180.—(1) A protected cell company may be dissolved in the following cases—
(a)the protected cell company makes an application to the FCA for its dissolution;
(b)the core of the protected cell company is put into administration and the protected cell company is dissolved at the end of administration (see paragraph 84 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 and paragraph 85 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, as applied by regulation 167);
(c)the core of the protected cell company is put into liquidation and the protected cell company is dissolved after winding up (see sections 202 to 205 of the Insolvency Act 1986 and Articles 167 to 169 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 as applied by regulation 167).
(2) But a protected cell company may only be dissolved if the protected cell company has no cells.
(3) Where a protected cell company applies to the FCA for its dissolution, the application must contain, or be accompanied by, a statement made by the directors of the protected cell company, or by a majority of them, that the protected cell company has no cells.
(4) Where the FCA receives an application made under paragraph (1)(a) which contains, or is accompanied by, the statement referred to in paragraph (3), the FCA must publish a notice in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes—
(a)identifying the protected cell company;
(b)stating that the FCA has received an application from the protected cell company for its dissolution; and
(c)inviting any person to show cause as to why the protected cell company should not be dissolved.
(5) On the expiry of a period of three months beginning with the date that the notice referred to in paragraph (4) was published in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes, or the last such date if the notices are published on different dates, the FCA may—
(a)notify the protected cell company that it intends to strike the protected cell company off the register;
(b)record on its register of protected cell companies that the protected cell company is struck off the register; and
(c)publish notice to that effect in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.
(6) If the FCA is aware that the protected cell company intends to acquire or redeem shares issued on behalf of the core, the FCA may postpone publication of the notices referred to in paragraph (5)(c) for such period as appears to the FCA to be reasonable.
(7) On the publication of the notices referred to in paragraph (5)(c), or the last such notice if the notices are published on different dates, the protected cell company is dissolved.
(8) However—
(a)the liability (if any) of every director of the protected cell company continues and may be enforced as if the protected cell company had not been dissolved; and
(b)nothing in this regulation affects the power of the court to wind up the core or a cell of the protected cell company which has been struck off the register.
(9) All property and rights whatsoever vested in or held on trust for the protected cell company immediately before its dissolution (including leasehold property, but not including property held on trust for another person) are deemed to be bona vacantia.
(10) Sections 1012 to 1023 of the Companies Act 2006 (property of dissolved company)(1) apply to all such property and rights as they apply to the property and rights of a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2006, with the following modifications—
(a)references to the restoration of the company are to be treated as references to the restoration of the protected cell company; and
(b)references to the registrar are to be treated as references to the FCA.
Section 1022 was amended by section 119 or and Schedule 5 to the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012 (2012 asp 5).