Gas Act 1986

55 Financial structure of the successor company. E+W+S

(1) If the Secretary of State so directs at any time before the successor company ceases to be wholly owned by the Crown, such sum (not exceeding the accumulated realised profits of the Corporation) as may be specified in the direction shall be carried by the successor company to a reserve (in this section referred to as “the statutory reverse ”).

(2) The statutory reserve may only be applied by the successor company in paying up unissued shares of the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully paid bonus shares.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) above, the statutory reserve shall not count as an undistributable reserve of the successor company for the purposes of [F1 section 831(4)(d) of the Companies Act 2006]; but for the purpose of determining under that section whether the successor company may make a distribution at any time any amount for the time being standing to the credit of the statutory reserve shall be treated for the purposes of [F2 section 831(4)(c)] as if it were unrealised profits of the company.

(4) For the purposes of any statutory accounts of the successor company—

(a) the vesting effected by virtue of section 49 above shall be taken to have been a vesting of all the property, rights and liabilities to which the Corporation was entitled or subject immediately before the end of the last complete financial year of the Corporation ending before the transfer date (other than any rights and liabilities which vest in the Treasury by virtue of section 50 above) and to have been effected immediately after the end of that year; and

(b) the value of any asset and the amount of any liability of the Corporation taken to have been vested in the successor company by virtue of paragraph (a) above shall be taken to have been the value or (as the case may be) the amount assigned to that asset or liability for the purposes of the corresponding statement of accounts prepared by the Corporation in respect of that year.

(5) For the purposes of any statutory accounts of the successor company the amount to be included in respect of any item shall be determined as if anything done by the Corporation (whether by way of acquiring, revaluing or disposing of any asset or incurring, revaluing or discharging any liability, or by carrying any amount to any provision or reserve, or otherwise) had been done by the successor company.

Accordingly (but without prejudice to the generality of the preceding provision) the amount to be included from time to time in any reserves of the successor company as representing its accumulated realised profits shall be determined as if any profits realised and retained by the Corporation had been realised and retained by the successor company.

(6) References in this section to the statutory accounts of the successor company are references to any accounts prepared by the successor company for the purposes of any provision of the M1 Companies Act 1985 (including group accounts); and in this section “complete financial year ” means a financial year ending with 31st March.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 55(3) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 70(5)(a) (with art. 10)

F2 Words in s. 55(3) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 70(5)(b) (with art. 10)

Marginal Citations

M1 1985 c. 6.