(1)In the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2) below, the Commission may—
(a)appoint one or more competent inspectors to investigate and report on the affairs of a friendly society; or
(b)call a special meeting of a friendly society to consider its affairs; or
(c)appoint (whether on the same or on different occasions) an inspector or inspectors and call a special meeting for those purposes;
and, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3) below, the investigation or consideration may extend to the affairs of any body corporate which is or at any relevant time has been a subsidiary of or jointly controlled by the society concerned.
(2)The powers conferred by subsection (1) above may be exercised either—
(a)on the application of the requisite number of members of the society concerned; or
(b)where the Commission is of the opinion that an investigation should be held into the affairs of the society, or that the affairs of the society call for consideration by a meeting of its members;
but paragraph (a) above shall not apply to a registered society with branches (regardless of the number of members) except with the consent of the central body of that society.
(3)The powers conferred by subsection (1) above may be exercised so as to extend the investigation or consideration to the affairs of a body which is or has been a subsidiary of or jointly controlled by a friendly society either—
(a)where an application referred to in subsection (2)(a) above so requests; or
(b)where the Commission is of the opinion that it is necessary for the purposes of the investigation into or consideration of the affairs of the friendly society that the affairs of the subsidiary or other body should also be investigated or considered.
(4)Where the inspectors are of the opinion mentioned in subsection (3)(b) above in relation to a subsidiary of or a body jointly controlled by the society under investigation they may, with the consent of the Commission, extend their investigation to the affairs of the subsidiary or other body and make their report accordingly.
(5)For the purposes of subsections (1) to (3) above the requisite number of members—
(a)in the case of a friendly society having more than 1,000 members, is 100; and
(b)in the case of any other friendly society, is one-tenth of the whole number of members of the society.
(6)Where an application is made as mentioned in subsection (2) above—
(a)the application shall be supported by such evidence as the Commission may require for the purpose of showing that the applicants have good reason for making the application and are not actuated by malicious, frivolous, vexatious or scandalous motives;
(b)such notice of the application shall be given to the society concerned and, if the application extends to the affairs of a subsidiary of or body jointly controlled by that society, to that subsidiary or other body, as the Commission may direct;
(c)the Commission may require the applicants to give security for payment of the costs of the investigation or meeting before the inspector is appointed or the meeting is called subject, in the case of the costs of an investigation, to an amount not exceeding the corresponding Companies Act limit; and
(d)as regards the expenses of or incidental to the investigation or meeting—
(i)in the case of an investigation (in whichever way instituted), the expenses shall be defrayed in the first instance by the Commission but without prejudice to its rights to contribution under section 67(10) below;
(ii)in the case of a meeting, the expenses shall be defrayed by the applicants, or out of the funds of the society, or by the members or officers or former members or officers of the society, in such proportions as the Commission may direct.
(7)Before exercising its powers under subsection (1) above in a case falling within subsection (2)(b) above, the Commission shall inform the society of the action which it proposes to take and the grounds for that action, and the society shall, within 14 days of receiving the information, be entitled to give the Commission an explanatory statement in writing by way of a reply.
(8)Where the Commission proposes to exercise its powers under subsection (1) above in a case falling within subsection (3)(b) above, subsection (7) above shall apply in relation to the subsidiary or jointly controlled body as it applies in relation to the society.
(9)Inspectors appointed under this section shall, in addition to having the powers which are necessary for or incidental to the discharge of their functions under this section, have the power specified in section 67 below.
(10)Where a special meeting is called under this section—
(a)the Commission may—
(i)direct at what time and place the meeting is to be held and what matters are to be discussed and determined at the meeting; and
(ii)direct which members may attend and vote at the meeting,
and may give such other directions as it thinks fit with respect to the call, holding and conduct of the meeting;
(b)the Commission may appoint a person to be chairman at the meeting or, in default of such an appointment, the meeting may appoint its own chairman;
(c)the meeting shall have all the powers of a meeting called according to the rules of the society;
and the provisions of this subsection and any direction given under it shall have effect notwithstanding anything in the rules of the society.
(11)In this section “the corresponding Companies Act limit”, in relation to security for the payment of the costs of an investigation, is £5,000 or such other sum as is specified for the time being in an order under section 431(4) of the M1Companies Act 1985 or Article 424(4) of the M2Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.