effect, so far as concerns the giving of a document to him, as if for the words from “delivered” to the end there were substituted “left, or sent by post to him, at each place of business of his with which the company has had dealings in relation to a matter by virtue of which he is a creditor of the company.”
Any power to make an order or regulations under section 652B or 652C shall—
include power to make different provision for different cases or classes of case,
include power to make such transitional provisions as the Secretary of State considers appropriate, and
be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
For the purposes of sections 652B and 652C, an application under section 652A is withdrawn if notice of withdrawal in the prescribed form is given to the registrar of companies.
In sections 652B and 652C, “disposal” includes part disposal.
In sections 652B and 652C and this section, “creditor” includes a contingent or prospective creditor.
Where notice of disclaimer is executed under section 656 as respects any property, that property is deemed not to have vested in the Crown under section 654.
As regards property in England and Wales section 178(4) and sections 179 to 182 of the Insolvency Act shall apply as if the property had been disclaimed by the liquidator under the said section 91 immediately before the dissolution of the company.
section 618(4) (effect of disclaimer by liquidator),
section 619(1) to (7) (court's power to vest property in the person entitled), with Part I of Schedule 20 (protection of third parties where property is leasehold), and
section 620 (liability for rentcharge following disclaimer), apply as if the property had been disclaimed by the liquidator under section 618(1) immediately before the dissolution of the company.
As regards property in Scotland, the following 4 subsections apply.
The Crown’s disclaimer operates to determine, as from the date of the disclaimer, the rights, interests and liabilities of the company, and the property of the company, in or in respect of the property disclaimed; but it does not (except so far as is necessary for the purpose of releasing the company and its property from liability) affect the rights or liabilities of any other person.
The court may, on application by a person who either claims an interest in disclaimed property or is under a liability not discharged by this Act in respect of disclaimed property, and on hearing such persons as it thinks fit, make an order for the vesting of the property in or its delivery to any persons entitled to it, or to whom it may seem just that the property should be delivered by way of compensation for such liability, or a trustee for him, and on such terms as the court thinks just.
On such a vesting order being made, the property comprised in it vests accordingly in the person named in that behalf in the order, without conveyance or assignation for that purpose.
Part II of Schedule 20 has effect for the protection of third parties where the property disclaimed is held under a lease.
A person who breaches or fails to perform a duty imposed on him by section 652B or 652C is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
A person who fails to perform a duty imposed on him by section 652B(6) or 652C(2) with the intention of concealing the making of the application in question from the person concerned is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) consisting of breach of a duty imposed by section 652B(1) or (3), it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that he did not know, and could not reasonably have known, of the existence of the facts which led to the breach.
In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) consisting of failure to perform the duty imposed by section 652B(6), it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that he took all reasonable steps to perform the duty.
In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) consisting of failure to perform a duty imposed by section 652C(2) or (5), it shall be a defence for the accused to prove—
that at the time of the failure he was not aware of the fact that the company had made an application under section 652A, or
that he took all reasonable steps to perform the duty.
Section 180 of the Insolvency Act shall apply to land in England and Wales which by operation of law vests subject to a rentcharge in the Crown or any other person on the dissolution of a company as it applies to land so vesting on a disclaimer under that section.
In this section “company” includes any body corporate.
Where a company makes an application under section 652A, any person who, in connection with the application, knowingly or recklessly furnishes any information to the registrar of companies which is false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
Any person who knowingly or recklessly makes an application to the registrar of companies which purports to be an application under section 652A, but which is not, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
On the winding up of a company (whether by the court or voluntarily), the liquidator may, subject to the following provisions of this section, make any payment which the company has, before the commencement of the winding up, decided to make under section 719 (power to provide for employees or former employees on cessation or transfer of business).
The power which a company may exercise by virtue only of that section may be exercised by the liquidator after the winding up has commenced if, after the company's liabilities have been fully satisfied and provision has been made for the costs of the winding up, the exercise of that power has been sanctioned by such a resolution of the company as would be required of the company itself by section 719(3) before that commencement, if paragraph (b) of that subsection were omitted and any other requirement applicable to its exercise by the company had been met.
Any payment which may be made by a company under this section (that is, a payment after the commencement of its winding up) may be made out of the company's assets which are available to the members on the winding up.
On a winding up by the court, the exercise by the liquidator of his powers under this section is subject to the court's control, and any creditor or contributory may apply to the court with respect to any exercise or proposed exercise of the power.
Subsections (1) and (2) above have effect notwithstanding anything in any rule of law or in section 597 of this Act (property of company after satisfaction of liabilities to be distributed among members).
An account shall be kept by the Secretary of State of the receipts and payments in the winding up of each company in England and Wales.
When the cash balance standing to the credit of the account of any company is in excess of the amount which, in the opinion of the committee of inspection, is required for the time being to answer demands in respect of the company's estate, the Secretary of State shall on the request of the committee invest the amount not so required in Government securities, to be placed to the credit of that account for the company's benefit
When any part of the money so invested is, in the opinion of the committee of inspection, required to answer any demands in respect of the company's estate, the Secretary of State shall, on the committee's request, raise such sum as may be required by the sale of such part of those securities as may be necessary.
The dividends on investments under this section shall be paid to the credit of the company.
When the balance at the credit of a company's account in the hands of the Secretary of State exceeds £2,000, and the liquidator gives notice to him that the excess is not required for the purposes of the liquidation, the company is entitled to interest on the excess at such rate as may for the time being be prescribed by order of the Treasury.
The Treasury's power to make orders under this section is exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament
The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, appoint such additional officers as may be required by him for the execution of this Part as respects England and Wales, and may remove any person so appointed.
The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Treasury, shall direct whether any and what remuneration is to be allowed to any officer of, or person attached to, his department performing any duties under this Part in relation to the winding up of companies in England and Wales, and may vary, increase or diminish that remuneration as he (the Secretary of State) thinks fit.
The officers of the courts acting in the winding up of companies in England and Wales shall make to the Secretary of State such returns of the business of their respective courts and offices at such times, and in such manner and form, as may be prescribed; and from these returns the Secretary of State shall cause books to be prepared which shall (under regulations made by him) be open for public information and searches.
The Lord Chancellor may, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, make general rules for carrying into effect the objects of this Act so far as relates to the winding up of companies in England and Wales.
The Court of Session may by Act of Sederunt make general rules for carrying into effect the objects of this Act so far as relates to the winding up of companies in Scotland.
An answer given by a person to a question put to him in exercise of powers conferred by general rules may be used in evidence against him.
There shall be paid in respect of proceedings under this Act in relation to the winding up of companies in England and Wales such fees as the Lord Chancellor may, with the sanction of the Treasury, direct; and the Treasury may direct by whom and in what manner the fees are to be collected and accounted for.
The powers conferred by this section on the Lord Chancellor, the Court of Session and the Treasury are exercisable by statutory instrument; and a statutory instrument containing general rules shall be laid before Parliament after being made.
Fees in respect of proceedings under this Act in relation to the winding up of companies shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument increase or reduce any of the money sums for the time being specified in the following provisions of this Part— section 512(2), section 515(3), section 518(1)(a), section 542(4), section 622(3), section 624(1)(a) and (b), and paragraph 12 of Schedule 19.
Regulations shall not be made under this section unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing them has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.
a railway company incorporated by Act of Parliament.
a company registered in any part of the United Kingdom under the Joint Stock Companies Acts or under the legislation (past or present) relating to companies in Great Britain.
a partnership, association or company which consists of less than 8 members and is not a foreign partnership, association or company,
a limited partnership registered in England and Wales or Northern Ireland.
Subject to the provisions of this Part, any unregistered company may be wound up under this Act; and all the provisions of this Act about winding up apply to an unregistered company, with the exceptions and additions mentioned in the following subsections.
If an unregistered company has a principal place of business situated in Northern Ireland, it shall not be wound up under this Part unless it has a principal place of business situated in England and Wales or Scotland, or in both England and Wales and Scotland.
For the purpose of determining a court's winding-up jurisdiction, an unregistered company is deemed— and the principal place of business situated in that part of Great Britain in which proceedings are being instituted is, for all purposes of the winding up, deemed to be the registered office of the company.
to be registered in England and Wales or Scotland, according as its principal place of business is situated in England and Wales or Scotland, or
if it has a principal place of business situated in both countries, to be registered in both countries:
No unregistered company shall be wound up under this Act voluntarily or subject to supervision.
The circumstances in which an unregistered company may be wound up are as follows—
if the company is dissolved, or has ceased to carry on business, or is carrying on business only for the purpose of winding up its affairs;
if the company is unable to pay its debts;
if the court is of opinion that it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up.
A petition for winding up a trustee savings bank may be presented by the Trustee Savings Banks Central Board or by a commissioner appointed under section 35 of the Trustee Savings Banks Act 1981 as well as by any person authorised under Part XX to present a petition for winding up a company.
In the case of a limited partnership, the provisions of this Act about winding up apply with such modifications (if any) as may be provided by rules made by statutory instrument by the Lord Chancellor with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, and with the substitution of general partners for directors.
In Scotland, an unregistered company which the Court of Session has jurisdiction to wind up may be wound up by the court if there is subsisting a floating charge over property comprised in the company's property and undertaking, and the court is satisfied that the security of the creditor entitled to the benefit of the floating charge is in jeopardy. For this purpose a creditor's security is deemed to be in jeopardy if the court is satisfied that events have occurred or are about to occur which render it unreasonable in the creditor's interests that the company should retain power to dispose of the property which is subject to the floating charge.
An unregistered company is deemed (for purposes of section 666) unable to pay its debts if there is a creditor, by assignment or otherwise, to whom the company is indebted in a sum exceeding £750 then due and—
the creditor has served on the company, by leaving at its principal place of business, or by delivering to the secretary or some director, manager or principal officer of the company, or by otherwise serving in such manner as the court may approve or direct, a written demand requiring the company to pay the sum due, and
the company has for 3 weeks after the service of the demand neglected to pay the sum or to secure or compound for it to the creditor's satisfaction.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument increase or reduce the money sum for the time being specified in subsection (1); but—
such regulations shall not be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing them has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament, and
no increase in the sum so specified affects any case in which the winding-up petition was presented before the coming into force of the increase.
An unregistered company is deemed (for purposes of section 666) unable to pay its debts if an action or other proceeding has been instituted against any member for any debt or demand due, or claimed to be due, from the company, or from him in his character of member, and—
notice in writing of the institution of the action or proceeding has been served on the company by leaving it at the company's principal place of business (or by delivering it to the secretary, or some director, manager or principal officer of the company, or by otherwise serving it in such manner as the court may approve or direct), and
the company has not within 10 days after service of the notice paid, secured or compounded for the debt or demand, or procured the action or proceeding to be stayed or sisted, or indemnified the defendant or defender to his reasonable satisfaction against the action or proceeding, and against all costs, damages and expenses to be incurred by him because of it.
An unregistered company is deemed (for purposes of section 666) unable to pay its debts—
if in England and Wales execution or other process issued on a judgment, decree or order obtained in any court in favour of a creditor against the company, or any member of it as such, or any person authorised to be sued as nominal defendant on behalf of the company, is returned unsatisfied;
if in Scotland the induciae of a charge for payment on an extract decree, or an extract registered bond, or an extract registered protest, have expired without payment being made;
if in Northern Ireland a certificate of unenforceability has been granted in respect of any judgment, decree or order obtained as mentioned in paragraph (a) ;
if it is otherwise proved to the satisfaction of the court that the company is unable to pay its debts.
Where a company incorporated outside Great Britain which has been carrying on business in Great Britain ceases to carry on business in Great Britain, it may be wound up as an unregistered company under this Act, notwithstanding that it has been dissolved or otherwise ceased to exist as a company under or by virtue of the laws of the country under which it was incorporated.
In the event of an unregistered company being wound up, every person is deemed a contributory who is liable to pay or contribute to the payment of any debt or liability of the company, or to pay or contribute to the payment of any sum for the adjustment of the rights of members among themselves, or to pay or contribute to the payment of the costs and expenses of winding up the company.
Every contributory is liable to contribute to the company's assets all sums due from him in respect of any such liability as is mentioned above.
In the case of an unregistered company engaged in or formed for working mines within the stannaries, a past member is not liable to contribute to the assets if he has ceased to be a member for 2 years or more either before the mine ceased to be worked or before the date of the winding up order.
In the event of the death, bankruptcy or insolvency of any contributory, the provisions of this Act with respect to the personal representatives, to the heirs and legatees of heritage of the heritable estate in Scotland of deceased contributories, and to the trustees of bankrupt or insolvent contributories, respectively apply.
The provisions of this Part with respect to staying, sisting or restraining actions and proceedings against a company at any time after the presentation of a petition for winding up and before the making of a winding up order extend, in the case of an unregistered company, where the application to stay, sist or restrain is presented by a creditor, to actions and proceedings against any contributory of the company.
Where an order has been made for winding up an unregistered company, no action or proceeding shall be proceeded with or commenced against any contributory of the company in respect of any debt of the company, except by leave of the court, and subject to such terms as the court may impose.
The provisions of this Part with respect to unregistered companies are in addition to and not in restriction of any provisions in Part XX with respect to winding up companies by the court; and the court or liquidator may exercise any powers or do any act in the case of unregistered companies which might be exercised or done by it or him in winding up companies formed and registered under this Act.
However, an unregistered company is not, except in the event of its being wound up, deemed to be a company under this Act, and then only to the extent provided by this Part.
In its application to existing companies, this Act applies in the same manner—
in the case of a limited company (other than a company limited by guarantee), as if the company had been formed and registered under Part I of this Act as a company limited by shares,
in the case of a company limited by guarantee, as if the company had been formed and registered under that Part as a company limited by guarantee, and
in the case of a company other than a limited company, as if the company had been formed and registered under that Part as an unlimited company.
But reference, express or implied, to the date of registration is to be read as the date at which the company was registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, the Companies Act 1862, the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908 the Companies Act 1929, or the Companies Act 1948.
This Act applies to every company registered but not formed under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, the Companies Act 1862, the Companies (Consolidated) Act 1908, the Companies Act 1929, or the Companies Act 1948, in the same manner as it is in Chapter II of this Part declared to apply to companies registered but not formed under this Act.
But reference, express or implied, to the date of registration is to be read as referring to the date at which the company was registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, the Companies Act 1862, the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908, the Companies Act 1929, or the Companies Act 1948.
This Act applies to every unlimited company registered or re-registered as limited in pursuance of the Companies Act 1879, section 57 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908, section 16 of the Companies Act 1929, section 16 of the Companies Act 1948 or section 44 of the Companies Act 1967 as it (this Act) applies to an unlimited company re-registered as limited in pursuance of Part II of this Act.
But reference, express or implied, to the date of registration or re-registration is to be read as referring to the date at which the company was registered or re-registered as a limited company under the relevant enactment.
A company registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts may cause its shares to be transferred in manner hitherto in use, or in such other manner as the company may direct.
The power of altering articles under section 9 of this Act extends, in the case of an unlimited company formed and registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, to altering any regulations relating to the amount of capital or to its distribution into shares, notwithstanding that those regulations are contained in the memorandum.
Nothing in sections 675 to 678 applies to companies registered in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
With the exceptions and subject to the provisions contained in this section and the next— may at any time, on making application in the prescribed form, register under this Act as an unlimited company, or as a company limited by shares, or as a company limited by guarantee; and the registration is not invalid by reason that it has taken place with a view to the company’s being wound up.
any company consisting of two or more members, which was in existence on 2nd November 1862, including any company registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, and
any company formed after that date (whether before or after the commencement of this Act), in pursuance of any Act of Parliament (other than this Act), or of letters patent, or being otherwise duly constituted according to law, and consisting of two or more members,
A company registered in any part of the United Kingdom under the Companies Act 1862 the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908the Companies Act 1929 or the Companies Act 1948 shall not register under this section.
A company shall not be prevented from registering under this Act as a private company limited by shares or by guarantee solely because it has only one member.
A company having the liability of its members limited by Act of Parliament or letters patent, and not being a joint stock company, shall not register under this section.
A company having the liability of its members limited by Act of Parliament or letters patent shall not register in pursuance of this section as an unlimited company or as a company limited by guarantee.
A company that is not a joint stock company shall not register under this section as a company limited by shares.
A company shall not register under section 680 without the assent of a majority of such of its members as are present in person or by proxy (in cases where proxies are allowed) at a general meeting summoned for the purpose.
Where a company not having the liability of its members limited by Act of Parliament or letters patent is about to register as a limited company, the majority required to assent as required by subsection (1) shall consist of not less than three-fourths of the members present in person or by proxy at the meeting.
In computing any majority under this section when a poll is demanded, regard is to be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled according to the company’s regulations.
Where a company is about to register (under section 680) as a company limited by guarantee, the assent to its being so registered shall be accompanied by a resolution declaring that each member undertakes to contribute to the company’s assets, in the event of its being wound up while he is a member, or within one year after he ceases to be a member, for payment of the company’s debts and liabilities contracted before he ceased to be a member, and of the costs and expenses of winding up and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves, such amount as may be required, not exceeding a specified amount.
Before a company is registered under section 680, it shall deliver to the registrar of companies—
a statement that the registered office of the company is to be situated in England and Wales, or in Wales, or in Scotland (as the case may be).
a statement specifying the intended situation of the company’s registered office after registration, and
in an appropriate case, if the company wishes to be registered with the Welsh equivalent of “public limited company” or, as the case may be, “limited” as the last words or word of its name, a statement to that effect.
Any statement delivered to the registrar under subsection (5) shall be made in the prescribed form.
Where the name of a company seeking registration under section 680 is a name by which it is precluded from registration by section 26 of this Act, either because it falls within subsection (1) of that section or, if it falls within subsection (2), because the Secretary of State would not approve the company’s being registered with that name, the company may change its name with effect from the date on which it is registered under this Chapter.
A change of name under this section requires the like assent of the company’s members as is required by section 681 for registration.
For purposes of this Chapter, as far as relates to registration of companies as companies limited by shares, “joint stock company” means a company—
having a permanent paid-up or nominal share capital of fixed amount divided into shares, also of fixed amount, or held and transferable as stock, or divided and held partly in one way and partly in the other, and
formed on the principle of having for its members the holders of those shares or that stock, and no other persons.
Such a company when registered with limited liability under this Act is deemed a company limited by shares.
Before the registration under section 680 of a joint stock company, there shall be delivered to the registrar of companies the following documents—
a statement in the prescribed form specifying the name with which the company is proposed to be registered,
a list in the prescribed form showing the names and addresses of all persons who on a day named in the list (not more than 28 clear days before the day of registration) were members of the company, with the addition of the shares or stock held by them respectively (distinguishing, in cases where the shares are numbered, each share by its number), and
a copy of any Act of Parliament, royal charter, letters patent, deed or settlement, contract of copartnery or other instrument constituting or regulating the company.
If the company is intended to be registered as a limited company, there shall also be delivered to the registrar of companies a statement in the prescribed form specifying the following particulars—
the nominal share capital of the company and the number of shares into which it is divided, or the amount of stock of which it consists, and
the number of shares taken and the amount paid on each share.
A joint stock company applying to be registered under section 680 as a company limited by shares may, subject to— apply to be so registered as a public company.
satisfying the conditions set out in section 44(2)(a) and (b) (where applicable) and section 45(2) to (4) as applied by this section, and
complying with subsection (4) below,
Sections 44 and 45 apply for this purpose as in the case of a private company applying to be re-registered under section 43, but as if a reference to the special resolution required by section 43 were to the joint stock company’s resolution that it be a public company.
The resolution may change the company’s name by deleting the word “company” or the words “and company”, or its or their equivalent in Welsh (“cwmni”, “a’r cwmni”), including any abbreviation of them.
The joint stock company’s application shall be made in the form prescribed for the purpose, and shall be delivered to the registrar of companies together with the following documents (as well as those required by section 684), namely—
a copy of the resolution that the company be a public company,
a copy of a written statement by an accountant with the appropriate qualifications that in his opinion a relevant balance sheet shows that at the balance sheet date the amount of the company’s net assets was not less than the aggregate of its called up share capital and undistributable reserves,
a copy of the relevant balance sheet, together with a copy of an unqualified report (by an accountant with such qualifications) in relation to that balance sheet,
a copy of any valuation report prepared under section 44(2)(b) as applied by this section, and
subject to subsection (4A),a statutory declaration in the prescribed form by a director or secretary of the company—
that the conditions set out in section 44(2)(a) and (b) (where applicable) and section 45(2) to (4) have been satisfied, and
that, between the balance sheet date referred to in paragraph (b) of this subsection and the joint stock company’s application, there has been no change in the company’s financial position that has resulted in the amount of its net assets becoming less than the aggregate of its called up share capital and undistributable reserves.
The registrar may accept a declaration under subsection (4)(e) or statement under subsection (4A) as sufficient evidence that the conditions referred to in that paragraph have been satisfied.
In place of the statutory declaration referred to in paragraph (e) of subsection (4), there may be delivered to the registrar of companies using electronic communications a statement made by a director or secretary of the company as to the matters set out in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of that paragraph.
In this section— and section 46 applies (with necessary modifications) for the interpretation of the reference in subsection (4)(c) above to an unqualified report by the accountant.
This subsection does not apply if the property subject to the charge is at the end of that period no longer situated in Great Britain.
Where the preceding subsections do not apply and property of a registered oversea company is for a continuous period of four months situated in Great Britain and subject to a charge, it is the company’s duty before the end of that period to deliver the prescribed particulars of the charge, in the prescribed form, to the registrar for registration.
Particulars of a charge required to be delivered under subsections (1), (2) or (3) may be delivered for registration by any person interested in the charge.
If a company fails to comply with subsection (1), (2) or (3), then, unless particulars of the charge have been delivered for registration by another person, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine.
Section 398(2), (4) and (5) (recovery of fees paid in connection with registration, filing of particulars in register and sending of copy of particulars filed and note as to date) apply in relation to particulars delivered under this Chapter.
“certified” means certified in the prescribed manner to be a true copy or a correct translation;
Subject to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value made in accordance with paragraph 18 or 19 the amount to be included in respect of any fixed asset shall be its purchase price or production cost.
Particulars shall be given of any charge on the assets of the company to secure the liabilities of any other person, including, where practicable, the amount secured. The following information shall be given with respect to any other contingent liability not provided for— There shall be stated, where practicable— Particulars shall be given of— and where any such commitment relates wholly or partly to pensions payable to past directors of the company separate particulars shall be given of that commitment so far as it relates to such pensions. Particulars shall also be given of any other financial commitments which— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In the application of this Schedule to Scotland, “land of freehold tenure” means land in respect of which the company is the proprietor of the dominium utile or, in the case of land not held on feudal tenure,is the owner; “land of leasehold tenure” means land of which the company is the tenant under a lease ; and the reference to ground-rents, rates and other outgoings includes feu-duty and ground annual.
In the case of any fixed asset which has a limited useful economic life, the amount of— shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over the period of the asset’s useful economic life.
its purchase price or production cost; or
where it is estimated that any such asset will have a residual value at the end of the period of its useful economic life, its purchase price or production cost less that estimated residual value;
Where a fixed asset investment of a description falling to be included under item B.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of this Schedule has diminished in value provisions for diminution in value may be made in respect of it and the amount to be included in respect of it may be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Provisions for diminution in value shall be made in respect of any fixed asset which has diminished in value if the reduction in its value is expected to be permanent (whether its useful economic life is limited or not), and the amount to be included in respect of it shall be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Where the reasons for which any provision was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (2) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary; and any amounts written back in accordance with this sub-paragraph which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts.
Any person who makes a false statement under subsection (4A) which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
Before the registration in pursuance of this Chapter of any company (not being a joint stock company), there shall be delivered to the registrar of companies—
a statement in the prescribed form specifying the name with which the company is proposed to be registered,
a list showing with respect to each director or manager of the company—
in the case of an individual, his name, address, occupation and date of birth,
in the case of a corporation or Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office,
a copy of any Act of Parliament, letters patent, deed of settlement, contract of copartnery or other instrument constituting or regulating the company, and
in the case of a company intended to be registered as a company limited by guarantee, a copy of the resolution declaring the amount of the guarantee.
Subject to subsection (2A), the lists of members and directors and any other particulars relating to the company which are required by this Chapter to be delivered to the registrar shall be verified by a statutory declaration in the prescribed form made by any two or more directors or other principal officers of the company.
For the purposes of subsection (1)(b)(i) a person’s “name” means his Christian name (or other forename) and surname, except that in the case of a peer, or an individual usually known by a title, the title may be stated instead of his Christian name (or other forename) and surname or in addition to either or both of them.
