Companies Act 2006 – CHAPTER 5
REGISTERED THIRD COUNTRY AUDITORS
Section 1241: Meaning of “third country auditor”, “registered third country auditor”
etc
1582. This is a new provision that sets out the definition of a third country auditor and a
registered third country auditor. The section provides that a third country auditor is an auditor
(whether based in the UK or not) of the accounts of a company incorporated or formed in a
non-EU country, whose shares are admitted for trading on a UK market such as the London
Stock Exchange.
Section 1242: Duties of registered third country auditors
1583. Subsections (1) to (3) require registered third country auditors to be subject to systems
of independent monitoring and discipline in the UK in accordance with Schedule 12. These
provisions are similar to supervision arrangements for statutory auditors contained in section
1212(1) (membership of a Recognised Supervisory Body) and section 1217 (Supervisory
Bodies) and Schedule 10. Subsection (4) empowers the Secretary of State to disapply the
requirements in subsections (1) to (3). For example, he may disapply the requirements if
satisfied that the third country auditor is already subject to equivalent supervision
arrangements in his home country.
Schedule 12: Arrangements in which registered third country auditors are required to
participate
1584. The requirements in this Schedule are new. They describe the independent monitoring
and investigation arrangements which third country auditors must participate in.
Sections 1243 and 1244: Information
1585. These sections replicate for registered third country auditors the requirements in
section 1223 and 1224 for the notification of information to the Secretary of State. Third
country auditors may be required to provide any information that might reasonably be
required for the Secretary of State to carry out his functions.
Sections 1245 and 1246: Enforcement
1586. The provisions in section 1245 enable the Secretary of State to apply to the court for
an order to make a registered third country auditor comply with its obligations under the Part.
The provisions in section 1246 empower the Secretary of State to make provision as to the
removal of the third country auditors from the register of auditors in certain circumstances. In
doing so, regard must be had to whether the third country auditor has complied with his
obligations under this Part.
Section 1247: Grants to bodies concerned with arrangements under Schedule 12
1587. This section amends section 16(2) of the C(AICE) Act 2004. The effect of the
amendment is that the body that carries out the monitoring and investigation functions in
relation to third country auditors is eligible for grants from the Secretary of State under
section 16 of that Act. It also means that the body may be exempt from liability in damages
under section 18 of the Act.
CHAPTER 6: SUPPLEMENTARY AND GENERAL
Sections 1248 and 1249: Power to require second company audit
1588. These sections restate section 29 of the 1989 Act empowering the Secretary of State
to require a second audit of a company in circumstances where the person appointed as
statutory auditor was not eligible for appointment or was not independent of the company
audited. Subsection (2) permits the Secretary of State to direct either that a second audit is
performed or that a review of the first audit is carried out (which will inform whether a
second audit is required). Subsections (5) to (8) set out the criminal sanctions on the company
should it fail to comply with that order. Section 1249 allows the audited person to recover the
costs of the second audit from the first auditor, if the first auditor knew when he acted that he
was not eligible or not independent.
Section 1250: Misleading, false and deceptive statements
1589. This section is a restatement of the offences in section 41 of the 1989 Act but also
extends these offences to third country auditors. Subsection (1) sets out offences in respect of
persons who provide information that they know to be misleading, false or deceptive.
Subsection (2) makes it an offence for a person to hold himself out as a registered auditor
where he is not registered as such in accordance with section 1239. Subsection (3) makes a
similar provision for third country auditors. Subsection (4) makes it an offence for either a
supervisory or qualifying body to hold itself out as recognised when it is not so recognised.
Subsection (8) provides a defence if the person took all reasonable precautions and exercised
due diligence to avoid committing the offence.
Section 1251: Fees
1590. This provision is based on section 45 of the 1989 Act and extends the powers of the
Secretary of State to make regulations to prescribe periodical fees which must be paid by the
Auditors General and registered third country auditors as well as recognised supervisory
bodies and recognised qualifying bodies.
Section 1252 and 1253: Delegation of Secretary of State’s functions
1591. These provisions replace sections 46 and 46A of the 1989 Act and empower the
Secretary of State to establish a body, or appoint an existing body, to exercise his functions
relating to statutory auditors and the recognition of bodies that supervise auditors and/or
provide professional qualifications. To do so, the Secretary of State must make a delegation
order that is in accordance with Schedule 13. However, subsection (6) provides that some
delegated functions must remain exercisable concurrently by the Secretary of State: namely
the power to call for information (sections 1224 and 1244) and the power to issue directions
to comply with international obligations (section 1254). Subsection (7) also provides that
certain delegated functions concerning the approval of overseas qualifications (section 1221)
can be exercised only with the consent of the Secretary of State. Subsection (3) provides for
the delegation of the body to have the effect of making it subject to the obligations of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Professional Oversight Board is currently appointed
under section 46 of the 1989 Act to exercise the Secretary of State’s functions.
1592. Section 1253 specifies the conditions for delegating functions to an existing body. It
ensures that an existing body is not precluded from exercising any delegated function on the
basis of its involvement with the monitoring, investigation or disciplinary arrangements that
are set out in Schedule 10.
Schedule 13: Supplementary provisions with respect to delegation order
1593. This Schedule restates the provisions of Schedule 13 to the 1989 Act. Paragraph 2
provides that the delegated body is not to be regarded as acting on behalf of the Crown.
Paragraphs 7 to 9 provide for the delegated body to exercise any legislative functions by
instrument in writing and not by statutory instrument. Instruments must be made available to
the public and the Secretary of State may require the body to consult prior to the making of
regulations. Paragraph 10 requires the delegated body to report annually to the Secretary of
State on the performance of its functions.
Section 1254: Directions to comply with international obligations
1594. This provision restates section 40 of the 1989 Act and empowers the Secretary of
State to direct recognised supervisory or qualifying bodies, or any body delegated under
section 1252, to comply with Community or other international obligations. If the body fails
to comply with a direction, the Secretary of State can apply to the court for his direction to be
enforced.
Section 1255: Offences by bodies corporate, partnerships and unincorporated
associations
1595. This provision restates section 42 of the 1989 Act and deals with offences committed
by bodies corporate, partnerships and other unincorporated associations. Where an offence
committed by such a body is committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable
to the neglect of, an officer (in the case of a body corporate), a partner (in the case of a
partnership) or an officer or member (in the case of an unincorporated association), that
officer, partner or member is also guilty of the offence.
Section 1256: Time limits for prosecution of offences
1596. This provision restates section 43 of the 1989 Act and sets a twelve-month time limit
for the prosecution of offences within each of the jurisdictions. Subsections (1) to (4) identify
that the date on which knowledge of sufficient evidence of the offence to justify prosecuting
becomes known to either the Secretary of State or Director of Public Prosecutions (for
England and Wales), the Lord Advocate (for Scotland) or Director of Public Prosecutions for
Northern Ireland is taken as the date from which the twelve month time limit commences. In
any event, the prosecution may not be commenced if three years have passed since the date
on which the offence was committed.