Companies Act 2006 – Section 1257

Jurisdiction and procedure in respect of offences

1597. This provision restates section 44 of the 1989 Act and deals with the jurisdiction and
procedure in respect of offences. It specifies that the jurisdiction is that in which a body
corporate or unincorporated association has its place of business or, in the case of an
individual, where he is located. It also provides for an unincorporated association to be
treated in the same way as a body corporate.

Section 1258: Service of notices

1598. This provision restates section 49 of the 1989 Act and states how notices and other
documents may be served under this Part of the Act on any person other than the Secretary of
State. The three permitted methods of service are: delivery to the person, leaving the
document at the person’s address, or sending it by post to the person’s address.

Section 1259: Documents in electronic form

1599. This is a new provision to allow delivery of notices, directions or other documents in
electronic form. It allows the use of e-communications where existing provisions in this Part
impose requirements on the giving or sending of notices, directions or other documents,
provided the recipient indicates he is prepared to accept this form of delivery.

Section 1260: Meaning of “associate”

1600. This provision restates section 52 of the 1989 Act and defines the meaning of
“associate”. This definition is particularly relevant for the independence requirement for
statutory auditors set out in section 1214.

Section 1261: Minor definitions

1601. This provision is a restatement of section 53 of the 1989 Act with certain extra
definitions. Subsection (3) empowers the Secretary of State, by regulations, to make
amendments to this Part which are needed in relation to the application of the Part to a “firm”
(as defined by subsection (1)) which is not a partnership or body corporate.

Section 1262: Index of defined expressions

1602. This provision contains an index to the defined terms used in the Part.

Section 1263: Power to make provision in consequence of changes affecting accountancy
bodies

1603. This provision restates section 51 of the 1989 Act. The provision empowers the
Secretary of State to amend by regulation legislation (including this Act) that refers to
accountancy bodies in the event of a name change, merger or transfer of engagements
affecting the bodies.

Section 1264 and Schedule 14: Consequential amendments

1604. Section 1264 introduces Schedule 14, which contains amendments consequential on
this Part to the C(AICE) Act 2004.

PART 43: TRANSPARENCY OBLIGATIONS AND RELATED MATTERS

Section 1265: The transparency obligations directive

1605. Section 1265 inserts a definition of the “transparency obligations directive” at the
appropriate place in Part 6 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000(“FSMA”).

Section 1266: Transparency rules

1606. Section 1266 inserts seven new sections into Part 6 of FSMA: sections 89A, 89B,
89C, 89D, 89E, 89F and 89G. Part 6 of FSMA deals with certain aspects of the regulation of
securities that are traded on regulated markets in the UK. These new sections make provision
about rules that may be made by the “competent authority” (which is the Financial Services
Authority (“the Authority”)) for the purposes of the Transparency Directive
(2004/109/EC)“transparency rules”.

New Section 89A: Transparency rules

1607. Subsection (1) of new section 89A of FSMA enables the Authority to make
transparency rules to implement the Transparency Directive in the UK. Subsection (2)
enables the rules to include provision for any matter arising out of or related to the Directive
provisions.

1608. The Transparency Directive itself covers issuers whose securities are traded on
regulated markets and people who hold voting rights attached to shares in such issuers. The
scope of the rule-making power allows the rules to address other matters arising from the
Directive’s implementation, for example, to ensure that secondary legislation adopted by the
Commission can be incorporated into the transparency rules, and that optional aspects of the
Directive can be implemented, where the Authority considers this appropriate.

1609. It is expected that rules made under section 89A(1) will implement the Transparency
Directive by-

• requiring holders of votes attached to shares in issuers to make disclosure about their
holdings at certain thresholds (see new section 89B);

• requiring issuers to make public their annual accounts and reports, prepared in
accordance with the EU International Accounts Standards Regulation (Regulation
(EC) 1606/2002), and, where appropriate, half-yearly and interim management
statements about their business(see new section 89C);

• requiring issuers to make notification about voting rights held by themselves in
respect of their own voting shares (see new section 89D);

• requiring issuers to notify the Authority and the market of any proposed change to
their constitution (see new section 89E).

1610. Subsection (3)(a) enables the Authority to make rules about disclosures of
voteholdings to UK markets that are not regulated markets (within the meaning of section
103(1) of FSMA) (such as the AIM). Subsection (3)(b) enables the Authority to make rules
about disclosure in relation to certain comparable instruments in respect of voting shares.
These are instruments that give the holder a level of economic, as opposed to legal, control
over votes attached to shares. An example of the type of instrument that the rules could
extend to cover is a contract for difference, known as a “CFD”.

1611. Subsection (4) specifies further matters that the rules may cover. These include: how
the proportion of voting rights held by an issuer is to be determined; when voting rights heldby one person may be regarded as being held by another; the nature, form, timing and
presentation of any notification; and the circumstances in which any of the requirements of
section 89A may not apply.

New Section 89B: Provision of voteholder information

1612. New section 89B sets out provisions for notifications by voteholders under
transparency rules. Subsection (1) specifies that notification can be required to be made to the
issuer or to the public or to both. Under subsection (2), rules may provide for such
information to be notified at the same time to the Authority.

1613. Subsection (5) sets out the circumstances in which voteholders may be required to
notify of a change in the proportion of voting rights (i.e. when a proportion crosses above or
below, or reaches, a proportion designated in the rules).

New Section 89C: Provision of information by issuers of transferable securities

1614. New section 89C sets out provisions for issuers of transferable securities to provide
information under transparency rules. Subsection (1) clarifies that information can be
required to be given to the public or the Authority or both.

1615. The rules cover annual financial reports (both financial statements and management
reports) and, for certain issuers, half-yearly financial reports and interim management
statements, as required by the Transparency Directive. The rules can also require issuers to
disclose certain other information relating to voteholder information, information about the
different classes of share they have issued and the total number of voting rights attached to
each class, their own voteholdings, their capital, and information about new loan issues.

New Section 89D: Notification of voting rights held by issuer

1616. New section 89D enables the rules to provide for issuers to make notification of the
proportion of voting rights they hold in respect of their own voting shares. Subsection (1)(a)
permits rules to set the initial notification period in accordance with the requirements of the
Transparency Directive at Article 30.2. Subsections (1)(b), (2) and (3) set out the
circumstances under which issuers of transferable securities must notify of a change in the
proportion of voting rights (i.e. when a proportion crosses above or below, or reaches, a
proportion designated in the rules).

New Section 89E: Notification of proposed amendment of issuer’s constitution

1617. New section 89E enables the rules to provide that an issuer of transferable securities
admitted to trading on a regulated market must notify a proposed amendment to its
constitution to the Authority and the market.

New Section 89F: Transparency rules: interpretation etc

1618. New section 89F defines a number of terms used in the sections 89A to 89G.

New Section 89G: Transparency rules: other supplementary provisions

1619. New section 89G sets out further supplementary provisions relating to the
transparency rules. Subsection (1) enables the Authority to make rules imposing the same
obligations on a person who has applied for the admission of transferable securities to trading
on a regulated market without the issuer’s consent as they impose on an issuer of transferable
securities. Subsection (2) enables the Authority to make rules to allow it to make public
information that voteholders or issuers are required to make public, where they fail to do so
themselves. Subsection (3) will enable the Authority to make public information notified to it
in accordance with transparency rules.

1620. There is some overlap between notifications required by the Panel on Takeovers and
Mergers in the rules made under Part 28, and notifications required by the Transparency
Directive. Subsection (4) enables transparency rules to cross-refer to rules made by the Panel
under Part 28, which will enable greater alignment between the two sets of rules.