The registrar may require such evidence as he thinks necessary for the purpose of satisfying himself whether a company proposing to be registered is or is not a joint stock company as defined by section 683.
In place of the statutory declaration referred to in subsection (2), there may be delivered to the registrar of companies using electronic communications a statement made by any two or more directors or other principal officers of the company verifying the matters set out in that subsection.
Any person who makes a false statement under subsection (2A) which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
The following applies with respect to the name of a company registering under this Chapter (whether a joint stock company or not).
If the company is to be registered as a public company, its name must end with the words “public limited company” or, if it is stated that the company’s registered office is to be situated in Wales, with those words or their equivalent in Welsh (“cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus”); and those words or that equivalent may not be preceded by the word “limited” or its equivalent in Welsh (“cyfyngedig”).
In the case of a company limited by shares or by guarantee (not being a public company), the name must have “limited” as its last word (or, if the company’s registered office is to be situated in Wales, “cyfyngedig”); but this is subject to section 30 (exempting a company, in certain circumstances, from having “limited” as part of the name).
If the company is registered with limited liability, then any additions to the company’s name set out in the statements delivered under section 684(1)(a) or 686(1)(a) shall form and be registered as the last part of the company’s name.
On compliance with the requirements of this Chapter with respect to registration, the registrar of companies shall give a certificate (which may be signed by him, or authenticated by his official seal) that the company applying for registration is incorporated as a company under this Act and, in the case of a limited company, that it is limited.
On the issue of the certificate, the company shall be so incorporated; and a banking company in Scotland so incorporated is deemed a bank incorporated, constituted or established by or under Act of Parliament.
The certificate is conclusive evidence that the requirements of this Chapter in respect of registration, and of matters precedent and incidental to it, have been complied with.
Where on an application by a joint stock company to register as a public company limited by shares the registrar of companies is satisfied that the company may be registered as a public company so limited, the certificate of incorporation given under this section shall state that the company is a public company; and that statement is conclusive evidence that the requirements of section 685 have been complied with and that the company is a public company so limited.
Schedule 21 to this Act has effect with respect to the consequences of registration under this Chapter, the vesting of property, savings for existing liabilities, continuation of existing actions, status of the company following registration, and other connected matters.
Subject as follows, a company registered in pursuance of this Chapter may by special resolution alter the form of its constitution by substituting a memorandum and articles for a deed of settlement.
The provisions of sections 4 to 6 of this Act with respect to applications to the court for cancellation of alterations of the objects of a company and matters consequential on the passing of resolutions for such alterations (so far as applicable) apply, but with the following modifications—
there is substituted for the printed copy of the altered memorandum required to be delivered to the registrar of companies a printed copy of the substituted memorandum and articles, and
on the delivery to the registrar of the substituted memorandum and articles or the date when the alteration is no longer liable to be cancelled by order of the court (whichever is the later)—
the substituted memorandum and articles apply to the company in the same manner as if it were a company registered under Part I with that memorandum and those articles, and
the company’s deed of settlement ceases to apply to the company.
An alteration under this section may be made either with or without alteration of the company’s objects.
In this section “deed of settlement” includes any contract of copartnery or other instrument constituting or regulating the company, not being an Act of Parliament, a royal charter or letters patent.
When a company incorporated outside Great Britain establishes a place of business in Great Britain, it shall within one month of doing so deliver to the registrar of companies for registration—
a certified copy of the charter, statutes or memorandum and articles of the company or other instrument constituting or defining the company’s constitution, and, if the instrument is not written in the English language, a certified translation of it; and
a return in the prescribed form containing—
a list of the company’s directors and secretary, containing (subject to subsection (5)). the particulars specified in the next subsection,
a list of the names and addresses of some one or more persons resident in Great Britain authorised to accept on the company’s behalf service of process and any notices required to be served on it,
a list of the documents delivered in compliance with paragraph (a) of this subsection, and
subject to subsection (3A),a statutory declaration (made by a director or secretary of the company or by any person whose name and address are given in the list required by sub-paragraph (ii)), stating the date on which the company’s place of business in Great Britain was established.
The list referred to in subsection (1)(b)(i) shall contain the following particulars with respect to each director—
in the case of an individual—
his name,
any former name,
his usual residential address,
his nationality,
his business occupation (if any),
if he has no business occupation but holds other directorships, particulars of them, and
his date of birth;
in the case of a corporation or Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office.
in the case of an individual, his present Christian name and surname, any former Christian name and surname and his usual residential address.
in the case of a corporation or a Scottish firm, its corporate or firm name and registered or principal office.
and where any such commitment relates wholly or partly to pensions payable to past directors of the company separate particulars shall be given of that commitment so far as it relates to such pensions. Particulars shall also be given of any other financial commitments, including any contingent liabilities, which: Commitments within any of the preceding sub-paragraphs undertaken on behalf of or for the benefit of:
In place of the statutory declaration referred to in sub-paragraph (iv) of paragraph (b) of subsection (1), there may be delivered to the registrar of companies using electronic communications a statement made by any person by whom the declaration could have been made stating the date on which the company’s place of business in Great Britain was established.
Adjustments to provisions for bad and doubtful debts(9)
In subsections (2)(a) and (3)(a) above—
“name” means a person’s Christian name (or other forename) and surname, except that in the case of a peer, or an individual usually known by a title, the title may be stated instead of his Christian name (or other forename) and surname, or in addition to either or both of them; and
the reference to a former name does not include—
in the case of a peer, or an individual normally known by a British title, the name by which he was known previous to the adoption of or succession to the title, or
in the case of any person, a former name which was changed or disused before he attained the age of 18 years or which has been changed or disused for 20 years or more, or
in the case of a married woman, the name by which she was known previous to the marriage.
Adjustments to provisions for contingent liabilities and commitments(10)
Any person who makes a false statement under subsection (3A) which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
Where a confidentiality order made under section 723B is in force in respect of a director or secretary required to be specified in the list under subsection (1)(b)(i)—
if the order is in respect of a director, subsection (2) has effect in respect of that director as if the reference in subsection (2)(a)(iii) to his usual residential address were a reference to the address for the time being notified by him to the company under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F;
if the order is in respect of a secretary, subsection (3) has effect in respect of that secretary as if the reference in subsection (3)(a) to his usual residential address were a reference to the address for the time being notified by him to the company under such regulations; and
in either case the company shall deliver to the registrar, in addition to the return required by subsection (1), a return in the prescribed form containing the usual residential address of the director or secretary to whom the confidentiality order relates, and any such return shall be delivered to the registrar within one month of the company establishing a place of business in Great Britain.
This section applies to any limited company which—
is incorporated outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and
has a branch in Great Britain.
Schedule 21A to this Act (Branch registration under the Eleventh Company Law Directive (89/666/EEC)) shall have effect in relation to any company to which this section applies.
If any alteration is made in— the company shall, within the time specified below, deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return containing the prescribed particulars of the alteration.
the charter, statutes, or memorandum and articles of an oversea company or any such instrument as is mentioned above, or
the directors or secretary of an oversea company or the particulars contained in the list of the directors and secretary, or
the names or addresses of the persons authorised to accept service on behalf of an oversea company,
If any change is made in the corporate name of an oversea company, the company shall, within the time specified below, deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return containing the prescribed particulars of the change.
If an individual in respect of whom a confidentiality order under section 723B is in force becomes a director or secretary of an oversea company—
the return required to be delivered to the registrar under subsection (1) shall contain the address for the time being notified by the director or secretary to the company under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F, but shall not contain his usual residential address; and
with that return the company shall deliver to the registrar a return in the prescribed form containing the usual residential address of that director or secretary.
The time for delivery of the returns required by subsections (1) , (1B), (1C) and (2) is—
in the case of an alteration to which subsection (1)(c) applies, 21 days after the making of the alteration, and
otherwise, 21 days after the date on which notice of the alteration or change in question could have been received in Great Britain in due course of post (if despatched with due diligence).
If a confidentiality order under section 723B is made in respect of an existing director or secretary of an oversea company, the company shall within the time specified below deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the address for the time being notified to it by the director or secretary under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F.
If while a confidentiality order made under section 723B is in force in respect of a director or secretary of an oversea company there is an alteration in his usual residential address, the company shall within the time specified below deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the new address.
Sections 691 and 692 shall not apply to any limited company which—
is incorporated outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and
has a branch in the United Kingdom.
in every prospectus inviting subscriptions for its shares or debentures in Great Britain, state the country in which the company is incorporated,
Every oversea company shall—
in every prospectus inviting subscriptions for its shares or debentures in Great Britain, state the country in which the company is incorporated,
conspicuously exhibit on every place where it carries on business in Great Britain the company’s name and the country in which it is incorporated,
cause the company’s name and the country in which it is incorporated to be stated in legible characters in all bill-heads and letter paper, and in all notices and other official publications of the company, and
if the liability of the members of the company is limited, cause notice of that fact to be stated in legible characters in every such prospectus as above mentioned and in all bill-heads, letter paper, notices and other official publications of the company in Great Britain, and to be affixed on every place where it carries on its business.
conspicuously exhibit on every place where it carries on business in Great Britain the company's name and the country in which it is incorporated,
Every company to which section 690A applies shall, in the case of each branch of the company registered under paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A, cause the following particulars to be stated in legible characters in all letter paper and order forms used in carrying on the business of the branch—
the place of registration of the branch, and
the registered number of the branch.
cause the company's name and the country in which it is incorporated to be stated in legible characters in all bill-heads and letter paper, and in all notices and other official publications of the company, and
Every company to which section 690A applies, which is not incorporated in a Member State and which is required by the law of the country in which it is incorporated to be registered shall, in the case of each branch of the company registered under paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A, cause the following particulars to be stated in legible characters in all letter paper and order forms used in carrying on the business of the branch—
the identity of the registry in which the company is registered in its country of incorporation, and
the number with which it is registered.
if the liability of the members of the company is limited, cause notice of that fact to be stated in legible characters in every such prospectus as above mentioned and in all bill-heads, letter paper, notices and other official publications of the company in Great Britain, and to be affixed on every place where it carries on its business.
Every company to which section 690A applies and which is not incorporated in a Member State shall, in the case of each branch of the company registered under paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A, cause the following particulars to be stated in legible characters in all letter paper and order forms used in carrying on the business of the branch—
the legal form of the company,
the location of its head office, and
if applicable, the fact that it is being wound up.
If it appears to the Secretary of State that the corporate name of an oversea company is a name by which the company, had it been formed under this Act, would on the relevant date (determined in accordance with subsections (3A) and (3B)) have been precluded from being registered by section 26 either— the Secretary of State may serve a notice on the company, stating why the name would not have been registered.
because it falls within subsection (1) of that section, or
if it falls within subsection (2) of that section, because the Secretary of State would not approve the company’s being registered with that name,
If the corporate name of an oversea company is in the Secretary of State’s opinion too like a name appearing on the relevant date in the index of names kept by the registrar of companies under section 714 or which should have appeared in that index on that date, or is the same as a name which should have so appeared, the Secretary of State may serve a notice on the company specifying the name in the index which the company’s name is too like or which is the same as the company’s name.
No notice shall be served on a company under subsection (1) or (2) later than 12 months after the relevant date . . .
section 691 in this Part, or
if there has been a change in the company's corporate name, section 692(2).
An oversea company on which a notice is served under subsection (1) or (2)—
may deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a statement in the prescribed form specifying a name approved by the Secretary of State other than its corporate name under which it proposes to carry on business in Great Britain, and
may, after that name has been registered, at any time deliver to the registrar for registration a statement in the prescribed form specifying a name approved by the Secretary of State (other than its corporate name) in substitution for the name previously registered.
For the purposes of subsections (1) to (3), the relevant date, in relation to a company, is the date on which it has complied with paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A or section 691(1) or, if there is more than one such date, the first date on which it has complied with that paragraph or that subsection since becoming an oversea company.
The name by which an oversea company is for the time being registered under subsection (4) is, for all purposes of the law applying in Great Britain (including this Act and the Business Names Act 1985), deemed to be the company’s corporate name; but—
this does not affect references to the corporate name in this section, or any rights or obligations of the company, or render defective any legal proceedings by or against the company, and
any legal proceedings that might have been continued or commenced against the company by its corporate name or its name previously registered under this section may be continued or commenced against it by its name for the time being so registered.
But where the company’s corporate name has changed since the date ascertained in accordance with subsection (3A), the relevant date is the date on which the company has, in respect of the change or, if more than one, the latest change, complied with paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 21A or section 692(2), as the case may be.
An oversea company on which a notice is served under subsection (1) or (2) shall not at any time after the expiration of 2 months from the service of that notice (or such longer period as may be specified in that notice) carry on business in Great Britain under its corporate name. Nothing in this subsection or in section 697(2) (which imposes penalties for its contravention) invalidates any transaction entered into by the company.
The Secretary of State may withdraw a notice served under subsection (1) or (2) at any time before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (6); and that subsection does not apply to a company served with a notice which has been withdrawn.
Any process or notice required to be served on an oversea company to which section 691 applies is sufficiently served if addressed to any person whose name has been delivered to the registrar under preceding sections in this Part and left at or sent by post to the address which has been so delivered.
However— a document may be served on the company by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, any place of business established by the company in Great Britain.
where such a company makes default in delivering to the registrar the name and address of a person resident in Great Britain who is authorised to accept on behalf of the company service of process or notices, or
if at any time all the persons whose names and addresses have been so delivered are dead or have ceased so to reside, or refuse to accept service on the company’s behalf, or for any reason cannot be served,
Where a company ceases to be a company to which section 690A applies and, immediately after ceasing to be such a company— it shall be treated for the purposes of section 691 as having established the place of business on the date when it ceased to be a company to which section 690A applies.
continues to have in Great Britain a place of business which it had immediately before ceasing to be such a company, and
does not have a branch in Northern Ireland,
Where a limited company incorporated outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar— it shall be treated for the purposes of section 691 as having established the place of business on the date when it ceased to have a branch in Northern Ireland.
ceases to have a branch in Northern Ireland, and
both immediately before and immediately after ceasing to do so, has a place of business, but not a branch, in Great Britain,
Where a company— sections 691 and 692 shall, in relation to that part, continue to apply to the company (notwithstanding section 690B) until such time as it gives notice to the registrar for that part that it is a company to which that section applies.
becomes a company to which section 690A applies,
immediately after becoming such a company, has in a part of Great Britain an established place of business but no branch, and
immediately before becoming such a company, had an established place of business in that part,
Schedule 21B to this Act (transitional provisions in relation to change in registration regime) shall have effect.
Any document which an oversea company to which section 691 applies; is required to deliver to the registar of companies shall be delivered to the registrar at the registration office in England and Wales or Scotland, according to where the company has established a place of business.
If the company has established a place of business both in England and Wales and in Scotland, the document shall be delivered at the registration office both in England and Wales and in Scotland.
References in this Part (except references in Schedule 21C) to the registrar of companies , in relation to a company to which section 691 applies, are to be construed in accordance with the above subsections.
If an oversea company to which section 691 applies ceases to have a place of business in either part of Great Britain, it shall forthwith give notice of that fact to the registrar of companies for that part; and as from the date on which notice is so given the obligation of the company to deliver any document to the registrar ceases.
If an oversea company fails to comply with any of sections 691 to 693 and 696, the company, and every officer or agent of the company who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default, is liable to a fine and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a daily default fine for continued contravention.
If an oversea company contravenes section 694(6), the company and every officer or agent of it who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the contravention is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
if an oversea company fails to comply with section 695A or Schedule 21A, the company, and every officer or agent of the company who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the default, is liable to a fine and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a daily default fine for continued contravention
For purposes of this Chapter—
Format 2
For the purposes of this Part (except section 699A and Schedule 21C):
where a branch comprises places of business in more than one part of the United Kingdom, the branch shall be treated as being situated in that part of the United Kingdom where its principal place of business is situated; and
“branch” means a branch within the meaning of the Council Directive concerning disclosure requirements in respect of branches opened in a Member State by certain types of company governed by the law of another State (the Eleventh Company Law Directive, 89/666/EEC)
Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, each of the amounts mentioned below shall be stated. The amount of the interest on or any similar charges in respect of —
Format 2
Subject to the following sub-paragraph, assets which fall to be included— Sub-paragraph (1) applies to assets of a kind which are constantly being replaced, where— Determination of purchase price or production cost
This section applies to any company to which section 690A applies.
Any process or notice required to be served on a company to which this section applies in respect of the carrying on of the business of a branch registered by it under paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A is sufficiently served if—
addressed to any person whose name has, in respect of the branch, been delivered to the registrar as a person falling within paragraph 3(e) of that Schedule, and
left at or sent by post to the address for that person which has been so delivered.
Where— a document may be served on the company in respect of the carrying on of the business of the branch by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, any place of business established by the company in Great Britain.
a company to which this section applies makes default, in respect of a branch, in delivering to the registrar the particulars mentioned in paragraph 3(e) of Schedule 21A, or
all the persons whose names have, in respect of a branch, been delivered to the registrar as persons falling within paragraph 3(e) of that Schedule are dead or have ceased to reside in Great Britain, or refuse to accept service on the company’s behalf, or for any reason cannot be served,
Where a company to which this section applies has more than one branch in Great Britain, any notice or process required to be served on the company which is not required to be served in respect of the carrying on of the business of one branch rather than another shall be treated for the purposes of this section as required to be served in respect of the carrying on of the business of each of its branches.
With the exceptions specified in subsection (3) below, the provisions of this Act and the Companies Act 2006 requiring documents to be forwarded or delivered to or filed with the registrar of companies and applying to companies formed and registered under Part I apply also (if they would not otherwise) to an oversea company to which section 691 applies incorporated in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Those provisions apply to such a company— with such modifications as may be necessary and, in particular, apply in a similar way to documents relating to things done outside Great Britain as if they had been done in Great Britain.
if it has established a place of business in England and Wales, as if it were registered in England and Wales,
if it has established a place of business in Scotland, as if it were registered in Scotland, and
if it has established a place of business both in England and Wales and in Scotland, as if it were registered in both England and Wales and Scotland,
The exceptions are— section 6(1) (resolution altering company’s objects), section 18 (alteration of memorandum or articles by statute or statutory instrument), section 441 of the Companies Act 2006 (directors’ duty to file accounts), section 288(2) (notice to registrar of change of directors or secretary), and Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Companies Act 2006 (resolutions and agreements affecting a company's constitution), so far as applicable to a resolution altering a company’s memorandum or articles.
References to the registrar, in relation to a company to which section 690A applies, (except references in Schedule 21C) shall be construed in accordance with the following provisions.
The documents which a company is required to deliver to the registrar shall be delivered—
to the registrar for England and Wales, if required to be delivered in respect of a branch in England and Wales, and
to the registrar for Scotland, if required to be delivered in respect of a branch in Scotland.
If a company closes a branch in a part of Great Britain, it shall forthwith give notice of that fact to the registrar for that part; and from the date on which notice is so given it is no longer obliged to deliver documents to that registrar in respect of that branch.
In subsection (3) above, the reference to closing a branch in either part of Great Britain includes a reference to a branch ceasing to be situated in that part on becoming situated elsewhere.
Every oversea company shall in respect of each financial year of the company prepare the like accounts and directors’ report, and cause to be prepared such an auditors’ report, as would be required if the company were formed and registered under this Act.
The Secretary of State may by order—
modify the requirements referred to in subsection (1) for the purpose of their application to oversea companies;
exempt an oversea company from those requirements or from such of them as may be specified in the order.
An order may make different provision for different cases or classes of case and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
modify the requirements referred to in subsection (1) for the purpose of their application to oversea companies,
exempt an oversea company from those requirements or from such of them as may be specified in the order.
An order under subsection (4) may make different provision in relation to different cases or classes of case and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit; and a statutory instrument containing an order so made is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament
“credit institution” means a credit institution as defined in Article 4(1)(a) of Directive 2006/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 relating to the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions, that is to say an undertaking whose business is to receive deposits or other repayable funds from the public and to grant credits for its own account; “financial institution”means a financial institution within the meaning of Article 1 of the Council Directive on the obligations of branches established in a Member State of credit and financial institutions having their head offices outside that Member State regarding the publication of annual accounting documents (the Bank Branches Directive, 89/117/EEC); and “undertaking” has the same meaning as in Part VII.
This section applies to any credit or financial institution—
which is incorporated or otherwise formed outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar,
whose head office is outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and
which has a branch in Great Britain.
Schedule 21C (delivery of accounts and reports) shall have effect in relation to any institution to which this section applies.
In this section— “branch”, in relation to a credit or financial institution, means a place of business which forms a legally dependent part of the institution and which conducts directly all or some of the operations inherent in its business;
Sections 390 to 392 of the Companies Act 2006 (financial year and accounting reference periods) apply to an oversea company, subject to the following modifications.
For the references to the incorporation of the company substitute references to the company establishing a place of business in Great Britain.
Omit section 392(3) (restriction on frequency with which current accounting reference period may be extended).
The company's first accounting reference period is such period ending with its accounting reference date as—
begins or began on a date determined by the company, but not later than that on which a place of business is or was established in Great Britain, and
is a period exceeding 6 months and not exceeding 18 months.
Each successive period of 12 months beginning after the end of the first accounting reference period and ending with the company's accounting reference date is also an accounting reference period of the company.
Subsections (2) to (5) are subject to section 225 of this Act, under which in certain circumstances a company's accounting reference period may be altered, and which applies to oversea companies as well as to companies subject to Part VII, but omitting subsections (6) and (7).
This section applies to any limited company which—
is incorporated outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar,
has a branch in Great Britain, and
is not an institution to which section 699A applies.
Schedule 21D to this Act (delivery of accounts and reports) shall have effect in relation to any company to which this section applies.
An oversea company shall in respect of each financial year of the company deliver to the registrar copies of the accounts and reports prepared in accordance with section 700.
In relation to an oversea company the period allowed for delivering accounts and reports is 13 months after the end of the relevant accounting reference period.
begins or began on the date determined by the company for the purposes of section 701(4)(a) and
is or was a period of more than 12 months,
If the relevant accounting reference period is the company’s first and is a period of more than 12 months, the period allowed is 13 months from the first anniversary of the company’s establishing a place of business in Great Britain.
If the relevant accounting period is treated as shortened by virtue of a notice given by the company under section 392 of the Companies Act 2006 (alteration of accounting reference date), the period allowed is that applicable in accordance with the above provisions or three months from the date of the notice under that section, whichever last expires.
the period allowed in relation to that accounting reference period in accordance with the preceding subsections, or
the period of 3 months beginning with the date of the notice,
If for any special reason the Secretary of State thinks fit he may, on an application made before the expiry of the period otherwise allowed, by notice in writing to an oversea company extend that period by such further period as may be specified in the notice.
Sections 700 to 703 shall not apply to any institution to which section 699A applies or to any limited company which is incorporated outside the United Kingdom and Gibraltar and has a branch in the United Kingdom.
If the requirements of section 702(1) are not complied with before the end of the period allowed for delivering accounts and reports, or if the accounts and reports delivered do not comply with the requirements of this Act, the company and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of the company is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
It is a defence for a person charged with such an offence to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing that the requirements in question would be complied with.
It is not a defence in relation to a failure to deliver copies to the registrar to prove that the documents in question were not in fact prepared as required by this Act.
The provisions of this Chapter have effect for securing the registration in Great Britain of charges on the property of a registered oversea company.
Section 395(2) and (3) (meaning of “charge” and “property”) have effect for the purposes of this Chapter.
A “registered oversea company”, in relation to England and Wales or Scotland, means an oversea company which has duly delivered documents to the registrar for that part of Great Britain under section 691 and has not subsequently given notice to him under section 696(4) that it has ceased to have an established place of business in that part.
References in this Chapter to the registrar shall be construed in accordance with section 703E below and references to registration, in relation to a charge, are to registration in the register kept by him under this Chapter.
Where a charge not otherwise requiring registration relates to property by virtue of which it requires to be registered and to other property, the references are to the charge so far as it relates to property of the former description.
The charges requiring registration under this Chapter are those which if created by a company registered in Great Britain would require registration under Part XII of this Act.
Whether a charge is one requiring registration under this Chapter shall be determined—
in the case of a charge over property of a company at the date it delivers documents for registration under section 691, as at that date,
in the case of a charge created by a registered oversea company, as at the date the charge is created, and
in the case of a charge over property acquired by a registered oversea company, as at the date of the acquisition.
In the following provisions of this Chapter references to a charge are, unless the context otherwise requires, to a charge requiring registration under this Chapter.
The registrar shall keep for each registered oversea company a register, in such form as he thinks fit, of charges on property of the company.
The register shall consist of a file containing with respect to each such charge the particulars and other information delivered to the registrar under or by virtue of the following provisions of this Chapter.
