Part 22U.K.Information about interests in a company's shares

Power of members to require company to actU.K.

803Power of members to require company to actU.K.

(1)The members of a company may require it to exercise its powers under section 793 (notice requiring information about interests in shares).

(2)A company is required to do so once it has received requests (to the same effect) from members of the company holding at least 10% of such of the paid-up capital of the company as carries a right to vote at general meetings of the company (excluding any voting rights attached to any shares in the company held as treasury shares).

(3)A request—

(a)may be in hard copy form or in electronic form,

(b)must—

(i)state that the company is requested to exercise its powers under section 793,

(ii)specify the manner in which the company is requested to act, and

(iii)give reasonable grounds for requiring the company to exercise those powers in the manner specified, and

(c)must be authenticated by the person or persons making it.

804Duty of company to comply with requirementU.K.

(1)A company that is required under section 803 to exercise its powers under section 793 (notice requiring information about interests in company's shares) must exercise those powers in the manner specified in the requests.

(2)If default is made in complying with subsection (1) an offence is committed by every officer of the company who is in default.

(3)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to a fine;

(b)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

805Report to members on outcome of investigationU.K.

(1)On the conclusion of an investigation carried out by a company in pursuance of a requirement under section 803 the company must cause a report of the information received in pursuance of the investigation to be prepared.

The report must be made available for inspection within a reasonable period (not more than 15 days) after the conclusion of the investigation.

(2)Where—

(a)a company undertakes an investigation in pursuance of a requirement under section 803, and

(b)the investigation is not concluded within three months after the date on which the company became subject to the requirement,

the company must cause to be prepared in respect of that period, and in respect of each succeeding period of three months ending before the conclusion of the investigation, an interim report of the information received during that period in pursuance of the investigation.

(3)Each such report must be made available for inspection within a reasonable period (not more than 15 days) after the end of the period to which it relates.

(4)The reports must be retained by the company for at least six years from the date on which they are first made available for inspection and must be kept available for inspection during that time—

(a)at the company's registered office, or

(b)at a place specified in regulations under section 1136.

(5)The company must give notice to the registrar—

(a)of the place at which the reports are kept available for inspection, and

(b)of any change in that place,

unless they have at all times been kept at the company's registered office.

(6)The company must within three days of making any report prepared under this section available for inspection, notify the members who made the requests under section 803 where the report is so available.

(7)For the purposes of this section an investigation carried out by a company in pursuance of a requirement under section 803 is concluded when—

(a)the company has made all such inquiries as are necessary or expedient for the purposes of the requirement, and

(b)in the case of each such inquiry—

(i)a response has been received by the company, or

(ii)the time allowed for a response has elapsed.

806Report to members: offencesU.K.

(1)If default is made for 14 days in complying with section 805(5) (notice to registrar of place at which reports made available for inspection) an offence is committed by—

(a)the company, and

(b)every officer of the company who is in default.

(2)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.

(3)If default is made in complying with any other provision of section 805 (report to members on outcome of investigation), an offence is committed by every officer of the company who is in default.

(4)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (3) is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to a fine;

(b)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

807Right to inspect and request copy of reportsU.K.

(1)Any report prepared under section 805 must be open to inspection by any person without charge.

(2)Any person is entitled, on request and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, to be provided with a copy of any such report or any part of it.

The copy must be provided within ten days after the request is received by the company.

(3)If an inspection required under subsection (1) is refused, or default is made in complying with subsection (2), an offence is committed by—

(a)the company, and

(b)every officer of the company who is in default.

(4)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.

(5)In the case of any such refusal or default the court may by order compel an immediate inspection or, as the case may be, direct that the copy required be sent to the person requiring it.