11.—(1) A “participating interest” means an interest held by an undertaking in the shares of another undertaking which it holds on a long-term basis for the purpose of securing a contribution to its activities by the exercise of control or influence arising from or related to that interest.
(2) A holding of 20% or more of the shares of the undertaking is to be presumed to be a participating interest unless the contrary is shown.
(3) The reference in sub-paragraph (1) to an interest in shares includes—
(a)an interest which is convertible into an interest in shares, and
(b)an option to acquire shares or any such interest,
and an interest or option falls within paragraph (a) or (b) notwithstanding that the shares to which it relates are, until the conversion or the exercise of the option, unissued.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation an interest held on behalf of an undertaking is to be treated as held by it.
(5) In the balance sheet and profit and loss formats set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to these Regulations, “participating interest” does not include an interest in a group undertaking.
(6) For the purpose of this regulation as it applies in relation to the expression “participating interest”—
(a)in those formats as they apply in relation to group accounts, and
(b)in paragraph 19 of Schedule 6 (group accounts: undertakings to be accounted for as associated undertakings),
the references in sub-paragraphs (1) to (4) to the interest held by, and the purposes and activities of, the undertaking concerned are to be construed as references to the interest held by, and the purposes and activities of, the group (within the meaning of paragraph 1 of that Schedule).