Section 397(3) to (5) (registrar’s certificate as to date of delivery of particulars) applies in relation to the delivery of any particulars or other information under this Chapter.
This is without prejudice to rights arising by reason of events occurring before that date.
The particulars required to be delivered by section 703D(1) (charges over property of oversea company becoming registered in a part of Great Britain) shall be delivered to the registrar to whom the documents are delivered under section 691.
The particulars required to be delivered by section 703D(2) or (3) (charges over property of registered oversea company) shall be delivered— and in any other case the particulars shall be delivered to the registrars for both parts of Great Britain.
if the company is registered in one part of Great Britain and not in the other, to the registrar for the part in which it is registered, and
if the company is registered in both parts of Great Britain but the property subject to the charge is situated in one part of Great Britain only, to the registrar for that part;
Other documents required or authorised by virtue of this Chapter to be delivered to the registrar shall be delivered to the registrar or registrars to whom particulars of the charge to which they relate have been, or ought to have been, delivered.
If a company gives notice under section 696(4) that it has ceased to have an established place of business in either part of Great Britain, charges over property of the company shall cease to be subject to the provisions of this Chapter, as regards registration in that part of Great Britain, as from the date on which notice is so given.
The following provisions of Part XII— apply, with the following modifications, in relation to a charge created by a registered oversea company of which particulars are required to be delivered under this Chapter.
section 399 (effect of failure to deliver particulars),
section 400 (late delivery of particulars), and
section 402 (effect of errors and omissions in particulars delivered),
Those provisions do not apply to a charge of which particulars are required to be delivered under section 703D(1) (charges existing when company delivers documents under section 691).
In relation to a charge of which particulars are required to be delivered under section 703D(3) (charges registrable by virtue of property being within Great Britain for requisite period), the references to the period of 21 days after the charge’s creation shall be construed as references to the period of four months referred to in that subsection.
Sections 401 and 403 (delivery of further particulars and memorandum of charge ceasing to affect company’s property) apply in relation to a charge of which particulars have been delivered under this Chapter.
The following provisions of Part XII apply in relation to the voidness of a charge by virtue of this Chapter—
section 404 (exclusion of voidness as against unregistered charges),
section 405 (restrictions on cases in which charge is void),
section 406 (effect of exercise of power of sale), and
section 407 (effect of voidness on obligation secured).
In relation to a charge of which particulars are required to be delivered under section 703D(3) (charges registrable by virtue of property being within Great Britain for requisite period), the reference in section 404 to the period of 21 days after the charge’s creation shall be construed as a reference to the period of four months referred to in that subsection.
Section 408 (particulars of taking up of issue of debentures) applies in relation to a charge of which particulars have been delivered under this Chapter.
Section 409 (notice of appointment of receiver or manager) applies in relation to the appointment of a receiver or manager of property of a registered oversea company.
Regulations under section 410 (notice of crystallisation of floating charge, &c.) may apply in relation to a charge of which particulars have been delivered under this Chapter; but subject to such exceptions, adaptations and modifications as may be specified in the regulations.
Sections 411 and 412 (copies of instruments and register to be kept by company) apply in relation to a registered oversea company and any charge over property of the company situated in Great Britain.
They apply to any charge, whether or not particulars are required to be delivered to the registrar.
In relation to such a company the references to the company’s registered office shall be construed as references to its principal place of business in Great Britain.
The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision as to the application of the provisions of this Chapter, or the provisions of Part XII applied by this Chapter, in relation to charges of any description specified in the regulations.
The regulations may apply any provisions of regulations made under section 413 (power to make further provision with respect to application of Part XII) or make any provision which may be made under that section with respect to the application of provisions of Part XII.
The following provisions apply for determining for the purposes of this Chapter whether a vehicle which is the property of an oversea company is situated in Great Britain— and for the purposes of this Chapter a vehicle shall not be regarded as situated in one part of Great Britain only.
a ship, aircraft or hovercraft shall be regarded as situated in Great Britain if, and only if, it is registered in Great Britain;
any other description of vehicle shall be regarded as situated in Great Britain on a day if, and only if, at any time on that day the management of the vehicle is directed from a place of business of the company in Great Britain;
For the purposes of this Chapter as it applies to a charge on future property, the subject-matter of the charge shall be treated as situated in Great Britain unless it relates exclusively to property of a kind which cannot, after being acquired or coming into existence, be situated in Great Britain; and references to property situated in a part of Great Britain shall be similarly construed.
The following provisions of Part XII apply for the purposes of this Chapter—
section 414 (construction of references to date of creation of charge),
section 415 (prescribed particulars and related expressions),
section 416 (notice of matters disclosed on the register),
section 417 (power of court to dispense with signature),
section 418 (regulations) and
section 419 (minor definitions).
The following Table shows the provisions of this Chapter and Part XII defining or otherwise explaining expressions used in this Chapter (other than expressions used only in the same section)— charge sections 703A(2), 703B(3) and 395(2) charge requiring registration sections 703B(1) and 396 creation of charge sections 703M(f) and 419(2) date of acquisition (of property by a company) sections 703M(f) and 419(3) date of creation of charge sections 703M(a) and 414 property sections 703A(2) and 395(2) registered oversea company section 703A(3) registrar and registration in relation to a charge sections 703A(4) and 703E situated in Great Britain in relation to vehicles section 703L(1) in relation to future property section 703L(2)
This Chapter applies to any company to which section 690A applies.
Subject to subsection (8), where a company to which this Chapter applies is being wound up, it shall deliver to the registrar for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the following particulars—
the name of the company;
whether the company is being wound up by an order of a court and, if so, the name and address of the court and the date of the order;
if the company is not being so wound up, as a result of what action the winding up has commenced;
whether the winding up has been instigated by: and, in the case of (iii) the identity of that person or those persons shall be given; and
the company’s members;
the company’s creditors; or
some other person or persons,
the date on which the winding up became or will become effective.
The period allowed for delivery of a return under subsection (1) above is 14 days from the date on which the winding up begins.
Subject to subsection (8), a person appointed to be the liquidator of a company to which this Chapter applies shall deliver to the registrar for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the following particulars—
his name and address,
the date of his appointment, and
a description of such of his powers, if any, as are derived otherwise than from the general law or the company’s constitution.
The period allowed for delivery of a return under subsection (3) above is 14 days from the date of the liquidator’s appointment.
The period allowed for delivery of a return under subsection (5) is 14 days from the date of the event concerned.
The obligation to deliver a return under subsection (1), (3) or (5) above shall apply in respect of each branch which the company has in Great Britain (though where the company has more than one branch in a part of Great Britain a return which gives the branch numbers of two or more such branches is to be regarded as a return in respect of each branch whose number is given).
No return is required under subsection (1), (3), or (5) above in respect of a winding up under Part V of the Insolvency Act 1986.
Where a company to which this Chapter applies becomes subject to any of the following proceedings (other than proceedings for the winding up of the company), that is to say, insolvency proceedings or an arrangement or composition or any analogous proceedings, it shall deliver to the registrar for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the following particulars—
the name of the company;
whether the proceedings are by order of a court and, if so, the name and address of the court and the date of the order;
if the proceedings are not by order of a court, as a result of what action the proceedings have been commenced;
whether the proceedings have been instigated by: and, in the case of (iii) the identity of that person or those persons shall be given; and
the company’s members;
the company’s creditors; or
some other person or persons,
the date on which the proceedings became or will become effective.
Where a company to which this Chapter applies ceases to be subject to any of the proceedings mentioned in subsection (1) it shall deliver to the registrar for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the following particulars:
the name of the company; and
the date on which it ceased to be subject to the proceedings.
The period allowed for delivery of a return under subsection (1) or (2) is 14 days from the date on which the company becomes subject, or (as the case may be) ceases to be subject to the proceedings concerned.
The obligation to deliver a return under subsection (1) or (2) shall apply in respect of each branch which the company has in Great Britain (though where the company has more than one branch in a part of Great Britain a return which gives the branch numbers of two or more such branches is to be regarded as a return in respect of each branch whose number is given).
If a company fails to comply with section 703P(1) or 703Q(1) or (2) within the period allowed for compliance, it, and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of it, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
If a liquidator fails to comply with section 703P(3) or (5) within the period allowed for compliance, he is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with the requirements concerned.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For the purposes of the registration of companies under the Companies Acts, there shall continue to be offices in England and Wales and in Scotland, at such places as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
The Secretary of State may appoint such registrars, assistant registrars, clerks and servants as he thinks necessary for that purpose, and may make regulations with respect to their duties, and may remove any persons so appointed.
The salaries of the persons so appointed continue to be fixed by the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Treasury, and shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament.
The Secretary of State may direct a seal or seals to be prepared for the authentication of documents required for or in connection with the registration of companies; and any seal so prepared is referred to in this Act as the registrar's official seal.
Wherever any act is by the Companies Acts directed to be done to or by the registrar of companies, it shall (until the Secretary of State otherwise directs) be done to or by the existing registrar of companies in England and Wales or in Scotland (as the case may be), or to or by such person as the Secretary of State may for the time being authorise.
In the event of the Secretary of State altering the constitution of the existing registration offices or any of them, any such act shall be done to or by such officer and at such place with reference to the local situation of the registered offices of the companies to be registered as the Secretary of State may appoint.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The registrar of companies shall allocate to every company a number, which shall be known as the company's registered number; and he may in addition allocate to any such company a letter, which is then deemed for all purposes to be part of the registered number.
" Company " here includes—
an oversea company which has complied with section 691 (delivery of statutes to registrar of companies, etc.) and which does not appear to the registrar not to have a place of business in Great Britain, and
any incorporated or unincorporated body to which any provision of this Act applies by virtue of section 718 (unregistered companies).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For the purpose of securing that documents delivered to the registrar of companies under the Companies Acts are of standard size, durable and easily legible, regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument may prescribe such requirements (whether as to size, weight, quality or colour of paper, size, type or colouring of lettering, or otherwise) as he may consider appropriate ; and different requirements may be so prescribed for different documents or classes of documents.
If under any such provision there is delivered to the registrar a document (whether an original document or a copy) which in the registrar's opinion does not comply with such requirements prescribed under this section as are applicable to it, the registrar may serve on any person by whom under that provision the document was required to be delivered (or, if there are two or more such persons, may serve on any of them) a notice stating his opinion to that effect and indicating the requirements so prescribed with which in his opinion the document does not comply.
Where the registrar serves such a notice with respect to a document delivered under any such provision, then, for the purposes of any enactment which enables a penalty to be imposed in respect of any omission to deliver to the registrar of companies a document required to be delivered under that provision (and, in particular, for the purposes of any such enactment whereby such a penalty may be imposed by reference to each day during which the omission continues)—
any duty imposed by that provision to deliver such a document to the registrar is to be treated as not having been discharged by the delivery of that document, but
no account is to be taken of any days falling within the period mentioned in the following subsection.
That period begins with the day on which the document was delivered to the registrar as mentioned in subsection (2) and ends with the 14th day after the date of service of the notice under subsection (2) by virtue of which subsection (3) applies.
In this section any reference to delivering a document includes sending, forwarding, producing or (in the case of a notice) giving it.
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The registrar of companies may, if he thinks fit, accept under any provision of the Companies Acts requiring a document to be delivered to him any material other than a document which contains the information in question and is of a kind approved by him.
The delivery to the registrar of material so accepted is sufficient compliance with the provision in question.
In this section any reference to delivering a document includes sending, forwarding, producing or (in the case of a notice) giving it.
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the performance by the registrar of such functions under the Companies Acts as may be so specified, including the receipt by him of any notice or other document which under those Acts is required to be given, delivered, sent or forwarded to him.
the inspection of documents or other material kept by him under those Acts.
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Subject to the provisions of this section, any person may— A certificate given under paragraph (b) may be signed by the registrar, or authenticated by his official seal.
inspect a copy of any document kept by the registrar of companies or, if the copy is illegible or unavailable, the document itself,
require a certificate of the incorporation of any company, or a certified copy or extract of any other document or any part of any other document.
In relation to documents delivered to the registrar with a prospectus in pursuance of section 65(2), the rights conferred by subsection (1) of this section are exercisable only during the 14 days beginning with the date of publication of the prospectus, or with the permission of the Secretary of State.
In relation to documents so delivered in pursuance of section 77(3)(b) and (4) (prospectus of oversea company), those rights are exercisable only during the 14 days beginning with the date of the prospectus, or with that permission.
The right conferred by subsection (1) (a) of this section does not extend to any copy sent to the registrar under section 495 (information to be given by receiver or manager following his appointment) of a statement as to the affairs of a company, or of any comments of the receiver or his successor, or a continuing receiver or manager, on the statement, but only to the summary of it, except where the person claiming the right either is or is the agent of a person stating himself in writing to be a member or creditor of the company to which the statement relates. The rights conferred by subsection (1)(b) are similarly limited.
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No process for compelling the production of any document kept by the registrar shall issue from any court except with the leave of that court; and any such process if issued shall bear on it a statement that it is issued with leave of the court.
A copy of, or extract from, any document kept and registered at any of the offices for the registration of companies in England and Wales or Scotland, certified in writing by the registrar (whose official position it is unnecessary to prove) to be a true copy, is in all legal proceedings admissible in evidence as of equal validity with the original document.
Copies or extracts of documents or parts of documents furnished by the registrar under section 709 may, instead of being certified by him in writing to be true copies, be sealed with his official seal.
Any person untruthfully stating himself in writing for the purposes of section 709(4) to be a member or creditor of a company is liable to a fine.
For purposes of section 709 and this section, a copy is to be taken to be the copy of a document notwithstanding that it is taken from a copy or other reproduction of the original; and in both sections " document" includes any material which contains information kept by the registrar of companies for purposes of the Companies Acts.
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The registrar of companies shall cause to be published in the Gazette notice of the issue or receipt by him of documents of any of the following descriptions (stating in the notice the name of the company, the description of document and the date of issue or receipt)—
any certificate of incorporation of a company,
any document making or evidencing an alteration in a company's memorandum or articles,
any notification of a change among the directors of a company,
any copy of a resolution of a public company which gives, varies, revokes or renews an authority for the purposes of section 80 (allotment of relevant securities),
any copy of a special resolution of a public company passed under section 95(1), (2) or (3) (disapplication of pre-emption rights),
any report under .section 103 or 104 as to the value of a non-cash asset,
any statutory declaration delivered under section 117 (public company share capital requirements),
any notification (given under section 122) of the redemption of shares,
any statement or notice delivered by a public company under section 128 (registration of particulars of special rights),
any documents delivered by a company under section 241 (annual accounts),
a copy of any resolution or agreement to which section 380 applies and which—
states the rights attached to any shares in a public company, other than shares which are in all respects uniform (for purposes of section 128) with shares previously allotted, or
varies rights attached to any shares in a public company, or
assigns a name or other designation, or a new name or designation, to any class of shares in a public company,
any return of allotments of a public company,
any notice of a change in the situation of a company's registered office,
any copy of a winding-up order in respect of a company,
any order for the dissolution of a company on a winding up.
any return by a liquidator of the final meeting of a company on a winding up.
In section 42 " official notification " means— and " officially notified " is to be construed accordingly.
in relation to anything stated in a document of any of the above descriptions, the notification of that document in the Gazette under this section, and
in relation to the appointment of a liquidator in a voluntary winding up, the notification of it in the Gazette under section 600;
Where a company has been dissolved, whether under this Act or otherwise, the registrar may, at any time after the expiration of 2 years from the date of the dissolution, direct that any documents in his custody relating to that company may be removed to the Public Record Office; and documents in respect of which such a direction is given shall be disposed of in accordance with the enactments relating to that Office and the rules made under them.
In this section " company" includes a company provisionally or completely registered under the Joint Stock Companies Act 1844.
This section does not extend to Scotland.
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If a company, having made default in complying with any provision of the Companies Acts which requires it to file with, deliver or send to the registrar of companies any return, account or other document, or to give notice to him of any matter, fails to make good the default within 14 days after the service of a notice on the company requiring it to do so, the court may, on an application made to it by any member or creditor of the company or by the registrar of companies, make an order directing the company and any officer of it to make good the default within such time as may be specified in the order.
The court's order may provide that all costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the company or by any officers of it responsible for the default
Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of any enactment imposing penalties on a company or its officers in respect of any such default as is mentioned above.
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The registrar of companies shall keep an index of the names of the following bodies—
companies as defined by this Act
companies incorporated outside Great Britain which have complied with section 691 and which do not appear to the registrar of companies not to have a place of business in Great Britain,
incorporated and unincorporated bodies to which any provision of this Act applies by virtue of section 718 (unregistered companies),
limited partnerships registered under the Limited Partnerships Act 1907.
companies within the meaning of the Companies Act (Northern Ireland) 1960,
companies incorporated outside Northern Ireland which have complied with section 356 of that Act (which corresponds with section 691 of this Act), and which do not appear to the registrar not to have a place of business in Northern Ireland, and
societies registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 or the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 1969.
The Secretary of State may by order in a statutory instrument vary subsection (1) by the addition or deletion of any class of body, except any within paragraph (a) or (b) of the subsection, whether incorporated or unincorporated ; and any such statutory instrument is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of cither House of Parliament.
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The registrar of companies may destroy any documents or other material which he has kept for over 10 years and which were, or were comprised in or annexed or attached to, the accounts or annual returns of any company.
The registrar shall retain a copy of any document or other material destroyed in pursuance of subsection (1); and sections 709 and 710 apply in relation to any such copy as if it were the original.
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No company, association or partnership consisting of more than 20 persons shall be formed for the purpose of carrying on any business that has for its object the acquisition of gain by the company, association or partnership, or by its individual members, unless it is registered as a company under this Act, or is formed in pursuance of some other Act of Parliament, or of letters patent.
However, this does not prohibit the formation—
for the purpose of carrying on practice as solicitors, of a partnership consisting of persons each of whom is a solicitor;
for the purpose of carrying on practice as accountants, of a partnership consisting of persons each of whom falls within either paragraph (a) or (b) of section 389(1) (qualifications of company auditors);
for the purpose of carrying on business as members of a recognised stock exchange, of a partnership consisting of persons each of whom is a member of that stock exchange.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument provide that subsection (1) shall not apply to the formation (otherwise than as permitted by subsection (2)), for a purpose specified in the regulations, of a partnership of a description so specified.
In this section " solicitor "—
in relation to England and Wales, means solicitor of the Supreme Court, and
in relation to Scotland, means a person enrolled or deemed enrolled as a solicitor in pursuance of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980.
Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to any body of persons for the time being approved for the purposes of the Marine and Aviation Insurance (War Risks) Act 1952 by the Secretary of State, being a body the objects of which are or include the carrying on of business by way of the re-insurance of risks which may be re-insured under any agreement for the purpose mentioned in section 1(1)(b) of that Act.
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So much of the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 as provides that a limited partnership shall not consist of more than 20 persons does not apply—
to a partnership carrying on practice as solicitors and consisting of persons each of whom is a solicitor.
to a partnership carrying on practice as accountants and consisting of persons each of whom falls within either paragraph (a) or (b) of section 389(1) of this Act (qualification of company auditors),
to a partnership carrying on business as members of a recognised stock exchange and consisting of persons each of whom is a member of that exchange.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument provide that so much of section 4(2) of the Act of 1907 as provides that a limited partnership shall not consist of more than 20 persons shall not apply to a partnership (other than one permitted by subsection (1) of this section) carrying on business of a description specified in the regulations, being a partnership of a description so specified.
In this section " solicitor" means the same as in section 716.
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The provisions of this Act specified in the first column of Schedule 22 (relating respectively to the matters specified in the second column of the Schedule) apply to all bodies corporate incorporated in and having a principal place of business in Great Britain, other than those mentioned in subsection (2) below, as if they were companies registered under this Act, but subject to any limitations mentioned in relation to those provisions respectively in the third column and to such adaptations and modifications (if any) as may be specified by regulations made by the Secretary of State.
Those provisions of this Act do not apply by virtue of this section to any of the following—
any body incorporated by or registered under any public general Act of Parliament,
any body not formed for the purpose of carrying on a business which has for its object the acquisition of gain by the body or its individual members,
any body for the time being exempted by direction of the Secretary of State (or before him by the Board of Trade).
Where against any provision of this Act specified in the first column of Schedule 22 there appears in the third column the entry "Subject to section 718(3)", it means that the provision is to apply by virtue of this section so far only as may be specified by regulations made by the Secretary of State and to such bodies corporate as may be so specified.
The provisions specified in the first column of the Schedule also apply in like manner in relation to any unincorporated body of persons entitled by virtue of letters patent to any of the privileges conferred by the Chartered Companies Act 1837 and not registered under any other public general Act of Parliament, but subject to the like exceptions as are provided for in the case of bodies corporate by paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (2).
This section does not repeal or revoke in whole or in part any enactment, royal charter or other instrument constituting or regulating any body in relation to which those provisions are applied by virtue of this section, or restrict the power of Her Majesty to grant a charter in lieu of or supplementary to any such charter as above mentioned ; but, in relation to any such body, the operation of any such enactment, charter or instrument is suspended in so far as it is inconsistent with any of those provisions as they apply for the time being to that body.
The power to make regulations conferred by this section (whether regulations under subsection (1) or subsection (3)) is exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
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The powers of a company include (if they would not otherwise do so apart from this section) power to make the following provision for the benefit of persons employed or formerly employed by the company or any of its subsidiaries, that is to say, provision in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or part of the undertaking of the company or that subsidiary.
The power conferred by subsection (1) is exercisable notwithstanding that its exercise is not in the best interests of the company.
The power which a company may exercise by virtue only of subsection (1) shall only be exercised by the company if sanctioned— and in any case after compliance with any other requirements of the memorandum or articles applicable to its exercise.
in a case not falling within paragraph (b) or (c) below, by an ordinary resolution of the company, or
if so authorised by the memorandum or articles, a resolution of the directors, or
if the memorandum or articles require the exercise of the power to be sanctioned by a resolution of the company of some other description for which more than a simple majority of the members voting is necessary, with the sanction of a resolution of that description ;
Any payment which may be made by a company under this section may, if made before the commencement of any winding up of the company, be made out of profits of the company which are available for dividend.
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Every company, being an insurance company or a deposit, provident or benefit society, shall before it commences business, and also on the first Monday in February and the first Tuesday in August in every year during which it carries on business, make a statement in the form set out in Schedule 23, or as near to it as circumstances admit.
A copy of the statement shall be put up in a conspicuous place in the company's registered office, and in every branch office or place where the business of the company is carried on.
Every member and every creditor of the company is entitled to a copy of the statement, on payment of a sum not exceeding 2 1/2 pence.
If default is made in complying with this section, the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
For purposes of this Act, a company which carries on the business of insurance in common with any other business or businesses is deemed an insurance company.
In the case of an insurance company to which Part II of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 applies, this section does not apply if the company complies with provisions of that Act as to the accounts and balance sheet to be prepared annually and deposited by such a company.
The Secretary of State may, by regulations in a statutory instrument (subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament), alter the form in Schedule 23.
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The following applies if on an application made— there is shown to be reasonable cause to believe that any person has, while an officer of a company, committed an offence in connection with the management of the company's affairs and that evidence of the commission of the offence is to be found in any books or papers of or under the control of the company.
in England and Wales, to a judge of the High Court by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Secretary of State or a chief officer of police, or
in Scotland, to one of the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary by the Lord Advocate,
An order may be made—
authorising any person named in it to inspect the books or papers in question, or any of them, for the purpose of investigating and obtaining evidence of the offence, or
requiring the secretary of the company or such other officer of it as may be named in the order to produce the books or papers (or any of them) to a person named in the order at a place so named.
The above applies also in relation to any books or papers of a person carrying on the business of banking so far as they relate to the company's affairs, as it applies to any books or papers of or under the control of the company, except that no such order as is referred to in subsection (2)(b) shall be made by virtue of this subsection.
The decision of a judge of the High Court or of any of the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary on an application under this section is not appealable.
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Any register, index, minute book or accounting records required by the Companies Acts to be kept by a company may be kept either by making entries in bound books or by recording the matters in question in any other manner.
Where any such register, index, minute book or accounting record is not kept by making entries in a bound book, but by some other means, adequate precautions shall be taken for guarding against falsification and facilitating its discovery.
If default is made in complying with subsection (2), the company and every officer of it who is in default is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
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The power conferred on a company by section 722(1) to keep a register or other record by recording the matters in question otherwise than by making entries in bound books includes power to keep the register or other record by recording those matters otherwise than in a legible form, so long as the recording is capable of being reproduced in a legible form.
Any provision of an instrument made by a company before 12th February 1979 which requires a register of holders of the company's debentures to be kept in a legible form is to be read as requiring the register to be kept in a legible or non-legible form.
If any such register or other record of a company as is mentioned in section 722(1), or a register of holders of a company's debentures, is kept by the company by recording the matters in question otherwise than in a legible form, any duty imposed on the company by this Act to allow inspection of, or to furnish a copy of, the register or other record or any part of it is to be treated as a duty to allow inspection of, or to furnish, a reproduction of the recording or of the relevant part of it in a legible form.
The Secretary of State may by regulations in a statutory instrument make such provision in addition to subsection (3) as he considers appropriate in connection with such registers or other records as are mentioned in that subsection, and are kept as so mentioned ; and the regulations may make modifications of provisions of this Act relating to such registers or other records.
A statutory instrument under subsection (4) is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
A receiver appointed under the law of either part of Great Britain in respect of the whole or any part of any property or undertaking of a company and in consequence of the company having created a charge which, as created, was a floating charge may exercise his powers in the other part of Great Britain so far as their exercise is not inconsistent with the law applicable there.
In subsection (1) "receiver" includes a manager and a person who is appointed both receiver and manager.
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A document may be served on a company by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the company's registered office.
Where a company registered in Scotland carries on business in England and Wales, the process of any court in England and Wales may be served on the company by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the company's principal place of business in England and Wales, addressed to the manager or other head officer in England and Wales of the company.
Where process is served on a company under subsection (2), the person issuing out the process shall send a copy of it by post to the company's registered office.
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Where in Scotland a limited company is pursuer in an action or other legal proceeding, the court having jurisdiction in the matter may, if it appears by credible testimony that there is reason to believe that the company will be unable to pay the defender’s expenses if successful in his defence, order the company to find caution and sist the proceedings until caution is found.
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If in any proceedings for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust against an officer of a company or a person employed by a company as auditor (whether he is or is not an officer of the company) it appears to the court hearing the case that that officer or person is or may be liable in respect of the negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, but that he has acted honestly and reasonably, and that having regard to all the circumstances of the case (including those connected with his appointment) he ought fairly to be excused for the negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, that court may relieve him, either wholly or partly, from his liability on such terms as it thinks fit.
If any such officer or person as above-mentioned has reason to apprehend that any claim will or might be made against him in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, he may apply to the court for relief; and the court on the application has the same power to relieve him as under this section it would have had if it had been a court before which proceedings against that person for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust had been brought.
Where a case to which subsection (1) applies is being tried by a judge with a jury, the judge, after hearing the evidence, may, if he is satisfied that the defendant or defender ought in pursuance of that subsection to be relieved either in whole or in part from the liability sought to be enforced against him, withdraw the case in whole or in part from the jury and forthwith direct judgment to be entered for the defendant or defender on such terms as to costs or otherwise as the judge may think proper.
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Summary proceedings for any offence under the Companies Acts may (without prejudice to any jurisdiction exercisable apart from this subsection) be taken against a body corporate at any place at which the body has a place of business, and against any other person at any place at which he is for the time being.
Notwithstanding anything in section 127(1) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, an information relating to an offence under the Companies Acts which is triable by a magistrates' court in England and Wales may be so tried if it is laid at any time within 3 years after the commission of the offence and within 12 months after the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Secretary of State (as the case may be) to justify the proceedings comes to his knowledge.
Summary proceedings in Scotland for an offence under the Companies Acts shall not be commenced after the expiration of 3 years from the commission of the offence. Subject to this (and notwithstanding anything in section 331 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975), such proceedings may (in Scotland) be commenced at any time within 12 months after the date on which evidence sufficient in the Lord Advocate's opinion to justify the proceedings came to his knowledge or, where such evidence was reported to him by the Secretary of State, within 12 months after the date on which it came to the knowledge of the latter; and subsection (3) of that section applies for the purpose of this subsection as it applies for the purpose of that section.
For purposes of this section, a certificate of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Lord Advocate or the Secretary of State (as the case may be) as to the date on which such evidence as is referred to above came to his knowledge is conclusive evidence.
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In respect of an offence under any of sections 210, 324, 329, 447 to 451 and 455, proceedings shall not, in England and Wales, be instituted except by or with the consent of the appropriate authority.
That authority is—
for an offence under any of sections 210, 324 and 329, the Secretary of State or the Director of Public Prosecutions,
for an offence under any of sections 447 to 451, either one of those two persons or the Industrial Assurance Commissioner, and
for an offence under section 455, the Secretary of State.
Where proceedings are instituted under the Companies Acts against any person by the Director of Public Prosecutions or by or on behalf of the Secretary of State or the Lord Advocate, nothing in those Acts is to be taken to require any person to disclose any information which he is entitled to refuse to disclose on grounds of legal professional privilege.
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The following applies to offences under any of sections 210, 216(3) and 447 to 451.
Where a body corporate is guilty of such an offence and it is proved that the offence occurred with the consent or connivance of, or was attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body, or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he as well as the body corporate is guilty of that offence and is liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, then in the case of an offence under section 210 or 216(3), subsection (2) above applies in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.
In this section " director ", in relation to an offence under any of sections 447 to 451, includes a shadow director.
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Proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed under any of sections 447 to 451 by an unincorporated body shall be brought in the name of that body (and not in that of any of its members), and for the purposes of any such proceedings, any rules of court relating to the service of documents apply as if that body were a corporation.
A fine imposed on an unincorporated body on its conviction of such an offence shall be paid out of the funds of that body.
In a case in which an unincorporated body is charged in England and Wales with such an offence, section 33 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and Schedule 3 to the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (procedure on charge of an offence against a corporation) have effect in like manner as in the case of a corporation so charged.
In relation to proceedings on indictment in Scotland for such an offence alleged to have been committed by an unincorporated body, section 74 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (proceedings on indictment against bodies corporate) has effect as if that body were a body corporate.
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In this Act—
"company" means a company formed and registered under this Act, or an existing company;
" existing company" means a company formed and registered under the former Companies Acts, but does not include a company registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts, the Companies Act 1862 or the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908 in what was then Ireland ;
" the former Companies Acts " means the Joint Stock Companies Acts, the Companies Act 1862, the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908, the Companies Act 1929 and the Companies Acts 1948 to 1983.
" Public company " and " private company " have the meanings given by section 1(3).
" The Joint Stock Companies Acts " means the Joint Stock Companies Act 1856, the Joint Stock Companies Acts 1856, 1857, the Joint Stock Banking Companies Act 1857 and the Act to enable Joint Stock Banking Companies to be formed on the principle of limited liability, or any one or more of those Acts (as the case may require), but does not include the Joint Stock Companies Act 1844.
The definitions in this section apply unless the contrary intention appears.
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For the purposes of this Act, a company is deemed to be a subsidiary of another if (but only if)— The above is subject to subsection (4) below in this section.
that other either—
is a member of it and controls the composition of its board of directors, or
holds more than half in nominal value of its equity share capital, or
the first-mentioned company is a subsidiary of any company which is that other's subsidiary.
For purposes of subsection (1), the composition of a company's board of directors is deemed to be controlled by another company if (but only if) that other company by the exercise of some power exercisable by it without the consent or concurrence of any other person can appoint or remove the holders of all or a majority of the directorships.
For purposes of this last provision, the other company is deemed to have power to appoint to a directorship with respect to which any of the following conditions is satisfied—
that a person cannot be appointed to it without the exercise in his favour by the other company of such a power as is mentioned above, or
that a person's appointment to the directorship follows necessarily from his "appointment as director of the other company, or
that the directorship is held by the other company itself or by a subsidiary of it.
In determining whether one company is a subsidiary of another—
any shares held or power exercisable by the other in a fiduciary capacity are to be treated as not held or exercisable by it,
subject to the two following paragraphs, any shares held or power exercisable— are to be treated as held or exercisable by the other,
by any person as nominee for the other (except where the other is concerned only in a fiduciary capacity), or
by, or by a nominee for, a subsidiary of the other (not being a subsidiary which is concerned only in a fiduciary capacity),
any shares held or power exercisable by any person by virtue of the provisions of any debentures of the first-mentioned company or of a trust deed for securing any issue of such debentures are to be disregarded,
any shares held or power exercisable by, or by a nominee for, the other or its subsidiary (not being held or exercisable as mentioned in paragraph (c)) are to be treated as not held or exercisable by the other if the ordinary business of the other or its subsidiary (as the case may be) includes the lending of money and the shares are held or the power is exercisable as above mentioned by way of security only for the purposes of a transaction entered into in the ordinary course of that business.
For purposes of this Act—
a company is deemed to be another's holding company if (but only if) the other is its subsidiary, and
a body corporate is deemed the wholly-owned subsidiary of another if it has no members except that other and that other's wholly-owned subsidiaries and its or their nominees.
In this section " company " includes any body corporate.
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In this Act, " called-up share capital", in relation to a company, means so much of its share capital as equals the aggregate amount of the calls made on its shares (whether or not those calls have been paid), together with any share capital paid up without being called and any share capital to be paid on a specified future date under the articles, the terms of allotment of the relevant shares or any other arrangements for payment of those shares.
" Uncalled share capital " is to be construed accordingly.
The definitions in this section apply unless the contrary intention appears.
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In relation to an allotment of shares in a company, the shares are to be taken for the purposes of this Act to be allotted when a person acquires the unconditional right to be included in the company's register of members in respect of those shares.
For purposes of this Act, a share in a company is deemed paid up (as to its nominal value or any premium on it) in cash, or allotted for cash, if the consideration for the allotment or payment up is cash received by the company, or is a cheque received by it in good faith which the directors have no reason for suspecting will not be paid, or is a release of a liability of the company for a liquidated sum, or is an undertaking to pay cash to the company at a future date.
In relation to the allotment or payment up of any shares in a company, references in this Act (except sections 89 to 94) to consideration other than cash and to the payment up of shares and premiums on shares otherwise than in cash include the payment of, or any undertaking to pay, cash to any person other than the company.
For the purpose of determining whether a share is or is to be allotted for cash, or paid up in cash, " cash" includes foreign currency.
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In this Act "non-cash asset" means any property or interest in property other than cash; and for this purpose " cash " includes foreign currency.
A reference to the transfer or acquisition of a non-cash asset includes the creation or extinction of an estate or interest in, or a right over, any property and also the discharge of any person's liability, other than a liability for a liquidated sum.
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In this Act, *' director " includes any person occupying the position of director, by whatever name called.
In relation to a company, "shadow director" means a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of the company are accustomed to act. However, a person is not deemed a shadow director by reason only that the directors act on advice given by him in a professional capacity.
For the purposes of the following provisions of this Act, namely— section 309 (directors' duty to have regard to interests of employees), section 319 (directors' long-term contracts of employment), sections 320 to 322 (substantial property transactions involving directors), and sections 330 to 346 (general restrictions on power of companies to make loans, etc., to directors and others connected with them), (being provisions under which shadow directors are treated as directors), a body corporate is not to be treated as a shadow director of any of its subsidiary companies by reason only that the directors of the subsidiary are accustomed to act in accprd-ance with its directions or instructions.
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In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—
" accounting reference period " has the meaning given by sections 224 to 226 ;
" accounts" includes a company's group accounts (within the meaning of section 229), whether prepared in the form of accounts or not;
" balance sheet date ", in relation to a balance sheet, means the date as at which the balance sheet was prepared;
" financial year "— (whether, in either case, that period is a year or not);
in relation to a body corporate to which Part VII applies, means a period in respect of which a profit and loss account under section 227 in that Part is made up, and
in relation to any other body corporate, means a period in respect of which a profit and loss account of the body laid before it in general meeting is made up,
any reference to a profit and loss account, in the case of a company not trading for profit, is to its income and expenditure account, and references to profit or loss and, if the company has subsidiaries, references to a consolidated profit and loss account are to be construed accordingly.
Except in relation to special category accounts, any reference to a balance sheet or profit and loss account includes any notes to the account in question giving information which is required by any provision of this Act, and required or allowed by any such provision to be given in a note to company accounts.
In relation to special category accounts, any reference to a balance sheet or profit and loss account includes any notes thereon or document annexed thereto giving information which is required by this Act and is thereby allowed to be so given.
References to special category companies and special category accounts are to be construed in accordance with Chapter II of Part VII.
For the purposes of Part VII, a body corporate is to be regarded as publishing any balance sheet or other account if it publishes, issues or circulates it or otherwise makes it available for public inspection in a manner calculated to invite members of the public generally, or any class of members of the public, to read it.
Expressions which, when used in Schedule 4, fall to be construed in accordance with any provision of Part VII of that Schedule have the same meaning (unless the contrary intention appears) when used in any provision of this Act.
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the bona fide employees or former employees of the company, the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the company's holding company, or
the wives, husbands, widows, widowers or children or step-children under the age of 18 of such employees or former employees.
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Except where otherwise expressly provided, nothing in this Act (except provisions relating expressly to companies registered or incorporated in Northern Ireland or outside Great Britain) applies to or in relation to companies so registered or incorporated.
Subject to any such provision, and to any express provision as to extent, this Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.
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In this Act references to the Bank of England do not include the Bank acting in its capacity as the Prudential Regulation Authority.
This Act may be cited as the Companies Act 1985.
Group accounts shall comply so far as practicable with the provisions of . . . Schedule 4 (form and content of company accounts) as if the undertakings included in the consolidation (“the group”) were a single company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where the parent company is treated as an investment company for the purposes of Part V of that Schedule (special provisions for investment companies) the group shall be similarly treated.
The consolidated balance sheet and profit and loss account shall incorporate in full the information contained in the individual accounts of the undertakings included in the consolidation, subject to the adjustments authorised or required by the following provisions of this Schedule and to such other adjustments (if any) as may be appropriate in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice. If the financial year of a subsidiary undertaking included in the consolidation does not end with that of the parent company, the group accounts shall be made up—
Where assets and liabilities to be included in the group accounts have been valued or otherwise determined by undertakings according to accounting rules differing from those used for the group accounts, the values or amounts shall be adjusted so as to accord with the rules used for the group accounts. If it appears to the directors of the parent company that there are special reasons for departing from sub-paragraph (1) they may do so, but particulars of any such departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts. The adjustments referred to in this paragraph need not be made if they are not material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view.
Any differences of accounting rules as between a parent company’s individual accounts for a financial year and its group accounts shall be disclosed in a note to the latter accounts and the reasons for the difference given.
Amounts which in the particular context of any provision of this Schedule are not material may be disregarded for the purposes of that provision.
Debts and claims between undertakings included in the consolidation, and income and expenditure relating to transactions between such undertakings, shall be eliminated in preparing the group accounts. Where profits and losses resulting from transactions between undertakings included in the consolidation are included in the book value of assets, they shall be eliminated in preparing the group accounts. The elimination required by sub-paragraph (2) may be effected in proportion to the group’s interest in the shares of the undertakings. Sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) need not be complied with if the amounts concerned are not material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view.
The following provisions apply where an undertaking becomes a subsidiary undertaking of the parent company. That event is referred to in those provisions as an “acquisition”, and references to the “undertaking acquired” shall be construed accordingly.
An acquisition shall be accounted for by the acquisition method of accounting unless the conditions for accounting for it as a merger are met and the merger method of accounting is adopted.
The acquisition method of accounting is as follows. The identifiable assets and liabilities of the undertaking acquired shall be included in the consolidated balance sheet at their fair values as at the date of acquisition. In this paragraph the “identifiable” assets or liabilities of the undertaking acquired means the assets or liabilities which are capable of being disposed of or discharged separately, without disposing of a business of the undertaking. The income and expenditure of the undertaking acquired shall be brought into the group accounts only as from the date of the acquisition. There shall be set off against the acquisition cost of the interest in the shares of the undertaking held by the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings the interest of the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings in the adjusted capital and reserves of the undertaking acquired. For this purpose— The resulting amount if positive shall be treated as goodwill, and if negative as a negative consolidation difference.
The conditions for accounting for an acquisition as a merger are— The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(a) to the “relevant shares” in an undertaking acquired is to those carrying unrestricted rights to participate both in distributions and in the assets of the undertaking upon liquidation.
The merger method of accounting is as follows. The assets and liabilities of the undertaking acquired shall be brought into the group accounts at the figures at which they stand in the undertaking’s accounts, subject to any adjustment authorised or required by this Schedule. The income and expenditure of the undertaking acquired shall be included in the group accounts for the entire financial year, including the period before the acquisition. The group accounts shall show corresponding amounts relating to the previous financial year as if the undertaking acquired had been included in the consolidation throughout that year. There shall be set off against the aggregate of— the nominal value of the issued share capital of the undertaking acquired held by the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings. The resulting amount shall be shown as an adjustment to the consolidated reserves. In sub-paragraph (5)(a) “qualifying shares” means—
Where a group is acquired, paragraphs 9 to 11 apply with the following adaptations. References to shares of the undertaking acquired shall be construed as references to shares of the parent undertaking of the group. Other references to the undertaking acquired shall be construed as references to the group; and references to the assets and liabilities, income and expenditure and capital and reserves of the undertaking acquired shall be construed as references to the assets and liabilities, income and expenditure and capital and reserves of the group after making the set-offs and other adjustments required by this Schedule in the case of group accounts.
The following information with respect to acquisitions taking place in the financial year shall be given in a note to the accounts. There shall be stated— and in relation to an acquisition which significantly affects the figures shown in the group accounts, the following further information shall be given. The composition and fair value of the consideration for the acquisition given by the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings shall be stated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where the acquisition method of accounting has been adopted, the book values immediately prior to the acquisition, and the fair values at the date of acquisition, of each class of assets and liabilities of the undertaking or group acquired shall be stated in tabular form, including a statement of the amount of any goodwill or negative consolidation difference arising on the acquisition, together with an explanation of any significant adjustments made. Where the merger method of accounting has been adopted, an explanation shall be given of any significant adjustments made in relation to the amounts of the assets and liabilities of the undertaking or group acquired, together with a statement of any resulting adjustment to the consolidated reserves (including the re-statement of opening consolidated reserves). In ascertaining for the purposes of sub-paragraph . . ., (5) or (6) the profit or loss of a group, the book values and fair values of assets and liabilities of a group or the amount of the assets and liabilities of a group, the set-offs and other adjustments required by this Schedule in the case of group accounts shall be made.
There shall also be stated in a note to the accounts the cumulative amount of goodwill resulting from acquisitions in that and earlier financial years which has been written off otherwise than in the consolidated profit and loss account for that or any earlier financial yearotherwise than in the consolidated profit and loss account for that or any earlier financial year. That figure shall be shown net of any goodwill attributable to subsidiary undertakings or businesses disposed of prior to the balance sheet date.
Where during the financial year there has been a disposal of an undertaking or group which significantly affects the figures shown in the group accounts, there shall be stated in a note to the accounts—
the name of that undertaking or, as the case may be, of the parent undertaking of that group, and
the extent to which the profit or loss shown in the group accounts is attributable to profit or loss of that undertaking or group.
The information required by paragraph 13, 14 or 15 above need not be disclosed with respect to an undertaking which— if in the opinion of the directors of the parent company the disclosure would be seriously prejudicial to the business of that undertaking or to the business of the parent company or any of its subsidiary undertakings and the Secretary of State agrees that the information should not be disclosed.
is established under the law of a country outside the United Kingdom, or
carries on business outside the United Kingdom,
The formats set out in Schedule 4 have effect in relation to group accounts with the following additions. In the Balance Sheet Formats a further item headed “Minority interests” shall be added— and under that item shall be shown the amount of capital and reserves attributable to shares in subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation held by or on behalf of persons other than the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings. In the Profit and Loss Account Formats a further item headed “Minority interests” shall be added— and under that item shall be shown the amount of any profit or loss on ordinary activities attributable to shares in subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation held by or on behalf of persons other than the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings. In the Profit and Loss Account Formats a further item headed “Minority interests” shall be added— and under that item shall be shown the amount of any profit or loss on extraordinary activities attributable to shares in subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation held by or on behalf of persons other than the parent company and its subsidiary undertakings. For the purposes of paragraph 3(3) and (4) of Schedule 4 (power to adapt or combine items)—
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Where an undertaking included in the consolidation manages another undertaking jointly with one or more undertakings not included in the consolidation, that other undertaking (''the joint venture’’) may, if it is not— be dealt with in the group accounts by the method of proportional consolidation. The provisions of this Schedule relating to the preparation of consolidated accounts apply, with any necessary modifications, to proportional consolidation under this paragraph.
An “associated undertaking” means an undertaking in which an undertaking included in the consolidation has a participating interest and over whose operating and financial policy it exercises a significant influence, and which is not— Where an undertaking holds 20 per cent. or more of the voting rights in another undertaking, it shall be presumed to exercise such an influence over it unless the contrary is shown. The voting rights in an undertaking means the rights conferred on shareholders in respect of their shares or, in the case of an undertaking not having a share capital, on members, to vote at general meetings of the undertaking on all, or substantially all, matters. (4) The provisions of paragraphs 5 to 11 of Schedule 10A (rights to be taken into account and attribution of rights) apply in determining for the purposes of this paragraph whether an undertaking holds 20 per cent. or more of the voting rights in another undertaking.
The formats set out in Schedule 4 have effect in relation to group accounts with the following modifications. In the Balance Sheet Formats the items headed “Participating interests”, that is— shall be replaced by two items, “Interests in associated undertakings” and “Other participating interests”. In the Profit and Loss Account Formats, the items headed “Income from participating interests”, that is— shall be replaced by two items, “Income from interests in associated undertakings” and “Income from other participating interests”.
The interest of an undertaking in an associated undertaking, and the amount of profit or loss attributable to such an interest, shall be shown by the equity method of accounting (including dealing with any goodwill arising in accordance with paragraphs 17 to 19 and 21 of Schedule 4). Where the associated undertaking is itself a parent undertaking, the net assets and profits or losses to be taken into account are those of the parent and its subsidiary undertakings (after making any consolidation adjustments). The equity method of accounting need not be applied if the amounts in question are not material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view.
An operating and financial review must be a balanced and comprehensive analysis, consistent with the size and complexity of the business, of— prepared so as to assist the members of the company to assess the strategies adopted by the company and the potential for those strategies to succeed.
the development and performance of the business of the company during the financial year,
the position of the company at the end of the year,
the main trends and factors underlying the development, performance and position of the business of the company during the financial year, and
the main trends and factors which are likely to affect the company's future development, performance and position,
The review must include—
a statement of the business, objectives and strategies of the company;
a description of the resources available to the company;
a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the company; and
a description of the capital structure, the treasury policies and objectives and the liquidity of the company.
To the extent necessary to comply with the general requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2, the review must comply with paragraphs 4 to 6. If the review does not contain information and analysis of each kind mentioned in paragraphs 4 and 5, it must state which of those kinds of information and analysis it does not contain.
The review must include— The review must, in particular, include —
The review must also include —
information about persons with whom the company has contractual or other arrangements which are essential to the business of the company; and
information about receipts from, and returns to, members of the company in respect of shares held by them.
The review must include analysis using financial and, where appropriate, other key performance indicators, including information relating to environmental matters and employee matters. In sub-paragraph (1), “key performance indicators” means factors by reference to which the development, performance or position of the business of the company can be measured effectively.
To the extent necessary to comply with the general requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2, the review must, where appropriate, include references to, and additional explanations of, amounts included in the company's annual accounts.
The review must—
state whether it has been prepared in accordance with relevant reporting standards, and
contain particulars of, and reasons for, any departure from such standards.
In relation to a group operating and financial review this Schedule has effect as if the references to the company (other than the last such reference in paragraph 1) were references to the company and its subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation.
In the directors’ remuneration report for a financial year (“the relevant financial year”) there shall be shown the information specified in Parts 2 and 3 below. Information required to be shown in the report for or in respect of a particular person shall be shown in the report in a manner that links the information to that person identified by name.
If a committee of the company’s directors has considered matters relating to the directors’ remuneration for the relevant financial year, the directors’ remuneration report shall— In sub-paragraph (1)(b) “person” includes (in particular) any director of the company who does not fall within sub-paragraph (1)(a).
The directors’ remuneration report shall contain a statement of the company’s policy on directors’ remuneration for the following financial year and for financial years subsequent to that. The policy statement shall include— The policy statement shall, in respect of each director’s terms and conditions relating to remuneration, explain the relative importance of those elements which are, and those which are not, related to performance. The policy statement shall summarise, and explain, the company’s policy on— In sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), references to a director are to any person who serves as a director of the company at any time in the period beginning with the end of the relevant financial year and ending with date on which the directors’ remuneration report is laid before the company in general meeting.
For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (1) and (4), “relevant period” means the five financial years of which the last is the relevant financial year. Where the relevant financial year For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), the “total shareholder return” for a relevant period on a holding of shares must be calculated using a fair method that— and the same method must be used for each of the holdings mentioned in sub-paragraph (1). The assumptions as to reinvestment of income are— In sub-paragraph (5) “benefit” means any benefit (including, in particular, any dividend) receivable in respect of any shares in the holding by the holder from the company of whose share capital the shares form part. The assumption as to the funding of liabilities is that, where the holder has a liability to the company of whose capital the shares in the holding form part, shares are sold from the holding— In sub-paragraph (7) “liability” means a liability arising in respect of any shares in the holding or from the exercise of a right attached to any of those shares.
The directors’ remuneration report shall contain, in respect of the contract of service or contract for services of each person who has served as a director of the company at any time during the relevant financial year, the following information: The directors’ remuneration report shall contain an explanation for any significant award made to a person in the circumstances described in paragraph 14.
The directors’ remuneration report shall for the relevant financial year show, for each person who has served as a director of the company at any time during that year, each of the following— The directors’ remuneration report shall show, for each person who has served as a director of the company at any time during the relevant financial year, the amount that for the financial year preceding the relevant financial year is the total of the sums mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) of sub-paragraph (1). The directors’ remuneration report shall also state the nature of any element of a remuneration package which is not cash. The information required by sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be presented in tabular form.
The directors’ remuneration report shall contain, in respect of each person who has served as a director of the company at any time in the relevant financial year, the information specified in paragraph 8. Sub-paragraph (1) is subject to paragraph 9 (aggregation of information to avoid excessively lengthy reports). The information specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph 8 shall be presented in tabular form in the report. In paragraph 8 “share option”, in relation to a person, means a share option granted in respect of qualifying services of the person.
The information required by sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 7 in respect of such a person as is mentioned in that sub-paragraph is—
the number of shares that are subject to a share option— in each case differentiating between share options having different terms and conditions;
at the beginning of the relevant financial year or, if later, on the date of the appointment of the person as a director of the company, and
at the end of the relevant financial year or, if earlier, on the cessation of the person’s appointment as a director of the company,
information identifying those share options that have been awarded in the relevant financial year, those that have been exercised in that year, those that in that year have expired unexercised and those whose terms and conditions have been varied in that year;
for each share option that is unexpired at any time in the relevant financial year—
the price paid, if any, for its award,
the exercise price,
the date from which the option may be exercised, and
the date on which the option expires;
a description of any variation made in the relevant financial year in the terms and conditions of a share option;
a summary of any performance criteria upon which the award or exercise of a share option is conditional, including a description of any variation made in such performance criteria during the relevant financial year;
for each share option that has been exercised during the relevant financial year, the market price of the shares, in relation to which it is exercised, at the time of exercise; and
for each share option that is unexpired at the end of the relevant financial year— of each share that is subject to the option.
the market price at the end of that year, and
the highest and lowest market prices during that year,
If, in the opinion of the directors of the company, disclosure in accordance with paragraphs 7 and 8 would result in a disclosure of excessive length then, (subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3))— Sub-paragraph (1)(b) and (c) does not permit the aggregation of— Subparagraph (1) does not apply (and accordingly, full disclosure must be made in accordance with paragraphs 7 and 8) in respect of share options that during the relevant financial year have been awarded or exercised or had their terms and conditions varied.
The directors’ remuneration report shall contain, in respect of each person who has served as a director of the company at any time in the relevant financial year, the information specified in paragraph 11. Sub-paragraph (1) does not require the report to contain share option details that are contained in the report in compliance with paragraphs 7 to 9. The information specified in paragraph 11 shall be presented in tabular form in the report. For the purposes of paragraph 11— In this Schedule “long term incentive scheme” means any agreement or arrangement under which money or other assets may become receivable by a person and which includes one or more qualifying conditions with respect to service or performance that cannot be fulfilled within a single financial year, and for this purpose the following shall be disregarded, namely—
The information required by sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 10 in respect of such a person as is mentioned in that sub-paragraph is— The details that sub-paragraph (1)(b) requires of a scheme interest awarded during the relevant financial year include, if shares may become receivable in respect of the interest, the following— In sub-paragraph (1)(e)(i) “the relevant details”, in relation to any shares that have become receivable in respect of a scheme interest, means—
The directors’ remuneration report shall, for each person who has served as a director of the company at any time during the relevant financial year, contain the information in respect of pensions that is specified in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3). Where the person has rights under a pension scheme that is a defined benefit scheme in relation to the person and any of those rights are rights to which he has become entitled in respect of qualifying services of his— Where— details of any contribution to the scheme in respect of the person that is paid or payable by the company for the relevant financial year or paid by the company in that year for another financial year.
Subject to sub-paragraph (3), the directors’ remuneration report shall show in respect of each person who has served as a director of the company— the amount of so much of retirement benefits paid to or receivable by the person under pension schemes as is in excess of the retirement benefits to which he was entitled on the date on which the benefits first became payable or 31st March 1997, whichever is the later. In subsection (1) “retirement benefits” means retirement benefits to which the person became entitled in respect of qualifying services of his. Amounts paid or receivable under a pension scheme need not be included in an amount required to be shown under sub-paragraph (1) if— and in this sub-paragraph “pensioner member”, in relation to a pension scheme, means any person who is entitled to the present payment of retirement benefits under the scheme. In this paragraph— and the nature of any such benefit shall also be shown in the report.
The directors’ remuneration report shall contain details of any significant award made in the relevant financial year to any person who was not a director of the company at the time the award was made but had previously been a director of the company, including (in particular) compensation in respect of loss of office and pensions but excluding any sums which have already been shown in the report under paragraph 6(1)(d).
For the purposes of this Schedule emoluments paid or receivable or share options granted in respect of a person’s accepting office as a director shall be treated as emoluments paid or receivable or share options granted in respect of his services as a director. Where a pension scheme provides for any benefits that may become payable to or in respect of a person to be whichever are the greater of— the company may assume for the purposes of this Schedule that those benefits will be money purchase benefits in relation to the person, or not, according to whichever appears more likely at the end of the relevant financial year. In determining for the purposes of this Schedule whether a pension scheme is a money purchase scheme in relation to a person or a defined benefit scheme in relation to a person, any death in service benefits provided for by the scheme shall be disregarded.
The following applies with respect to the amounts to be shown under this Schedule. The amount in each case includes all relevant sums paid by or receivable from— except sums to be accounted for to the company or any of its subsidiary undertakings or any other undertaking of which any person has been a director while director of the company, by virtue of sections 314 and 315 of this Act (duty of directors to make disclosure on company takeover; consequence of non-compliance), to past or present members of the company or any of its subsidiaries or any class of those members. References to amounts paid to or receivable by a person include amounts paid to or receivable by a person connected with him or a body corporate controlled by him (but not so as to require an amount to be counted twice).
The amounts to be shown for any financial year under Part 3 of this Schedule are the sums receivable in respect of that year (whenever paid) or, in the case of sums not receivable in respect of a period, the sums paid during that year. But where— those sums shall, to the extent to which the liability is released or not enforced or they are charged as mentioned above (as the case may be), be shown in the first directors’ remuneration report in which it is practicable to show them and shall be distinguished from the amounts to be shown apart from this provision.
Where it is necessary to do so for the purpose of making any distinction required by the preceding paragraphs in an amount to be shown in compliance with this Part of this Schedule, the directors may apportion any payments between the matters in respect of which these have been paid or are receivable in such manner as they think appropriate.
This Schedule requires information to be given only so far as it is contained in the company’s books and papers, available to members of the public or the company has the right to obtain it.
The Secretary of State.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland.
The Treasury.
The Bank of England.
The Financial Services Authority.
The Commissioners of Inland Revenue.
A disclosure for the purpose of assisting a body designated by an order under section 46 of the Companies Act 1989 (delegation of functions of Secretary of State) to exercise its functions under Part 2 of that Act.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, disciplinary proceedings relating to the performance by an accountant or auditor of his professional duties.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Secretary of State or the Treasury to exercise any of their functions under any of the following—
this Act;
the insider dealing legislation;
the Insolvency Act 1986;
the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland to exercise any powers conferred on it by the enactments relating to companies or insolvency.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Bank of England to exercise its functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to exercise their functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Financial Services Authority to exercise its functions under any of the following—
the legislation relating to friendly societies or to industrial and provident societies;
the Building Societies Act 1986;
Part 7 of the Companies Act 1989;
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A disclosure in pursuance of any Community obligation.
A disclosure is made in accordance with this Part of this Schedule if—
it is made to a body within paragraph 16, and
it is made for the purpose of enabling or assisting that body to exercise the functions mentioned in that paragraph.
A body is within this paragraph if it exercises functions of a public nature under legislation in any country or territory outside the United Kingdom which appear to the authorised person to be similar to his functions under section 245B of this Act.
In determining whether to disclose information to a body in accordance with this Part of this Schedule, the authorised person must have regard to the following considerations—
whether the use which the body is likely to make of the information is sufficiently important to justify making the disclosure; and
whether the body has adequate arrangements to prevent the information from being used or further disclosed other than for the purposes of carrying out the functions mentioned in paragraph 16 or any other purposes substantially similar to those for which information disclosed to the authorised person could be used or further disclosed.
A small company may deliver to the registrar a copy of the balance sheet showing the items listed in either of the balance sheet formats set out in paragraph 2 below in the order and under the headings and sub-headings given in the format adopted, but in other respects corresponding to the full balance sheet.
The formats referred to in paragraph 1 are as follows—
Called up share capital not paid
Current assets Stocks Debtors(1) Investments Cash at bank and in hand
Prepayments and accrued income
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets (liabilities)
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
Provisions for liabilities
Accruals and deferred income
Capital and reserves Called up share capital Share premium account Revaluation reserve Other reserves Profit and loss account
Called up share capital not paid
Current assets Stocks Debtors(1) Investments Cash at bank and in hand
Prepayments and accrued income
Capital and reserves Called up share capital Share premium account Revaluation reserve Other reserves Profit and loss account
Provisions for liabilities
Creditors(2)
Accruals and deferred income
(1)Debtors (Formats 1 and 2, item C.II.) The aggregate amount of debtors falling due after more than one year shall be shown separately, unless it is disclosed in the notes to the accounts. (2)Creditors (Format 2, Liabilities item C.) The aggregate amount of creditors falling due within one year and of creditors falling due after more than one year shall be shown separately, unless it is disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
Any information required in the case of any small company by the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule shall (if not given in the company’s accounts) be given by way of a note to those accounts.
The accounting policies adopted by the company in determining the amounts to be included in respect of items shown in the balance sheet and in determining the profit or loss of the company shall be stated (including such policies with respect to the depreciation and diminution in value of assets).
The following information shall be given with respect to the company’s share capital— In the case of any part of the allotted share capital that consists of redeemable shares, the following information shall be given—
If the company has allotted any shares during the financial year, the following information shall be given—
the classes of shares allotted; and
as respects each class of shares, the number allotted, their aggregate nominal value, and the consideration received by the company for the allotment.
In respect of each item to which a letter or Roman number is assigned under the general item “fixed assets” in the company’s balance sheet the following information shall be given— The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(a) to the appropriate amounts in respect of any item as at any date there mentioned is a reference to amounts representing the aggregate amounts determined, as at that date, in respect of assets falling to be included under that item on either of the following bases, that is to say— (leaving out of account in either case any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value). In respect of each item within sub-paragraph (1)— shall also be stated.
Sub-paragraph (2) applies if– There must be stated–
For the aggregate of all items shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate of the following amounts, that is to say— In respect of each item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate amount of any debts included under that item, in respect of which any security has been given by the company.
Where sums originally denominated in foreign currencies have been brought into account under any items shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, the basis on which those sums have been translated into sterling shall be stated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where the directors of a company take advantage of the exemption conferred by section 249AA, and the company has during the financial year in question acted as an agent for any person, the fact that it has so acted must be stated.
Any item required in accordance with paragraph 1 above to be shown in a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may be shown in greater detail than so required. A company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may include an item representing or covering the amount of any asset or liability, income or expenditure not specifically covered by any of the items listed in the balance sheet or profit and loss account format set out in section B below, but the following shall not be treated as assets in any company’s balance sheet — Items to which Arabic numbers are assigned in the balance sheet format set out in section B below (except for items concerning technical provisions and the reinsurers’ share of technical provisions), and items to which lower case letters in parentheses are assigned in the profit and loss account format so set out (except for items within items I.1 and 4 and II.1, 5 and 6) may be combined in a company’s accounts for any financial year if either — but in a case within paragraph (b) above the individual amounts of any items so combined shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts and any notes required by this Schedule to the items so combined under that paragraph shall, notwithstanding the combination, be given. Subject to paragraph 3(3) below, a heading or sub-heading corresponding to an item listed in the format adopted in preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account shall not be included if there is no amount to be shown for that item in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates.
In respect of every item shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, there shall be shown or stated the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the accounts relate. Where the corresponding amount is not comparable with the amount to be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, the former amount may be adjusted and particulars of the non-comparability and of any adjustment shall be given in a note to the accounts. Paragraph 2(4) above does not apply in any case where an amount can be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, and that amount shall be shown under the heading or sub-heading required by paragraph 1 above for that item.
Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, amounts in respect of items representing assets or income may not be set off against amounts in respect of items representing liabilities or expenditure (as the case may be), or vice versa.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The provisions of this Schedule which relate to long term business shall apply, with necessary modifications, to business which consists of effecting or carrying out relevant contracts of general insurance which — For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contract of general insurance is a relevant contract if the risk insured against relates to— Sub-paragraph (2) must be read with—
The directors of a company must, in determining how amounts are presented within items in the profit and loss account and balance sheet, have regard to the substance of the reported transaction or arrangement, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice.
References in this Part of this Schedule to the balance sheet format or profit and loss account format are to the balance sheet format or profit and loss account format set out below, and references to the items listed in either of the formats are to those items read together with any of the notes following the formats which apply to any of those items. The requirement imposed by paragraph 1 to show the items listed in either format in the order adopted in the format is subject to any provision in the notes following the format for alternative positions for any particular items. Where in respect of any item to which an Arabic number is assigned in either format, the gross amount and reinsurance amount or reinsurers’ share are required to be shown, a sub-total of those amounts shall also be given. Where in respect of any item to which an Arabic number is assigned in the profit and loss account format, separate items are required to be shown, then a separate sub-total of those items shall also be given in addition to any sub-total required by sub-paragraph (3) above.
A number in brackets following any item in either of the formats set out below is a reference to the note of that number in the notes following the format.
In the profit and loss account format set out below— In sub-paragraph (1), references to— must be read with section 22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, any relevant order under that section, and Schedule 2 to that Act.
Called up share capital not paid (1) Intangible assets Investments Assets held to cover linked liabilities (11) Reinsurers’ share of technical provisions (12) Debtors (13) Other assets Prepayments and accrued income
Capital and reserves Subordinated liabilities (18) Fund for future appropriations (19) Technical provisions Technical provisions for linked liabilities (26) Provisions for other risks Deposits received from reinsurers (27) Creditors (28) Accruals and deferred income
Called up share capital not paid (Assets items A and E.IV) This item may be shown in either of the positions given in the format. Concessions, patents, licences, trade marks and similar rights and assets (Assets item B.2) Amounts in respect of assets shall only be included in a company’s balance sheet under this item if either — the assets were acquired for valuable consideration and are not required to be shown under goodwill; or the assets in question were created by the company itself. Goodwill (Assets item B.3) Amounts representing goodwill shall only be included to the extent that the goodwill was acquired for valuable consideration. Land and buildings (Assets item C.I.) The amount of any land and buildings occupied by the company for its own activities shall be shown separately in the notes to the accounts. Debt securities and other fixed income securities (Assets item C.III.2) This item shall comprise transferable debt securities and any other transferable fixed income securities issued by credit institutions, other undertakings or public bodies, in so far as they are not covered by Assets item C.II.2 or C.II.4. Securities bearing interest rates that vary in accordance with specific factors, for example the interest rate on the inter-bank market or on the Euromarket, shall also be regarded as debt securities and other fixed income securities and so be included under this item. Participation in investment pools (Assets item C.III.3) This item shall comprise shares held by the company in joint investments constituted by several undertakings or pension funds, the management of which has been entrusted to one of those undertakings or to one of those pension funds. Loans secured by mortgages and other loans (Assets items C.III.4 and C.III.5) Loans to policy holders for which the policy is the main security shall be included under “Other loans” and their amount shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts. Loans secured by mortgage shall be shown as such even where they are also secured by insurance policies. Where the amount of “Other loans” not secured by policies is material, an appropriate breakdown shall be given in the notes to the accounts. Deposits with credit institutions (Assets item C.III.6) This item shall comprise sums the withdrawal of which is subject to a time restriction. Sums deposited with no such restriction shall be shown under Assets item F.III even if they bear interest. Other (Assets item C.III.7) This item shall comprise those investments which are not covered by Assets items C.III.1 to 6. Where the amount of such investments is significant, they must be disclosed in the notes to the accounts. Deposits with ceding undertakings (Assets item C.IV) Where the company accepts reinsurance this item shall comprise amounts, owed by the ceding undertakings and corresponding to guarantees, which are deposited with those ceding undertakings or with third parties or which are retained by those undertakings. These amounts may not be combined with other amounts owed by the ceding insurer to the reinsurer or set off against amounts owed by the reinsurer to the ceding insurer. Securities deposited with ceding undertakings or third parties which remain the property of the company shall be entered in the company’s accounts as an investment, under the appropriate item. Assets held to cover linked liabilities (Assets item D) In respect of long term business, this item shall comprise investments made pursuant to long term policies under which the benefits payable to the policy holder are wholly or partly to be determined by reference to the value of, or the income from, property of any description (whether or not specified in the contract) or by reference to fluctuations in, or in an index of, the value of property of any description (whether or not so specified). This item shall also comprise investments which are held on behalf of the members of a tontine and are intended for distribution among them. Reinsurance amounts (Assets item Da: Liabilities items C.1(b), 2(b), 3(b), 4(b) and 6(b) and D(b)) The reinsurance amounts may be shown either under Assets item Da or under Liabilities items C.1(b), 2(b), 3(b), 4(b) and 6(b) and D(b). The reinsurance amounts shall comprise the actual or estimated amounts which, under contractual reinsurance arrangements, are deducted from the gross amounts of technical provisions. As regards the provision for unearned premiums, the reinsurance amounts shall be calculated according to the methods referred to in paragraph 44 above or in accordance with the terms of the reinsurance policy. Debtors (Assets item E) Amounts owed by group undertakings and undertakings in which the company has a participating interest shall be shown separately as sub-items of Assets items E.I, II and III. Own shares (Assets item F.IV) The nominal value of the shares shall be shown separately under this item. Other (Assets item F.V) This item shall comprise those assets which are not covered by Assets items F.I to IV. Where such assets are material they must be disclosed in the notes to the accounts. Accrued interest and rent (Assets item G.I) This item shall comprise those items that represent interest and rent that have been earned up to the balance-sheet date but have not yet become receivable. Deferred acquisition costs (Assets item G.II) This item shall comprise the costs of acquiring insurance policies which are incurred during a financial year but relate to a subsequent financial year (“deferred acquisition costs”), except in so far as — allowance has been made in the computation of the long term business provision made under paragraph 46 below and shown under Liabilities item C2 or D in the balance sheet, for — the explicit recognition of such costs, or the implicit recognition of such costs by virtue of the anticipation of future income from which such costs may prudently be expected to be recovered, or allowance has been made for such costs in respect of general business policies by a deduction from the provision for unearned premiums made under paragraph 44 below and shown under Liabilities item C.I in the balance sheet. Deferred acquisition costs arising in general business shall be distinguished from those arising in long term business. In the case of general business, the amount of any deferred acquisition costs shall be established on a basis compatible with that used for unearned premiums. There shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts— how the deferral of acquisition costs has been treated (unless otherwise expressly stated in the accounts), and where such costs are included as a deduction from the provisions at Liabilities item C.I, the amount of such deduction, or where the actuarial method used in the calculation of the provisions at Liabilities item C.2 or D has made allowance for the explicit recognition of such costs, the amount of the costs so recognised. Subordinated liabilities (Liabilities item B) This item shall comprise all liabilities in respect of which there is a contractual obligation that, in the event of winding up or of bankruptcy, they are to be repaid only after the claims of all other creditors have been met (whether or not they are represented by certificates). Fund for future appropriations (Liabilities item Ba) This item shall comprise all funds the allocation of which either to policy holders or to shareholders has not been determined by the end of the financial year. Transfers to and from this item shall be shown in item II.12a in the profit and loss account. Provision for unearned premiums (Liabilities item C.1) In the case of long term business the provision for unearned premiums may be included in Liabilities item C.2 rather than in this item. The provision for unearned premiums shall comprise the amount representing that part of gross premiums written which is estimated to be earned in the following financial year or to subsequent financial years. Long term business provision (Liabilities item C.2) This item shall comprise the actuarially estimated value of the company’s liabilities (excluding technical provisions included in Liabilities item D), including bonuses already declared and after deducting the actuarial value of future premiums. This item shall also comprise claims incurred but not reported, plus the estimated costs of settling such claims. Claims outstanding (Liabilities item C.3) This item shall comprise the total estimated ultimate cost to the company of settling all claims arising from events which have occurred up to the end of the financial year (including, in the case of general business, claims incurred but not reported) less amounts already paid in respect of such claims. Provision for bonuses and rebates (Liabilities item C.4) This item shall comprise amounts intended for policy holders or contract beneficiaries by way of bonuses and rebates as defined in Note (5) on the profit and loss account format to the extent that such amounts have not been credited to policy holders or contract beneficiaries or included in Liabilities item Ba or in Liabilities item C.2. Equalisation provision (Liabilities item C.5) This item shall comprise the amount of any equalisation reserve maintained in respect of general business by the company, in accordance with rules made by the Financial Services Authority under Part X of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000This item shall also comprise any amounts which, in accordance with Council Directive 87/343/EEC, are required to be set aside by a company to equalise fluctuations in loss ratios in future years or to provide for special risks. A company which otherwise constitutes reserves to equalise fluctuations in loss ratios in future years or to provide for special risks shall disclose that fact in the notes to the accounts. Other technical provisions (Liabilities item C.6) This item shall comprise, inter alia, the provision for unexpired risks as defined in paragraph 81 below. Where the amount of the provision for unexpired risks is significant, it shall be disclosed separately either in the balance sheet or in the notes to the accounts. Technical provisions for linked liabilities (Liabilities item D) This item shall comprise technical provisions constituted to cover liabilities relating to investment in the context of long term policies under which the benefits payable to policy holders are wholly or partly to be determined by reference to the value of, or the income from, property of any description (whether or not specified in the contract) or by reference to fluctuations in, or in an index of, the value of property of any description (whether or not so specified). Any additional technical provisions constituted to cover death risks, operating expenses or other risks (such as benefits payable at the maturity date or guaranteed surrender values) shall be included under Liabilities item C.2. This item shall also comprise technical provisions representing the obligations of a tontine’s organiser in relation to its members. Deposits received from reinsurers (Liabilities item F) Where the company cedes reinsurance, this item shall comprise amounts deposited by or withheld from other insurance undertakings under reinsurance contracts.These amounts may not be merged with other amounts owed to or by those other undertakings. Where the company cedes reinsurance and has received as a deposit securities which have been transferred to its ownership, this item shall comprise the amount owed by the company by virtue of the deposit. Creditors (Liabilities item G) Amounts owed to group undertakings and undertakings in which the company has a participating interest shall be shown separately as sub-items. Debenture loans (Liabilities item G.III) The amount of any convertible loans shall be shown separately.
Every balance sheet of a company which carries on long term business shall show separately as an additional item the aggregate of any amounts included in Liabilities item A (capital and reserves) which are required not to be treated as realised profits under section 268 of this Act. A company which carries on long term business shall show separately, in the balance sheet or in the notes to the accounts, the total amount of assets representing the long term fund valued in accordance with the provisions of this Schedule.
For the purposes of this paragraph “managed funds” are funds of a group pension fund — The company shall, in any case where assets and liabilities arising in respect of managed funds fall to be treated as assets and liabilities of the company, adopt the following accounting treatment: assets and liabilities representing managed funds are to be included in the company’s balance sheet, with the notes to the accounts disclosing the total amount included with respect to such assets and liabilities in the balance sheet and showing the amount included under each relevant balance sheet item in respect of such assets or (as the case may be) liabilities.
The costs of acquiring insurance policies which are incurred during a financial year but which relate to a subsequent financial year shall be deferred in a manner specified in Note (17) on the balance sheet format.
Technical account General business Earned premiums, net of reinsurance— Allocated investment return transferred from the non-technical account (item III.6)(10) Investment income(8) (10) Other technical income, net of reinsurance Claims incurred, net of reinsurance(4) Changes in other technical provisions, net of reinsurance, not shown under other headings Bonuses and rebates, net of reinsurance(5) Net operating expenses— Other technical charges, net of reinsurance Investment expenses and charges(8) Change in the equalisation provision Sub-total (balance on the technical account for general business) (item III.1)
Technical account Long term business Earned premiums, net of reinsurance— Investment income(8) (10) Unrealised gains on investments(9) Other technical income, net of reinsurance Claims incurred, net of reinsurance(4) Change in other technical provisions, net of reinsurance, not shown under other headings— Bonuses and rebates, net of reinsurance(5) Net operating expenses— Investment expenses and charges(8) Unrealised losses on investments(9) Other technical charges, net of reinsurance Tax attributable to the long term business Allocated investment return transferred to the non-technical account (item III.4) Transfers to or from the fund for future appropriations Sub-total (balance on the technical account long term business) (item III.2)
Non-technical account Balance on the general business technical account (item I.10) Balance on the long term business technical account (item II.13) Tax credit attributable to balance on the long term business technical account Investment income(8) Unrealised gains on investments(9) Allocated investment return transferred from the long term business technical account (item II.12)(10) Investment expenses and charges(8) Unrealised losses on investments(9) Allocated investment return transferred to the general business technical account (item I.2)(10) Other income Other charges, including value adjustments Profit or loss on ordinary activities before tax Tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities Profit or loss on ordinary activities after tax Extraordinary income Extraordinary charges Extraordinary profit or loss Tax on extraordinary profit or loss Other taxes not shown under the preceding items Profit or loss for the financial year
Gross premiums written (General business technical account: item I.1.(a) Long term business technical account: item II.1.(a)) This item shall comprise all amounts due during the financial year in respect of insurance contracts entered into regardless of the fact that such amounts may relate in whole or in part to a later financial year, and shall include inter alia — premiums yet to be determined, where the premium calculation can be done only at the end of the year; single premiums, including annuity premiums, and, in long term business, single premiums resulting from bonus and rebate provisions in so far as they must be considered as premiums under the terms of the contract; additional premiums in the case of half-yearly, quarterly or monthly payments and additional payments from policy holders for expenses borne by the company; in the case of co-insurance, the company’s portion of total premiums; reinsurance premiums due from ceding and retroceding insurance undertakings, including portfolio entries, after deduction of cancellations and portfolio withdrawals credited to ceding and retroceding insurance undertakings. The above amounts shall not include the amounts of taxes or duties levied with premiums. Outward reinsurance premiums (General business technical account: item I.1.(b) Long term business technical account: item II.1.(b)) This item shall comprise all premiums paid or payable in respect of outward reinsurance contracts entered into by the company. Portfolio entries payable on the conclusion or amendment of outward reinsurance contracts shall be added; portfolio withdrawals receivable must be deducted. Change in the provision for unearned premiums, net of reinsurance (Long term business technical account: items II.1.(c) and II.6.(a)) In the case of long term business, the change in unearned premiums may be included either in item II.1.(c) or in item II.6.(a) of the long term business technical account. Claims incurred, net of reinsurance (General business technical account: item I.4 Long term business technical account: item II.5) This item shall comprise all payments made in respect of the financial year with the addition of the provision for claims (but after deducting the provision for claims for the preceding financial year). These amounts shall include annuities, surrenders, entries and withdrawals of loss provisions to and from ceding insurance undertakings and reinsurers and external and internal claims management costs and charges for claims incurred but not reported such as are referred to in paragraphs 47(2) and 49 below. Sums recoverable on the basis of subrogation and salvage (within the meaning of paragraph 47 below) shall be deducted. Where the difference between— the loss provision made at the beginning of the year for outstanding claims incurred in previous years, and the payments made during the year on account of claims incurred in previous years and the loss provision shown at the end of the year for such outstanding claims, is material, it shall be shown in the notes to the accounts, broken down by category and amount. Bonuses and rebates, net of reinsurance (General business technical account: item I.6 Long term business technical account: item II.7) Bonuses shall comprise all amounts chargeable for the financial year which are paid or payable to policy holders and other insured parties or provided for their benefit, including amounts used to increase technical provisions or applied to the reduction of future premiums, to the extent that such amounts represent an allocation of surplus or profit arising on business as a whole or a section of business, after deduction of amounts provided in previous years which are no longer required. Rebates shall comprise such amounts to the extent that they represent a partial refund of premiums resulting from the experience of individual contracts. Where material, the amount charged for bonuses and that charged for rebates shall be disclosed separately in the notes to the accounts. Acquisition costs (General business technical account: item I.7.(a) Long term business technical account: item II.8.(a)) This item shall comprise the costs arising from the conclusion of insurance contracts. They shall cover both direct costs, such as acquisition commissions or the cost of drawing up the insurance document or including the insurance contract in the portfolio, and indirect costs, such as advertising costs or the administrative expenses connected with the processing of proposals and the issuing of policies. In the case of long term business, policy renewal commissions shall be included under item II.8.(c) in the long term business technical account. Administrative expenses (General business technical account: item I.7.(c) Long term business technical account: item II.8.(c)) This item shall include the costs arising from premium collection, portfolio administration, handling of bonuses and rebates, and inward and outward reinsurance. They shall in particular include staff costs and depreciation provisions in respect of office furniture and equipment in so far as these need not be shown under acquisition costs, claims incurred or investment charges. Item II.8.(c) shall also include policy renewal commissions. Investment income, expenses and charges (General business technical account: items I.2a and 8a Long term business technical account: items II.2 and 9 Non-technical account: items III.3 and 5) Investment income, expenses and charges shall, to the extent that they arise in the long term fund, be disclosed in the long term business technical account. Other investment income, expenses and charges shall either be disclosed in the non-technical account or attributed between the appropriate technical and non-technical accounts. Where the company makes such an attribution it shall disclose the basis for it in the notes to the accounts. Unrealised gains and losses on investments (Long term business technical account: items II.3 and 10 Non-technical account: items III.3a and 5a) In the case of investments attributed to the long term fund, the difference between the valuation of the investments and their purchase price or, if they have previously been valued, their valuation as at the last balance sheet date, may be disclosed (in whole or in part) in item II.3 or II.10 (as the case may be) of the long term business technical account, and in the case of investments shown as assets under Assets item D (assets held to cover linked liabilities) shall be so disclosed. In the case of other investments, the difference between the valuation of the investments and their purchase price or, if they have previously been valued, their valuation as at the last balance sheet date, may be disclosed (in whole or in part) in item III.3a or III.5a (as the case may require) of the non-technical account. Allocated investment return (General business technical account: item I.2 Long term business technical account: item II.12 Non-technical account: items III.4 and 6) The allocated return may be transferred from one part of the profit and loss account to another. Where part of the investment return is transferred to the general business technical account, the transfer from the non-technical account shall be deducted from item III.6 and added to item I.2. Where part of the investment return disclosed in the long term business technical account is transferred to the non-technical account, the transfer to the non-technical account shall be deducted from item II.12 and added to item III.4. The reasons for such transfers (which may consist of a reference to any relevant statutory requirement) and the bases on which they are made shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
Subject to paragraph 19 below, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 14 to 18 below.
The company shall be presumed to be carrying on business as a going concern.
Accounting policies shall be applied consistently within the same accounts and from one financial year to the next.
The amount of any item shall be determined on a prudent basis, and in particular —
subject to note (9) on the profit and loss account format, only profits realised at the balance sheet date shall be included in the profit and loss account; and
all liabilities . . . which have arisen . . . in respect of the financial year to which the accounts relate or a previous financial year shall be taken into account, including those which only become apparent between the balance sheet date and the date on which it is signed on behalf of the board of directors in pursuance of section 233 of this Act.
All income and charges relating to the financial year to which the accounts relate shall be taken into account, without regard to the date of receipt or payment.
In determining the aggregate amount of any item the amount of each individual asset or liability that falls to be taken into account shall be determined separately.
If it appears to the directors of a company that there are special reasons for departing from any of the principles stated above in preparing the company’s accounts in respect of any financial year they may do so, but particulars of the departure, the reasons for it and its effect shall be given in a note to the accounts.
The amounts to be included in respect of assets of any description mentioned in paragraph 22 (valuation of assets: general) are determined either– The amounts to be included in respect of assets of any description mentioned in paragraph 23 (alternative valuation of fixed-income securities) may be determined– The amounts to be included in respect of assets which– may be determined in accordance with that section. Subject to sub-paragraphs (1) to (3), the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company’s accounts are determined in accordance with section C.
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Subject to paragraph 24 below, investments falling to be included under Assets item C (investments) shall be included at their current value calculated in accordance with paragraphs 25 and 26 below. Investments falling to be included under Assets item D (assets held to cover linked liabilities) shall be shown at their current value calculated in accordance with paragraphs 25 and 26 below.
Intangible assets other than goodwill may be shown at their current cost. Assets falling to be included under Assets items F.I (tangible assets) and F.IV (own shares) in the balance sheet format may be shown at their current value calculated in accordance with paragraphs 25 and 26 below or at their current cost. Assets falling to be included under Assets item F.II (stocks) may be shown at current cost.
This paragraph applies to debt securities and other fixed-income securities shown as assets under Assets items C.II (investments in group undertakings and participating interests) and C.III (other financial investments). Securities to which this paragraph applies may either be valued in accordance with paragraph 22 above or their amortised value may be shown in the balance sheet, in which case the provisions of this paragraph apply. Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, where the purchase price of securities to which this paragraph applies exceeds the amount repayable at maturity, the amount of the difference — The amount of the difference referred to in sub-paragraph (3) above may be written off in instalments so that it is completely written off when the securities are repaid, in which case there shall be shown separately in the balance sheet or in the notes to the accounts the difference between the purchase price (less the aggregate amount written off) and the amount repayable at maturity. Where the purchase price of securities to which this paragraph applies is less than the amount repayable at maturity, the amount of the difference shall be released to income in instalments over the period remaining until repayment, in which case there shall be shown separately in the balance sheet or in the notes to the accounts the difference between the purchase price (plus the aggregate amount released to income) and the amount repayable at maturity. Both the purchase price and the current value of securities valued in accordance with this paragraph shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts. Where securities to which this paragraph applies which are not valued in accordance with paragraph 22 above are sold before maturity, and the proceeds are used to purchase other securities to which this paragraph applies, the difference between the proceeds of sale and their book value may be spread uniformly over the period remaining until the maturity of the original investment.
Subject to sub-paragraph (5) below, in the case of investments other than land and buildings, current value shall mean market value determined in accordance with this paragraph. In the case of listed investments, market value shall mean the value on the balance sheet date or, when the balance sheet date is not a stock exchange trading day, on the last stock exchange trading day before that date. Where a market exists for unlisted investments, market value shall mean the average price at which such investments were traded on the balance sheet date or, when the balance sheet date is not a trading day, on the last trading day before that date. Where, on the date on which the accounts are drawn up, listed or unlisted investments have been sold or are to be sold within the short term, the market value shall be reduced by the actual or estimated realisation costs. Except where the equity method of accounting is applied, all investments other than those referred to in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) above shall be valued on a basis which has prudent regard to the likely realisable value.
In the case of land and buildings, current value shall mean the market value on the date of valuation, where relevant reduced as provided in sub-paragraphs (4) and (5) below. Market value shall mean the price at which land and buildings could be sold under private contract between a willing seller and an arm’s length buyer on the date of valuation, it being assumed that the property is publicly exposed to the market, that market conditions permit orderly disposal and that a normal period, having regard to the nature of the property, is available for the negotiation of the sale. The market value shall be determined through the separate valuation of each land and buildings item, carried out at least every five years in accordance with generally recognised methods of valuation. Where the value of any land and buildings item has diminished since the preceding valuation under sub-paragraph (3), an appropriate value adjustment shall be made. The lower value arrived at under sub-paragraph (4) shall not be increased in subsequent balance sheets unless such increase results from a new determination of market value arrived at in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) and (3). Where, on the date on which the accounts are drawn up, land and buildings have been sold or are to be sold within the short term, the value arrived at in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) and (4) shall be reduced by the actual or estimated realisation costs. Where it is impossible to determine the market value of a land and buildings item, the value arrived at on the basis of the principle of purchase price or production cost shall be deemed to be its current value.
Where— that value shall be, or (as the case may require) be the starting point for determining, the amount to be included in respect of that asset in the company’s accounts, instead of its cost or any value previously so determined for that asset; and paragraphs 31 to 35 and 37 below shall apply accordingly in relation to any such asset with the substitution for any reference to its cost of a reference to the value most recently determined for that asset in accordance with paragraph 22 or 23 above (as the case may be). The amount of any provision for depreciation required in the case of any asset by paragraph 32 or 33 below as it applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is referred to below in this paragraph as the “adjusted amount”, and the amount of any provision which would be required by that paragraph in the case of that asset according to the historical cost accounting rules is referred to as the “historical cost amount”. Where sub-paragraph (1) applies in the case of any asset the amount of any provision for depreciation in respect of that asset included in any item shown in the profit and loss account in respect of amounts written off assets of the description in question may be the historical cost amount instead of the adjusted amount, provided that the amount of any difference between the two is shown separately in the profit and loss account or in a note to the accounts.
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in respect of assets covered by any items shown in a company’s accounts have been determined in accordance with paragraph 22 or 23 above. The items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. The purchase price of investments valued in accordance with paragraph 22 above shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts. In the case of each balance sheet item valued in accordance with paragraph 23 above either — shall be shown separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts. In sub-paragraph (4) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined as there mentioned are references to —
Subject to sub-paragraph (7) below, with respect to any determination of the value of an asset of a company in accordance with paragraph 22 or 23 above, the amount of any profit or loss arising from that determination (after allowing, where appropriate, for any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value made otherwise than by reference to the value so determined and any adjustments of any such provisions made in the light of that determination) shall be credited or (as the case may be) debited to a separate reserve (“the revaluation reserve”). The amount of the revaluation reserve shall be shown in the company’s balance sheet under Liabilities item A.III, but need not be shown under the name “revaluation reserve”. An amount may be transferred and the revaluation reserve shall be reduced to the extent that the amounts transferred to it are no longer necessary for the purposes of the valuation method used. In sub-paragraph (3)(a)(ii)“capitalisation”, in relation to an amount standing to the credit of the revaluation reserve, means applying it in wholly or partly paying up unissued shares in the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully or partly paid shares. The revaluation reserve shall not be reduced except as mentioned in this paragraph. The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the revaluation reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. This paragraph does not apply to the difference between the valuation of investments and their purchase price or previous valuation shown in the long term business technical account or the non-technical account in accordance with note (9) on the profit and loss account format.
Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), financial instruments (including derivatives) may be included at fair value. Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to financial instruments which constitute liabilities unless– Except where they fall to be included under Assets item D (assets held to cover linked liabilities), sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to– If the fair value of a financial instrument cannot be determined reliably in accordance with paragraph 29B, sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to that financial instrument. In this paragraph–
“associated undertaking” has the meaning given by paragraph 20 of Schedule 4A; and
The fair value of a financial instrument is determined in accordance with this paragraph. If a reliable market can readily be identified for the financial instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to its market value. If a reliable market cannot readily be identified for the financial instrument but can be identified for its components or for a similar instrument, its fair value is determined by reference to the market value of its components or of the similar instrument. If neither sub-paragraph (2) nor (3) applies, the fair value of the financial instrument is a value resulting from generally accepted valuation models and techniques. Any valuation models and techniques used for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) must ensure a reasonable approximation of the market value.
A company may include any assets and liabilities that qualify as hedged items under a fair value hedge accounting system, or identified portions of such assets or liabilities, at the amount required under that system.
This paragraph applies to– that, under international accounting standards, may be included in accounts at fair value. Such investment property and such living animals and plants may be included at fair value, provided that all such investment property or, as the case may be, all such living animals and plants are so included where their fair value can reliably be determined. In this paragraph, “fair value” means fair value determined in accordance with relevant international accounting standards.
This paragraph applies where a financial instrument is valued in accordance with paragraph 29A or 29C or an asset is valued in accordance with paragraph 29D. Notwithstanding paragraph 16 in this Part of this Schedule, and subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below, a change in the value of the financial instrument or of the investment property or living animal or plant must be included in the profit and loss account. Where– the amount of the change in value must be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from a separate reserve (“the fair value reserve”). Where the instrument accounted for– the change in value may be credited to or (as the case may be) debited from the fair value reserve.
The fair value reserve must be adjusted to the extent that the amounts shown in it are no longer necessary for the purposes of paragraph 29E(3) or (4). The treatment for taxation purposes of amounts credited or debited to the fair value reserve shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
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Subject to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value made in accordance with paragraph 32 or 33 below, the amount to be included in respect of any asset in the balance sheet format shall be its cost.
In the case of any asset included under Assets item B (intangible assets), C.I (land and buildings), F.I. (tangible assets) or F.II (stocks) which has a limited useful economic life, the amount of — shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over the period of the asset’s useful economic life.
its cost; or
where it is estimated that any such asset will have a residual value at the end of the period of its useful economic life, its cost less that estimated residual value,
This paragraph applies to any asset included under Assets item B (tangible assets), C (investments), F.I (tangible assets) or F.IV (own shares). Where an asset to which this paragraph applies has diminished in value, provisions for diminution in value may be made in respect of it and the amount to be included in respect of it may be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Provisions for diminution in value shall be made in respect of any asset to which this paragraph applies if the reduction in its value is expected to be permanent (whether its useful economic life is limited or not), and the amount to be included in respect of it shall be reduced accordingly; and any such provisions which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts. Where the reasons for which any provision was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (2) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary; and any amounts written back in accordance with this sub-paragraph which are not shown in the profit and loss account shall be disclosed (either separately or in aggregate) in a note to the accounts.
This paragraph applies to assets included under Assets items E.I., II. and III. (debtors) and F.III (cash at bank and in hand) in the balance sheet. If the net realisable value of an asset to which this paragraph applies is lower than its cost the amount to be included in respect of that asset shall be the net realisable value. Where the reasons for which any provision for diminution in value was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision shall be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary.
Notwithstanding that amounts representing “development costs”may be included under Assets item B (intangible assets) in the balance sheet format, an amount may only be included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs in special circumstances. If any amount is included in a company’s balance sheet in respect of development costs the following information shall be given in a note to the accounts —
The application of paragraphs 31 to 33 above in relation to goodwill (in any case where goodwill is treated as an asset) is subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, the amount of the consideration for any goodwill acquired by a company shall be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over a period chosen by the directors of the company. The period chosen shall not exceed the useful economic life of the goodwill in question. In any case where any goodwill acquired by a company is included as an asset in the company’s balance sheet the period chosen for writing off the consideration for that goodwill and the reasons for choosing that period shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Where the amount repayable on any debt owed by a company is greater than the value of the consideration received in the transaction giving rise to the debt, the amount of the difference may be treated as an asset. Where any such amount is so treated—
Subject to the following sub-paragraph, assets which fall to be included under Assets item F.I.(tangible assets) in the balance sheet format may be included at a fixed quantity and value. Sub-paragraph (1) applies to assets of a kind which are constantly being replaced, where—
The cost of an asset that has been acquired by the company shall be determined by adding to the actual price paid any expenses incidental to its acquisition. The cost of an asset constructed by the company shall be determined by adding to the purchase price of the raw materials and consumables used the amount of the costs incurred by the company which are directly attributable to the construction of that asset. In addition, there may be included in the cost of an asset constructed by the company — provided, however, in a case within sub-paragraph (b) above, that the inclusion of the interest in determining the cost of that asset and the amount of the interest so included is disclosed in a note to the accounts.
Subject to the qualification mentioned below, the cost of any assets which are fungible assets may be determined by the application of any of the methods mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) below in relation to any such assets of the same class. The method chosen must be one which appears to the directors to be appropriate in the circumstances of the company. Those methods are— Where in the case of any company— the amount of that difference shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts. Subject to sub-paragraph (5) below, for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b) above, the relevant alternative amount, in relation to any item shown in a company’s balance sheet, is the amount which would have been shown in respect of that item if assets of any class included under that item at an amount determined by any method permitted by this paragraph had instead been included at their replacement cost as at the balance sheet date. The relevant alternative amount may be determined by reference to the most recent actual purchase price before the balance sheet date of assets of any class included under the item in question instead of by reference to their replacement cost as at that date, but only if the former appears to the directors of the company to constitute the more appropriate standard of comparison in the case of assets of that class.
Where there is no record of the purchase price of any asset acquired by a company or of any price, expenses or costs relevant for determining its cost in accordance with paragraph 39 above, or any such record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay, its cost shall be taken for the purposes of paragraphs 31 to 36 above to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition by the company.
Provisions which are to be shown in a company’s accounts shall be determined in accordance with paragraphs 43 to 53 below.
The amount of technical provisions must at all times be sufficient to cover any liabilities arising out of insurance contracts as far as can reasonably be foreseen.
The provision for unearned premiums shall in principle be computed separately for each insurance contract, save that statistical methods (and in particular proportional and flat rate methods) may be used where they may be expected to give approximately the same results as individual calculations. Where the pattern of risk varies over the life of a contract, this shall be taken into account in the calculation methods.
The provision for unexpired risks (as defined in paragraph 81 below) shall be computed on the basis of claims and administrative expenses likely to arise after the end of the financial year from contracts concluded before that date, in so far as their estimated value exceeds the provision for unearned premiums and any premiums receivable under those contracts.
The long term business provision shall in principle be computed separately for each long term contract, save that statistical or mathematical methods may be used where they may be expected to give approximately the same results as individual calculations. A summary of the principal assumptions in making the provision under sub-paragraph (1) shall be given in the notes to the accounts. The computation shall be made annually by a Fellow of the Institute or Faculty of Actuaries on the basis of recognised actuarial methods, with due regard to the actuarial principles laid down in Directive 2002/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5th November 2002 concerning life assurance .
A provision shall in principle be computed separately for each claim on the basis of the costs still expected to arise, save that statistical methods may be used if they result in an adequate provision having regard to the nature of the risks. This provision shall also allow for claims incurred but not reported by the balance sheet date, the amount of the allowance being determined having regard to past experience as to the number and magnitude of claims reported after previous balance sheet dates. All claims settlement costs (whether direct or indirect) shall be included in the calculation of the provision. Recoverable amounts arising out of subrogation or salvage shall be estimated on a prudent basis and either deducted from the provision for claims outstanding (in which case if the amounts are material they shall be shown in the notes to the accounts) or shown as assets. In sub-paragraph (4) above, “subrogation” means the acquisition of the rights of policy holders with respect to third parties, and “salvage” means the acquisition of the legal ownership of insured property. Where benefits resulting from a claim must be paid in the form of annuity, the amounts to be set aside for that purpose shall be calculated by recognised actuarial methods, and paragraph 48 below shall not apply to such calculations. Implicit discounting or deductions, whether resulting from the placing of a current value on a provision for an outstanding claim which is expected to be settled later at a higher figure or otherwise effected, is prohibited.
Explicit discounting or deductions to take account of investment income is permitted, subject to the following conditions: When discounting or effecting deductions, the company shall, in the notes to the accounts, disclose —
The amount of the provision for claims shall be equal to the sums due to beneficiaries, plus the costs of settling claims.
The amount of any equalisation reserve maintained in respect of general business, in accordance with rules made by the Financial Services Authority under Part X of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, shall be determined in accordance with such rules.
Either of the methods described in paragraphs 52 and 53 below may be applied where, because of the nature of the class or type of insurance in question, information about premiums receivable or claims payable (or both) for the underwriting years is insufficient when the accounts are drawn up for reliable estimates to be made. The use of either of the methods referred to in sub-paragraph (1) shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts together with the reasons for adopting it. Where one of the methods referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above is adopted, it shall be applied systematically in successive years unless circumstances justify a change. In the event of a change in the method applied, the effect on the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss shall be stated in the notes to the accounts. For the purposes of this paragraph and paragraph 52 below, “underwriting year” means the financial year in which the insurance contracts in the class or type of insurance in question commenced.
The excess of the premiums written over the claims and expenses paid in respect of contracts commencing in the underwriting year shall form a technical provision included in the technical provision for claims outstanding shown in the balance sheet under Liabilities item C.3. The provision may also be computed on the basis of a given percentage of the premiums written where such a method is appropriate for the type of risk insured. If necessary, the amount of this technical provision shall be increased to make it sufficient to meet present and future obligations. The technical provision constituted under this paragraph shall be replaced by a provision for claims outstanding estimated in accordance with paragraph 47 above as soon as sufficient information has been gathered and not later than the end of the third year following the underwriting year. The length of time that elapses before a provision for claims outstanding is constituted in accordance with sub-paragraph (4) above shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
The figures shown in the technical account or in certain items within it shall relate to a year which wholly or partly precedes the financial year (but by no more than 12 months). The amounts of the technical provisions shown in the accounts shall if necessary be increased to make them sufficient to meet present and future obligations. The length of time by which the earlier year to which the figures relate precedes the financial year and the magnitude of the transactions concerned shall be disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
Any information required in the case of any company by the following provisions of this Part of this Schedule shall (if not given in the company’s accounts) be given by way of a note to those accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The accounting policies adopted by the company in determining the amounts to be included in respect of items shown in the balance sheet and in determining the profit or loss of the company shall be stated (including such accounting policies with respect to the depreciation and diminution in value of assets).
It shall be stated whether the accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and particulars of any material departure from those standards and the reasons for it shall be given.
Where any sums originally denominated in foreign currencies have been brought into account under any items shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account format, the basis on which those sums have been translated into sterling (or the currency in which the accounts are drawn up) shall be stated.
There must be stated–
any amount set aside or proposed to be set aside to, or withdrawn or proposed to be withdrawn from, reserves,
the aggregate amount of dividends paid in the financial year (other than those for which a liability existed at the immediately preceding balance sheet date),
the aggregate amount of dividends that the company is liable to pay at the balance sheet date, and
the aggregate amount of dividends that are proposed before the date of approval of the accounts, and not otherwise disclosed under paragraph (b) or (c).
The following information shall be given with respect to the company’s share capital— In the case of any part of the allotted share capital that consists of redeemable shares, the following information shall be given —
If the company has allotted any shares during the financial year, the following information shall be given —
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the classes of shares allotted; and
as respects each class of shares, the number allotted, their aggregate nominal value and the consideration received by the company for the allotment.
With respect to any contingent right to the allotment of shares in the company the following particulars shall be given — In sub-paragraph (1) above “contingent right to the allotment of shares” means any option to subscribe for shares and any other right to require the allotment of shares to any person whether arising on the conversion into shares of securities of any other description or otherwise.
If the company has issued any debentures during the financial year to which the accounts relate, the following information shall be given — . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where any of the company’s debentures are held by a nominee of or trustee for the company, the nominal amount of the debentures and the amount at which they are stated in the accounting records kept by the company in accordance with section 221 of this Act shall be stated.
In respect of any assets of the company included in Assets items B (intangible assets), C.I (land and buildings) and C.II (investments in group undertakings and participating interests) in the company’s balance sheet the following information shall be given by reference to each such item — The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(a) to the appropriate amounts in respect of any assets (included in an assets item) as at any date there mentioned is a reference to amounts representing the aggregate amounts determined, as at that date, in respect of assets falling to be included under the item on either of the following bases, that is to say — (leaving out of account in either case any provisions for depreciation or diminution in value). In addition, in respect of any assets of the company included in any assets item in the company’s balance sheet, there shall be stated (by reference to each such item) —
Where any assets of the company (other than listed investments) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet at an amount determined on any basis mentioned in paragraph 22 or 23 above, the following information shall be given —
the years (so far as they are known to the directors) in which the assets were severally valued and the several values; and
in the case of assets that have been valued during the financial year, the names of the persons who valued them or particulars of their qualifications for doing so and (whichever is stated) the bases of valuation used by them.
In relation to any amount which is included under Assets item C.I. (land and buildings) there shall be stated —
how much of that amount is ascribable to land of freehold tenure and how much to land of leasehold tenure; and
how much of the amount ascribable to land of leasehold tenure is ascribable to land held on long lease and how much to land held on short lease.
In respect of the amount of each item which is shown in the company’s balance sheet under Assets item C (investments) there shall be stated —
how much of that amount is ascribable to listed investments; . . .
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This paragraph applies where financial instruments have been valued in accordance with paragraph 29A or 29C. The items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the financial instruments must be disclosed. The purchase price of the financial instruments must be disclosed. There must be stated– Where any amount is transferred to or from the fair value reserve during the financial year, there must be stated in tabular form–
Where the company has derivatives that it has not included at fair value, there must be stated for each class of such derivatives–
the fair value of the derivatives in that class, if such a value can be determined in accordance with paragraph 29B, and
the extent and nature of the derivatives.
Sub-paragraph (2) applies if– There must be stated–
This paragraph applies where the amounts to be included in a company’s accounts in respect of investment property or living animals and plants have been determined in accordance with paragraph 29D. The balance sheet items affected and the basis of valuation adopted in determining the amounts of the assets in question in the case of each such item must be disclosed in a note to the accounts. In the case of investment property, for each balance sheet item affected there must be shown, either separately in the balance sheet or in a note to the accounts– In sub-paragraph (3) above, references in relation to any item to the comparable amounts determined in accordance with that sub-paragraph are references to–
Where any amount is transferred— and the reserves or provisions are or would but for paragraph 2(3) above be shown as separate items in the company’s balance sheet, the information mentioned in the following sub-paragraph shall be given in respect of the aggregate of reserves or provisions included in the same item. That information is— Particulars shall be given of each provision included in Liabilities item E.3 (other provisions) in the company’s balance sheet in any case where the amount of that provision is material.
The amount of any provision for deferred taxation shall be stated separately from the amount of any provision for other taxation.
In respect of each item shown under “creditors" in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated the aggregate of the following amounts, that is to say— Subject to sub-paragraph (3), in relation to each debt falling to be taken into account under sub-paragraph (1), the terms of payment or repayment and the rate of any interest payable on the debt shall be stated. If the number of debts is such that, in the opinion of the directors, compliance with sub-paragraph (2) would result in a statement of excessive length, it shall be sufficient to give a general indication of the terms of payment or repayment and the rates of any interest payable on the debts. In respect of each item shown under “creditors” in the company’s balance sheet there shall be stated — References above in this paragraph to an item shown under “creditors”in the company’s balance sheet include references, where amounts falling due to creditors within one year and after more than one year are distinguished in the balance sheet —
If any fixed cumulative dividends on the company’s shares are in arrear, there shall be stated —
the amount of the arrears; and
the period for which the dividends or, if there is more than one class, each class of them are in arrear.
Particulars shall be given of any charge on the assets of the company to secure the liabilities of any other person, including, where practicable, the amount secured. The following information shall be given with respect to any other contingent liability not provided for (other than a contingent liability arising out of an insurance contract) — There shall be stated, where practicable— Particulars shall be given of— and where any such commitment relates wholly or partly to pensions payable to past directors of the company separate particulars shall be given of that commitment so far as it relates to such pensions. Particulars shall also be given of any other financial commitments, other than commitments arising out of insurance contracts, which — Commitments within any of the preceding sub-paragraphs undertaken on behalf of or for the benefit of — shall be stated separately from the other commitments within that sub-paragraph, and commitments within paragraph (a) shall also be stated separately from those within paragraph (b).
Particulars shall be given of any case where the cost of any asset is for the first time determined under paragraph 41 above. Where any outstanding loans made under the authority of section 153(4)(b), (bb) or (c) or section 155 of this Act (various cases of financial assistance by a company for purchase of its own shares) are included under any item shown in the company’s balance sheet, the aggregate amount of those loans shall be disclosed for each item in question. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Particulars shall be given of any special circumstances which affect liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for the financial year or liability in respect of taxation of profits, income or capital gains for succeeding financial years. The following amounts shall be stated— Those amounts shall be stated separately in respect of each of the amounts which is shown under the following items in the profit and loss account, that is to say item III.9 (tax on profit or loss on ordinary activities) and item III.14 (tax on extraordinary profit or loss).
As regards general business a company shall disclose— The amounts required to be disclosed by sub-paragraph (1) shall be broken down between direct insurance and reinsurance acceptances, if reinsurance acceptances amount to 10 per cent.or more of gross premiums written. Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, the amounts required to be disclosed by sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) above with respect to direct insurance shall be further broken down into the following groups of classes — The company shall in any event disclose the amounts relating to the three largest groups of classes in its business.
As regards long term business, the company shall disclose— Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below— Disclosure of any amount referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(a) or (2)(b)
Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, there shall be disclosed as regards both general and long term business the total gross direct insurance premiums resulting from contracts concluded by the company — Disclosure of any amount referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above shall not be required if it does not exceed 5 per cent.of total gross premiums.
There shall be disclosed the total amount of commissions for direct insurance business accounted for in the financial year, including acquisition, renewal, collection and portfolio management commissions.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where any amount relating to any preceding financial year is included in any item in the profit and loss account, the effect shall be stated. Particulars shall be given of any extraordinary income or charges arising in the financial year. The effect shall be stated of any transactions that are exceptional by virtue of size or incidence though they fall within the ordinary activities of the company.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, references to “derivatives” include commodity-based contracts that give either contracting party the right to settle in cash or some other financial instrument, except when such contracts–
were entered into for the purpose of, and continue to meet, the company’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements,
were designated for such purpose at their inception, and
are expected to be settled by delivery of the commodity.
The expressions listed in sub-paragraph (2) have the same meaning in Section BA of Chapter 2 and paragraphs 65A to 65C and 81A of this Part of this Schedule as they have in Council Directives 78/660/EEC on the annual accounts of certain types of companies and 91/674/EEC on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of insurance undertakings, as amended. Those expressions are “available for sale financial asset”, “business combination”, “commodity-based contracts”, “derivative”, “equity instrument”, “exchange difference”, “fair value hedge accounting system”, “financial fixed asset”, “financial instrument”, “foreign entity”, “hedge accounting”, “hedge accounting system”, “hedged items”, “hedging instrument”, “held for trading purposes”, “held to maturity”, >“monetary item”, “receivables”, “reliable market” and “trading portfolio”.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule a loan or advance (including a liability comprising a loan or advance) is treated as falling due for repayment, and an instalment of a loan or advance is treated as falling due for payment, on the earliest date on which the lender could require repayment or (as the case may be) payment, if he exercised all options and rights available to him.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule amounts which in the particular context of any provision of this Part are not material may be disregarded for the purposes of that provision.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation —
references in this Part to provisions for depreciation or diminution in value of assets are to any amount written off by way of providing for depreciation or diminution in value of assets;
any reference in the profit and loss account format or the notes thereto set out in Section B of this Part to the depreciation of, or amounts written off, assets of any description is to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value of assets of that description; and
references in this Part to provisions for other risks. . . are to any amount retained as reasonably necessary for the purpose of providing for any liability the nature of which is clearly defined and which is either likely to be incurred, or certain to be incurred but uncertain as to amount or as to the date on which it will arise.
In the application of this Part of this Schedule to Scotland— “land of freehold tenure” means land in respect of which the company is the proprietor of the dominium utile or, in the case of land not held on feudal tenure, is the owner; “land of leasehold tenure” means land of which the company is the tenant under a lease; and the reference to ground-rents, rates and other outgoings includes feu-duty and ground annual.
For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule and its interpretation —
“Social security costs” means any contributions by the company to any state social security or pension scheme, fund or arrangement;
“Pension costs” includes any costs incurred by the company in respect of any pension scheme established for the purpose of providing pensions for persons currently or formerly employed by the company, any sums set aside for the future payment of pensions directly by the company to current or former employees and any pensions paid directly to such persons without having first been set aside; and
any amount stated in respect of the item “social security costs” or in respect of the item “wages and salaries” in the company’s profit and loss account shall be determined by reference to payments made or costs incurred in respect of all persons employed by the company during the financial year who are taken into account in determining the relevant annual number for the purposes of section 231A(1)(a)
In its application to insurance groups, Schedule 4A shall have effect with the following modifications. In paragraph 1— In paragraph 2(2)(a), for the words “three months” there shall be substituted the words “ six months ”. In paragraph 3, after sub-paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraphs— For sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph 6 there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph— In paragraph 17— In paragraph 18, for the reference to paragraphs 17 to 19 and 21 of Schedule 4 there shall be substituted a reference to paragraphs 31 to 33 and 36 of Part I of this Schedule. In paragraph 21— In paragraph 22(1), for the reference to paragraphs 17 to 19 and 21 of Schedule 4 there shall be substituted a reference to paragraphs 31 to 33 and 36 of Part I of this Schedule.
For the purposes of paragraph 1 above, Part I of this Schedule shall be modified as follows. The information required by paragraph 10 need not be given. In the case of general business, investment income, expenses and charges may be disclosed in the non-technical account rather than in the technical account. In the case of subsidiary undertakings which are not authorised to carry on long term business in Great Britain, notes (8) and (9) to the profit and loss account format shall have effect as if references to investment income, expenses and charges arising in the long term fund or to investments attributed to the long term fund were references to investment income, expenses and charges or (as the case may be) investments relating to long term business. In the case of subsidiary undertakings which do not have a head office in Great Britain, the computation required by paragraph 46 shall be made annually by an actuary or other specialist in the field on the basis of recognised actuarial methods. The information required by paragraphs 75 to 78 need not be shown.
The provisions of this Schedule explain expressions used in section 258 (parent and subsidiary undertakings) and otherwise supplement that section.
In section 258(2)(a) and (d) and (3A)(a)the references to the voting rights in an undertaking are to the rights conferred on shareholders in respect of their shares or, in the case of an undertaking not having a share capital, on members, to vote at general meetings of the undertaking on all, or substantially all, matters. In relation to an undertaking which does not have general meetings at which matters are decided by the exercise of voting rights, the references to holding a majority of the voting rights in the undertaking shall be construed as references to having the right under the constitution of the undertaking to direct the overall policy of the undertaking or to alter the terms of its constitution.
In section 258(2)(b) the reference to the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors is to the right to appoint or remove directors holding a majority of the voting rights at meetings of the board on all, or substantially all, matters. An undertaking shall be treated as having the right to appoint to a directorship if— A right to appoint or remove which is exercisable only with the consent or concurrence of another person shall be left out of account unless no other person has a right to appoint or, as the case may be, remove in relation to that directorship.
For the purposes of section 258(2)(c) an undertaking shall not be regarded as having the right to exercise a dominant influence over another undertaking unless it has a right to give directions with respect to the operating and financial policies of that other undertaking which its directors are obliged to comply with whether or not they are for the benefit of that other undertaking. A “control contract” means a contract in writing conferring such a right which— This paragraph shall not be read as affecting the construction of the expression “actually exercises a dominant influence” in section 258(4)(a).
Rights which are exercisable only in certain circumstances shall be taken into account only— Rights which are normally exercisable but are temporarily incapable of exercise shall continue to be taken into account.
Rights held by a person in a fiduciary capacity shall be treated as not held by him.
Rights held by a person as nominee for another shall be treated as held by the other. Rights shall be regarded as held as nominee for another if they are exercisable only on his instructions or with his consent or concurrence.
Rights attached to shares held by way of security shall be treated as held by the person providing the security—
where apart from the right to exercise them for the purpose of preserving the value of the security, or of realising it, the rights are exercisable only in accordance with his instructions, and
where the shares are held in connection with the granting of loans as part of normal business activities and apart from the right to exercise them for the purpose of preserving the value of the security, or of realising it, the rights are exercisable only in his interests.
Rights shall be treated as held by a parent undertaking if they are held by any of its subsidiary undertakings. Nothing in paragraph 7 or 8 shall be construed as requiring rights held by a parent undertaking to be treated as held by any of its subsidiary undertakings. For the purposes of paragraph 8 rights shall be treated as being exercisable in accordance with the instructions or in the interests of an undertaking if they are exercisable in accordance with the instructions of or, as the case may be, in the interests of any group undertaking.
The voting rights in an undertaking shall be reduced by any rights held by the undertaking itself.
References in any provision of paragraphs 6 to 10 to rights held by a person include rights falling to be treated as held by him by virtue of any other provision of those paragraphs but not rights which by virtue of any such provision are to be treated as not held by him.
Section 381A does not apply to—
a resolution under section 303 removing a director before the expiration of his period of office, or
a resolution under section 391 removing an auditor before the expiration of his term of office.
In this Part of this Schedule (which adapts certain requirements of this Act in relation to proceedings under section 381A)— A written resolution is not effective if any of the requirements of this Part of this Schedule is not complied with.
The following adaptations have effect in relation to a written resolution under section 95(2) (disapplication of pre-emption rights), or renewing a resolution under that provision. So much of section 95(5) as requires the circulation of a written statement by the directors with a notice of meeting does not apply, but such a statement must be supplied to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature. Section 95(6) (offences) applies in relation to the inclusion in any such statement of matter which is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.
In relation to a written resolution giving approval under section 155(4) or (5) (financial assistance for purchase of company’s own shares or those of holding company), section 157(4)(a) (documents to be available at meeting) does not apply, but the documents referred to in that provision must be supplied to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature.
The following adaptations have effect in relation to a written resolution— Section 164(5) (resolution ineffective if passed by exercise of voting rights by member holding shares to which the resolution relates) does not apply; but for the purposes of section 381A(1) a member holding shares to which the resolution relates shall not be regarded as a member who would be entitled to attend and vote. Section 164(6) (documents to be available at company’s registered office and at meeting) does not apply, but the documents referred to in that provision and, where that provision applies by virtue of section 164(7), the further documents referred to in that provision must be supplied to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature. The above adaptations also have effect in relation to a written resolution in relation to which the provisions of section 164(3) to (7) apply by virtue of—
The following adaptations have effect in relation to a written resolution giving approval under section 173(2) (redemption or purchase of company’s own shares out of capital). Section 174(2) (resolution ineffective if passed by exercise of voting rights by member holding shares to which the resolution relates) does not apply; but for the purposes of section 381A(1) a member holding shares to which the resolution relates shall not be regarded as a member who would be entitled to attend and vote. Section 174(4) (documents to be available at meeting) does not apply, but the documents referred to in that provision must be supplied to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature.
In relation to a written resolution approving any such term as is mentioned in section 319(1) (director’s contract of employment for more than five years), section 319(5) (documents to be available at company’s registered office and at meeting) does not apply, but the documents referred to in that provision must be supplied to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature.
In relation to a written resolution giving approval under section 337(3)(a)(funding a director’s expenditure in performing his duties), the requirement of that provision that certain matters be disclosed at the meeting at which the resolution is passed does not apply, but those matters must be disclosed to each relevant member at or before the time at which the resolution is supplied to him for signature.
Subject to paragraphs 10(1), 12(4) and 14(2), the court shall not sanction a compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) unless a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of each class of members of every pre-existing transferee company concerned in the scheme, present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, agree to the scheme.
The court shall not sanction the compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) unless— Subject to paragraph 12(2), the draft terms shall give particulars of at least the following matters— Where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme the draft terms shall also—
Subject to paragraphs 10 to 14, the court shall not sanction the compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) unless—
in the case of each transferor company and each pre-existing transferee company the directors have drawn up and adopted a report complying with paragraph 4 (from here on referred to as a “directors’ report”);
where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme, the directors of the transferor company have reported to every meeting of the members or any class of members of that company summoned under section 425(1), and to the directors of each transferee company, any material changes in the property and liabilities of the transferor company between the date when the draft terms were adopted and the date of the meeting in question;
where the directors of a transferor company have reported to the directors of a transferee company such a change as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (b) above, the latter have reported that change to every meeting of the members or any class of members of that transferee company summoned for the purposes of paragraph 1, or have sent a report of that change to every member who would have been entitled to receive a notice of such a meeting;
a report complying with paragraph 5 has been drawn up on behalf of each transferor company and pre-existing transferee company (from here on referred to as an “expert’s report”);
the members of any transferor company or transferee company were able to inspect at the registered office of that company copies of the documents listed in paragraph 6(1) in relation to every transferor company and pre-existing transferee company concerned in the scheme during a period beginning one month before, and ending on, the date of the first meeting of the members or any class of members of the first-mentioned transferor or transferee company summoned either under section 425(1) or for the purposes of paragraph 1 and those members were able to obtain copies of those documents or any part of them on request during that period free of charge; and
the memorandum and articles of association of any transferee company which is not a pre-existing transferee company, or a draft thereof, has been approved by ordinary resolution of every transferor company concerned in the scheme.
The directors’ report shall consist of— Where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme the directors’ report shall also state whether a report has been made to the transferee company under section 103 (non-cash consideration to be valued before allotment) and, if so, whether that report has been delivered to the registrar of companies.
Except where a joint expert is appointed under sub-paragraph (2) below, an expert’s report shall consist of a separate written report on the draft terms to the members of one transferor company or pre-existing transferee company concerned in the scheme drawn up by a separate expert appointed on behalf of that company. The court may, on the joint application of all the transferor companies and pre-existing transferee companies concerned in the scheme, approve the appointment of a joint expert to draw up a single report on behalf of all those companies. An expert shall be independent of any of the companies concerned in the scheme, that is to say a person qualified at the time of the report to be appointed, or to continue to be, an auditor of those companies. However, where it appears to an expert that a valuation is reasonably necessary to enable him to draw up the report, and it appears to him to be reasonable for that valuation, or part of it, to be made (or for him to accept such a valuation) by another person who— he may arrange for or accept such a valuation, together with a report which will enable him to make his own report under this paragraph. The reference in sub-paragraph (4) above to an officer or servant does not include an auditor. Where any valuation is made by a person other than the expert himself, the latter’s report shall state that fact and shall also— An expert’s report shall— Each expert has the right of access to all such documents of all the transferor companies and pre-existing transferee companies concerned in the scheme, and the right to require from the companies’ officers all such information, as he thinks necessary for the purpose of making his report.
The documents referred to in paragraph 3(e) are, in relation to any company,— The accounting statement shall consist of— Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, any balance sheet required by sub-paragraph (2)(a) or (b) above shall comply with section 228 or section 230 (as appropriate) and with all other requirements of this Act as to the matters to be included in a company’s balance sheet or in notes thereto (applying those sections and Schedule 4 and those other requirements with such modifications as are necessary because the balance sheet is prepared otherwise than as at the last day of the financial year) and must be signed in accordance with section 238. Notwithstanding sub-paragraph (3) above, any balance sheet required by sub-paragraph (2)(a) or (b) above shall deal with the state of affairs of the company or subsidiaries as at a date not earlier than the first day of the third month preceding the date when the draft terms were adopted by the directors, and the requirement in section 228 to give a true and fair view shall for the purposes of this paragraph have effect as a requirement to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the first-mentioned date. In sub-paragraphs (1) to (4) above, references to sections 228, 229, 230, 238 and 239 and Schedule 4 shall, in the case of a company within the meaning of Article 3 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, have effect as references to Articles 236, 237, 238, 246 and 247 and Schedule 4 of that Order respectively, and references to the requirements of this Act shall have effect as references to the requirements of that Order. The accounting statement shall consist of— The requirements of this Act as to balance sheets forming part of a company’s annual accounts, and the matters to be included in notes thereto, apply to any balance sheet required for the accounting statement, with such modifications as are necessary by reason of its being prepared otherwise than as at the last day of a financial year. Any balance sheet required for the accounting statement shall be approved by the board of directors and signed on behalf of the board by a director of the company. In relation to a company within the meaning of Article 3 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, the references in this paragraph to the requirements of this Act shall be construed as reference to the corresponding requirements of that Order.
The court shall not sanction under section 425(2) a compromise or arrangement under which any shares in a transferee company are to be allotted to a transferor company or its nominee in respect of shares in that transferor company held by it or its nominee.
Where any security of a transferor company to which special rights are attached is held by a person other than as a member or creditor of the company, the court shall not sanction a compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) unless under the scheme that person is to receive rights in a transferee company of equivalent value. Sub-paragraph (1) above shall not apply in the case of any such security where—
The following provisions of this paragraph shall apply where the court sanctions a compromise or arrangement. The court shall in the order sanctioning the compromise or arrangement or in a subsequent order under section 427 fix a date on which the transfer or transfers to the transferee company or transferee companies of the undertaking, property and liabilities of the transferor company shall take place; and any such order which provide for the dissolution of the transferor company shall fix the same date for the dissolution. If it is necessary for the transferor company to take any steps to ensure that the undertaking, property and liabilities are fully transferred, the court shall fix a date, not later than six months after the date fixed under sub-paragraph (2) above, by which such steps must be taken and for that purpose may postpone the dissolution of the transferor company until that date. The court may postpone or further postpone the date fixed under sub-paragraph (3) above if it is satisfied that the steps there mentioned cannot be completed by the date (or latest date) fixed under that sub-paragraph.
The court may sanction a compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) notwithstanding that— if the court is satisfied that the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (2) below have been complied with. Subject to paragraphs 11(3) and 12(3), the conditions mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above are—
The following sub-paragraphs apply where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme. Sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) of paragraph 3 shall not apply and sub-paragraph (e) of that paragraph shall not apply as regards the documents listed in paragraph 6(1)(b), (c) and (e), if all members holding shares in, and all persons holding other securities of, any of the transferor companies and pre-existing transferee companies concerned in the scheme on the date of the application to the court under section 425(1), being shares or securities which as at that date carry the right to vote in general meetings of the company, so agree. The court may by order direct in respect of any transferor company or pre-existing transferee company that the requirements relating to— shall not apply, and may by order direct that paragraph 10 shall apply to any pre-existing transferee company with the omission of sub-paragraph (2)(a) and (b) of that paragraph. The court shall not make any order under sub-paragraph (3) above unless it is satisfied that the following conditions will be fulfilled—
Where the scheme is a Case 1 Scheme and in the case of every transferor company concerned— are all held by or on behalf of the transferee company, section 427A and this Schedule shall apply subject to the following sub-paragraphs. The draft terms need not give particulars of the matters mentioned in paragraph 2(2)(b), (c) or (d). Section 426 and sub-paragraphs (a) and (d) of paragraph 3 shall not apply, and sub-paragraph (e) of that paragraph shall not apply as regards the documents listed in paragraph 6(1)(b) and (c). The court may sanction the compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) notwithstanding that— it is satisfied that the conditions specified in the following sub-paragraphs have been complied with. The conditions mentioned in the previous sub-paragraph are—
Where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme and— are all held by or on behalf of one or more transferee companies, section 427A and this Schedule shall apply subject to the following sub-paragraphs. The court may sanction a compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) notwithstanding that— if it is satisfied that the conditions specified in the following sub-paragraph have been complied with. The conditions referred to in the previous sub-paragraph are—
Where the scheme is a Case 1 Scheme and in the case of every transferor company concerned ninety per cent. or more (but not all) of— are held by or on behalf of the transferee company, section 427A and this Schedule shall apply subject to the following sub-paragraphs. The court may sanction a compromise or arrangement under section 425(2) notwithstanding that— if the court is satisfied that the conditions specified in the following sub-paragraph have been complied with. The conditions referred to in the previous sub-paragraph are the same conditions as those specified in paragraph 10(2), save that for this purpose the condition contained in paragraph 10(2)(b) shall be treated as referring only to the documents listed in paragraph 6(1)(a), (d) and (e).
Where the scheme is a Case 3 Scheme, each transferee company shall be jointly and severally liable, subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, for any liability transferred to any other transferee company under the scheme to the extent that that other company has made default in satisfying that liability, but so that no transferee company shall be so liable for an amount greater than the amount arrived at by calculating the value at the time of the transfer of the property transferred to it under the scheme less the amount at that date of the liabilities so transferred. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or any class of creditors of the transferor company present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting summoned under section 425(1) so agree, sub-paragraph (1) above shall not apply in respect of the liabilities of the creditors or that class of creditors.
Section 449
The Secretary of State.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland.
The Treasury.
The Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
The Lord Advocate.
The Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
The Director of the Serious Fraud Office.
The Financial Conduct Authority.
The Prudential Regulation Authority.
The Bank of England.
The registrar of companies.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A constable.
A procurator fiscal.
The Scottish Ministers.
Section 449
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person authorised under section 457 of the Companies Act 2006 to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting an inspector appointed under Part 14 to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person authorised under section 447 of this Act or section 84 of the Companies Act 1989 to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed under section 167 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (general investigations) to conduct an investigation to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed under section 168 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (investigations in particular cases) to conduct an investigation to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed under section 169(1)(b) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (investigation in support of overseas regulator) to conduct an investigation to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed under section 284 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (investigations into affairs of certain collective investment schemes) to conduct an investigation to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed under regulations made under sections 262(1) and (2)(k) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (investigations into open-ended investment companies) to conduct an investigation to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Secretary of State or the Treasury to exercise any of their functions under any of the following—
the Companies Acts (as defined in section 2(1) of the Companies Act 2006);
Part 5 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993 (insider dealing);
the Insolvency Act 1986;
the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;
Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006 (statutory auditors);
Parts 3 and 7 of the Companies Act 1989 (investigations and powers to obtain information and financial markets and insolvency);
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
the Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011.
the Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Scottish Ministers to exercise their functions under the enactments relating to insolvency.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland to exercise any powers conferred on it by the enactments relating to companies or insolvency.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a person appointed or authorised by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland under the enactments relating to companies or insolvency to exercise his functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Pensions Regulator to exercise the functions conferred on it by or by virtue of any of the following—
the Pension Schemes Act 1993;
the Pensions Act 1995;
the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999;
the Pensions Act 2004;
any enactment in force in Northern Ireland corresponding to any of those enactments.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Board of the Pension Protection Fund to exercise the functions conferred on it by or by virtue of Part 2 of the Pensions Act 2004 or any enactment in force in Northern Ireland corresponding to that Part.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Bank of England to exercise its functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the body known as the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers to exercise its functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting organs of the Society of Lloyd’s (being organs constituted by or under the Lloyd’s Act 1982) to exercise their functions under or by virtue of the Lloyd’s Acts 1871 to 1982.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Competition and Markets Authority to exercise its functions under any of the following—
the Fair Trading Act 1973;
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the Competition Act 1980;
the Competition Act 1998;
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;
the Enterprise Act 2002;
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the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008;
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Parts 3 and 4 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013;
Schedule 3 to the Consumer Rights Act 2015;
the following provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024—
Part 3;
Chapter 1 of Part 4;
Chapter 2 of Part 5.
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A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting an enforcer under Chapter 3 or 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to exercise its functions under that Chapter.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Charity Commission to exercise its functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Attorney General to exercise his functions in connection with charities.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Gambling Commission to exercise its functions under any of the following—
the Gambling Act 2005;
sections 5 to 10 and 15 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.
A disclosure by the Gambling Commission to the National Audit Office for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Comptroller and Auditor General to carry out an examination under Part 2 of the National Audit Act 1983 into the economy, effectiveness and efficiency with which the Gambling Commission has used its resources in discharging its functions under sections 5 to 10 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.
A disclosure for the purposes of enabling or assisting a regulator under Schedule 3 to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 other than the Competition and Markets Authority to exercise its functions under that Schedule.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting an enforcement authority under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to exercise its functions under those Regulations.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a local weights and measures authority in England and Wales to exercise its functions under section 171(2) of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the lead enforcement authority (as defined in section 33(1) of the Estate Agents Act 1979) to exercise its functions under the Estate Agents Act 1979.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority to exercise its functions under any of the following—
the legislation relating to friendly societies or to industrial and provident societies;
the Consumer Credit Act 1974;
the Building Societies Act 1986;
Part 7 of the Companies Act 1989;
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
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A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a body corporate established in accordance with section 212(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (compensation scheme manager) to exercise its functions.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a recognised investment exchange , a recognised clearing house or a recognised CSD to exercise its functions as such. Recognised investment exchange , recognised clearing house and recognised CSD have the same meaning as in section 285 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a body designated under section 326(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (designated professional bodies) to exercise its functions in its capacity as a body designated under that section.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, civil proceedings arising under or by virtue of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a body designated by order under section 1252 of the Companies Act 2006 (delegation of functions of Secretary of State) to exercise its functions under Part 42 of that Act (statutory auditors).
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a recognised supervisory or qualifying body (within the meaning of Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006) to exercise its functions as such.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting an official receiver (including the Accountant in Bankruptcy in Scotland and the Official Assignee in Northern Ireland) to exercise his functions under the enactments relating to insolvency.
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A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a body which is for the time being a recognised professional body for the purposes of section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986 or Article 350 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989(recognised professional bodies) to exercise its functions as such.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting an overseas regulatory authority to exercise its regulatory functions. Overseas regulatory authority and regulatory functions have the same meaning as in section 82 of the Companies Act 1989.
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Regulator of Community Interest Companies to exercise functions under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, criminal proceedings.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, proceedings on an application under section 6, 7 or 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 or Article 9, 10 or 11 of the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, proceedings before the Upper Tribunal in respect of—
a decision of the Financial Conduct Authority;
a decision of the Prudential Regulation Authority;
a decision of the Bank of England; or
a decision of a person relating to the assessment of any compensation or consideration under the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008 or the Banking Act 2009.
A disclosure for the purposes of proceedings before the Financial Services Tribunal by virtue of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Transitional Provisions) (Partly Completed Procedures) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3592).
A disclosure for the purposes of proceedings before the Pensions Regulator Tribunal a tribunal in relation to a decision of the Pensions Regulator .
A disclosure for the purpose of enabling or assisting a body appointed under section 14 of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (supervision of periodic accounts and reports of issuers of listed securities) to exercise functions mentioned in subsection (2) of that section.
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, disciplinary proceedings relating to the performance by a relevant lawyer , auditor, accountant, valuer or actuary of his professional duties. “Relevant lawyer” means—
A disclosure with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, disciplinary proceedings relating to the performance by a public servant of his duties. Public servant means an officer or employee of the Crown or of any public or other authority for the time being designated for the purposes of this paragraph by the Secretary of State by order. An order under sub-paragraph (2) must be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
A disclosure for the purpose of the provision of a summary or collection of information framed in such a way as not to enable the identity of any person to whom the information relates to be ascertained.
A disclosure in pursuance of any EU obligation.
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A company shall, within one month of having opened a branch in a part of Great Britain, deliver to the registrar for registration a return in the prescribed form containing— The return shall, except where sub-paragraph (3) below applies, be accompanied by the documents specified in paragraph 5 and, if the company is one to which Part I of Schedule 21D applies, the documents specified in paragraph 6. This sub-paragraph applies where— In sub-paragraph (1) above, the reference to having opened a branch in a part of Great Britain includes a reference to a branch having become situated there on ceasing to be situated elsewhere. If at the date on which the company opens the branch in Great Britain the company is subject to any proceedings referred to in section 703P(1) (winding up) or 703Q(1) (insolvency proceedings etc), the company shall deliver a return under section 703P(1) or (as the case may be) 703Q(1) within one month of that date. If on or before that date a person has been appointed to be liquidator of the company and continues in that office at that date, section 703P(3) and (4) (liquidator to make return within 14 days of appointment) shall have effect as if it required a return to be made under that section within one month of the date of the branch being opened.
The particulars referred to in paragraph 1(1)(b) are—
the address of the branch,
the date on which it was opened,
the business carried on at it,
if different from the name of the company, the name in which that business is carried on,
a list of the names and addresses of all persons resident in Great Britain authorised to accept on the company’s behalf service of process in respect of the business of the branch and of any notices required to be served on the company in respect of the business of the branch,
a list of the names and (subject to paragraph 4A) usual residential addresses of all persons authorised to represent the company as permanent representatives of the company for the business of the branch,
the extent of the authority of any person falling within paragraph (f) above, including whether that person is authorised to act alone or jointly, and
if a person falling within paragraph (f) above is not authorised to act alone, the name of any person with whom he is authorised to act.
The particulars referred to in paragraph 1(1)(c) are—
whether it is intended to register documents under paragraph 2(2) or, as the case may be, 10(1) of Schedule 21D in respect of the branch or in respect of some other branch in the United Kingdom, and
if it is, where that other branch is registered and what is its registered number.
Where a confidentiality order made under section 723B is in force in respect of a director or secretary required to be specified in the list under paragraph 2(1)(d) or a permanent representative required to be specified in the list under paragraph 3(f)—
if the order is in respect of a director, paragraph 2(1)(d) has effect in respect of that director as if the reference in paragraph 2(3)(a)(iii) to his usual residential address were a reference to the address for the time being notified by him to the company under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F;
if the order is in respect of a secretary, paragraph 2(1)(d) has effect in respect of that secretary as if the reference in paragraph 2(4)(a) to his usual residential address were a reference to the address for the time being notified by him to the company under such regulations;
if the order is in respect of a permanent representative, paragraph 3(f) has effect in respect of that representative as if the reference to his usual residential address were a reference to the address for the time being notified by him to the company under such regulations; and
in any case the company shall deliver to the registrar, in addition to the return required by paragraph 1(1) a return in the prescribed form containing particulars of the usual residential address of the director, secretary or permanent representative to whom the confidentiality order relates, and any such return shall be delivered to the registrar within one month of having opened a branch in a part of Great Britain.
The first documents referred to in paragraph 1(2) are—
a certified copy of the charter, statutes or memorandum and articles of the company (or other instrument constituting or defining the company’s constitution), and
if any of the documents mentioned in paragraph (a) above is not written in the English language, a translation of it into English certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation.
The second documents referred to in paragraph 1(2) are— In sub-paragraph (1)(a) above, “financial period” and “accounting documents” shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 21D.
Sub-paragraph (2) below applies where— The company shall, within the time specified below, deliver to the registrar of companies for registration in respect of the branch to which the return relates— The time for complying with sub-paragraph (2) above is 21 days after the date on which notice of the fact that the statement in the earlier return has ceased to be true could have been received in Great Britain in due course of post (if despatched with due diligence). Sub-paragraph (2) above shall also apply where, after a company has made a return under sub-paragraph (2)(b) above, the statement to the effect mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(b)(i) ceases to be true. For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(b), where the company has more than one branch in a part of Great Britain a return which gives the branch numbers of two or more such branches shall be treated as a return in respect of each branch whose number is given.
If an individual in respect of whom a confidentiality order under section 723B is in force becomes a director, secretary or permanent representative of a company that has delivered a return under paragraph 1(1)— If after a company has delivered a return under paragraph 1(1) a confidentiality order under section 723B is made in respect of an existing director, secretary or permanent representative of the company, the company shall within the time specified below deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the address for the time being notified to it by the director, secretary or permanent representative under regulations made under sections 723B to 723F. Sub-paragraph (4) applies if, at any time after a company has delivered a return under paragraph 1(1), there is an alteration in the usual residential address of a director, secretary or permanent representative of the company in respect of whom a confidentiality order under section 723B is in force. The company shall within the time specified below deliver to the registrar of companies for registration a return in the prescribed form containing the new address. The time for the delivery of a return required by sub-paragraph (2) or (4) is 21 days after the date on which notice of the alteration in question could have been received in Great Britain in due course of post (if despatched with due diligence). Where a company has more than one branch in Great Britain and any provision of this paragraph requires a return to be made to the registrar, that provision requires the company to deliver a return in respect of each of the branches; but a return which gives the branch numbers of two or more such branches shall be treated as a return in respect of each branch whose number is given.
This paragraph applies where a company which becomes a company to which section 690A applies was, immediately before becoming such a company (referred to in this paragraph as the relevant time), a company to which section 691 applies. The company need not include the particulars specified in paragraph 2(1)(d) of Schedule 21A in the first return to be delivered under paragraph 1(1) of that Schedule to the registrar for a part of Great Britain if at the relevant time— and if it states in the return that the particulars have been previously filed in respect of a place of business of the company in that part, giving the company’s registered number. The company shall not be required to deliver the documents mentioned in paragraph 5 of Schedule 21A with the first return to be delivered under paragraph 1(1) of that Schedule to the registrar for a part of Great Britain if at the relevant time— and if it states in the return that the documents have been previously filed in respect of a place of business of the company in that part, giving the company’s registered number.
This paragraph applies where a company which becomes a company to which section 691 applies was, immediately before becoming such a company (referred to in this paragraph as the relevant time), a company to which section 690A applies. The company shall not be required to deliver the documents mentioned in section 691(1)(a) to the registrar for a part of Great Britain if at the relevant time— and if it states in the return that the documents have been previously filed in respect of a branch of the company, giving the branch’s registered number. The company need not include the particulars mentioned in section 691(1)(b)(i) in the return to be delivered under section 691(1)(b) to the registrar for a part of Great Britain if at the relevant time— and if it states in the return that the particulars have been previously filed in respect of a branch of the company, giving the branch’s registered number. Where sub-paragraph (3) above applies, the reference in section 692(1)(b) to the list ofthe directors and secretary shall be construed as a reference to the list contained in the returnunder paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 21A with any alterations in respect of which a return under paragraph 7(1) of that Schedule has been made.
This Part of this Schedule applies to any institution to which section 699A applies which is required by its parent law to prepare and have audited accounts for its financial periods and whose only or principal branch within the United Kingdom is in Great Britain. In this Part of this Schedule, “branch” has the meaning given by section 699A.
An institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall, within one month of becoming such an institution, deliver to the registrar for registration— Where an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies had, immediately prior to becoming such an institution, a branch in Northern Ireland which was its only or principal branch within the United Kingdom it may, instead of delivering the documents mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) under that paragraph, deliver thereunder a notice that it has become an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies, provided that those documents have been delivered to the registrar for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 .
An institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall deliver to the registrar for registration— The period allowed for delivery, in relation to a document required to be delivered under this paragraph, is 3 months from the date on which the document is first disclosed.
Where an institution’s parent law permits it to discharge an obligation with respect to the disclosure of accounting documents by disclosing documents in a modified form, it may discharge its obligation under paragraph 2 or 3 by delivering copies of documents modified as permitted by that law.
Neither paragraph 2 nor paragraph 3 shall require an institution to deliver documents to the registrar if at the end of the period allowed for compliance with that paragraph— Where by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) above an institution is not required to deliver documents under paragraph 2 or 3 and any of the conditions specified in that sub-paragraph ceases to be met, the institution shall deliver the documents to the registrar for registration within 7 days of the condition ceasing to be met.
The documents which an institution is required to deliver to the registrar under this Part of this Schedule shall be delivered—
to the registrar for England and Wales if the institution’s only branch, or (if it has more than one) its principal branch within the United Kingdom, is in England and Wales; or
to the registrar for Scotland if the institution’s only branch, or (if it has more than one) its principal branch within the United Kingdom, is in Scotland.
If an institution fails to comply with paragraph 2, 3 or 5(2) before the end of the period allowed for compliance, the institution and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of the institution, or, in the case of an institution which does not have directors, a person occupying an equivalent office, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this paragraph to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with paragraph 2, 3 or 5(2), as the case may be.
This Part of this Schedule applies to any institution to which section 699A applies which— In this Part of this Schedule, “branch” has the meaning given by section 699A.
An institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall in respect of each financial year of the institution prepare the like accounts and directors’ report, and cause to be prepared such an auditors’ report, as would be required if the institution were a company to which section 700 applied.
Sections 390 to 392 of the Companies Act 2006 apply to an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies subject to the following modifications—
for the references to the incorporation of the company there shall be substituted references to the institution becoming an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies; and
section 392(3) shall be omitted.
An institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall in respect of each financial year of the institution deliver to the registrar copies of the accounts and reports prepared in accordance with paragraph 10. If any document comprised in those accounts or reports is in a language other than English, the institution shall annex to the copy delivered a translation of it into English, certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation.
The period allowed for delivering accounts and reports under paragraph 12 above is13 months after the end of the relevant accounting reference period, subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. If the relevant accounting reference period is the institution’s first and is a period of more than 12 months, the period allowed is 13 months from the first anniversary of the institution’s becoming an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies. If the relevant accounting reference period is treated as shortened by virtue of a notice given by the institution under section 392 of the Companies Act 2006, the period allowed is that applicable in accordance with the above provisions or 3 months from the date of the notice under that section, whichever last expires. If for any special reason the Secretary of State thinks fit he may, on an application made before the expiry of the period otherwise allowed, by notice in writing to an institution to which this Part of this Schedule applies, extend that period by such further period as may be specified in the notice. In this paragraph “the relevant accounting reference period” means the accounting reference period by reference to which the financial year for the accounts in question was determined.
The documents which an institution is required to deliver to the registrar under this Part of the Schedule shall be delivered—
to the registrar for England and Wales if the institution’s only branch, or (if it has more than one) its principal branch within Great Britain, is in England and Wales; or
to the registrar for Scotland if the institution’s only branch, or (if it has more than one) its principal branch within Great Britain, is in Scotland.
If the requirements of paragraph 12 are not complied with before the end of the period allowed for delivering accounts and reports, or if the accounts and reports delivered do not comply with the requirements of this Act, the institution and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of the institution, or, in the case of an institution which does not have directors, a person occupying an equivalent office, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. It is a defence for a person charged with such an offence to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing that the requirements in question would be complied with. It is not a defence in relation to a failure to deliver copies to the registrar to prove that the documents in question were not in fact prepared as required by this Schedule.
This Part of this Schedule applies to any company to which section 699AA applies which is required by its parent law to prepare, have audited and disclose accounts.
This paragraph applies in respect of each branch which a company to which this Part of this Schedule applies has in Great Britain. The company shall deliver to the registrar for registration in respect of the branch copies of all the accounting documents prepared in relation to a financial period of the company which are disclosed in accordance with its parent law on or after the end of the period allowed for compliance in respect of the branch with paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A or, if earlier, the date on which the company complies with that paragraph in respect of the branch. Where the company’s parent law permits it to discharge its obligation with respect to the disclosure of accounting documents by disclosing documents in a modified form, it may discharge its obligation under sub-paragaph (2) above by delivering copies of documents modified as permitted by that law. If any document, a copy of which is delivered under sub-paragraph (2) above, is in a language other than English, the company shall annex to the copy delivered a translation of it into English, certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation.
Paragraph 2 above shall not require documents to be delivered in respect of a branch if—
before the end of the period allowed for compliance with that paragraph, they are delivered in respect of another branch in the United Kingdom, and
the particulars registered under Schedule 21A in respect of the branch indicate an intention that they are to be registered in respect of that other branch and include the details of that other branch mentioned in paragraph 4(b) of that Schedule.
The period allowed for delivery, in relation to a document required to be delivered under paragraph 2, is 3 months from the date on which the document is first disclosed in accordance with the company’s parent law.
If a company fails to comply with paragraph 2 before the end of the period allowed for compliance, it, and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of it, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this paragraph to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing compliance with paragraph 2.
and references to disclosure are to public disclosure. For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the following are accounting documents in relation to a financial period of a company—
This Part of this Schedule applies to any company to which section 699AA applies which is not required by the law of the country in which it is incorporated to prepare, have audited and publicly disclose accounts.
A company to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall in respect of each financial year of the company prepare the like accounts and directors’ report, and cause to be prepared such an auditors’ report, as would be required if the company were a company to which section 700 applied.
Sections 390 to 392 of the Companies Act 2006 apply to a company to which this Part of this Schedule applies subject to the following modifications—
for the references to the incorporation of the company there shall be substituted references to the company becoming a company to which this Part of this Schedule applies, and
section 392(3) shall be omitted.
A company to which this Part of this Schedule applies shall in respect of each financial year of the company deliver to the registrar copies of the accounts and reports prepared in accordance with paragraph 8. If any document comprised in those accounts or reports is in a language other than English, the company shall annex to the copy delivered a translation of it into English, certified in the prescribed manner to be a correct translation. A company required to deliver documents under this paragraph is respect of a financial year shall deliver them in respect of each branch which it has in Great Britain at the end of that year. Sub-paragraph (3) above is without prejudice to section 695A(3).
Paragraph 10 shall not require documents to be delivered in respect of a branch if—
before the end of the period allowed for compliance with that paragraph, they are delivered in respect of another branch in the United Kingdom, and
the particulars registered under paragraph 1 of Schedule 21A in respect of the branch indicate an intention that they are to be registered in respect of that other branch and include the details of that other branch mentioned in paragraph 4(b) of that Schedule.
The period allowed for delivering accounts and reports under paragraph 10 is 13 months after the end of the relevant accounting reference period, subject to the following provisions of this paragraph. If the relevant accounting reference period is the company’s first and is a period of more than 12 months, the period allowed is 13 months from the first anniversary of the company’s becoming a company to which this Part of this Schedule applies. If the relevant accounting reference period is treated as shortened by virtue of a notice given by the company under section 392 of the Companies Act 2006 , the period allowed is that applicable in accordance with the above provisions or 3 months from the date of the notice under that section, whichever last expires. If for any special reason the Secreatry of State thinks fit he may, on an application made before the expiry of the period otherwise allowed, by notice in writing to a company to which this part of this Schedule applies extend that period by such further period as may be specified in the notice. In this paragraph “the relevant accounting reference period” means the accounting reference period by reference to which the financial year for the accounts in question was determined.
If the requirements of paragraph 10 are not complied with before the end of the period allowed for delivering accounts and reports, or if the accounts and reports delivered do not comply with the requirements of this Act, the company and every person who immediately before the end of that period was a director of the company is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine. It is a defence for a person charged with such an offence to prove that he took all reasonable steps for securing that the requirements in question would be complied with. It is not a defence in relation to a failure to deliver copies to the registrar to prove that the documents in question were not in fact prepared as required by this Act.