Part XII Control Over Authorised Persons
Acquiring, increasing and reducing control
X1179 Acquiring control.
(1)
For the purposes of this Part, a person (“the acquirer”) acquires control over a UK authorised person (“A”) on first falling within any of the cases in subsection (2).
(2)
The cases are where the acquirer—
(a)
holds 10% or more of the shares in A;
(b)
is able to exercise significant influence over the management of A by virtue of his shareholding in A;
(c)
holds 10% or more of the shares in a parent undertaking (“P”) of A;
(d)
is able to exercise significant influence over the management of P by virtue of his shareholding in P;
(e)
is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, 10% or more of the voting power in A;
(f)
is able to exercise significant influence over the management of A by virtue of his voting power in A;
(g)
is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, 10% or more of the voting power in P; or
(h)
is able to exercise significant influence over the management of P by virtue of his voting power in P.
(3)
In subsection (2) “the acquirer” means—
(a)
the acquirer;
(b)
any of the acquirer’s associates; or
(c)
the acquirer and any of his associates.
(4)
For the purposes of this Part, each of the following is to be regarded as a kind of control—
(a)
control arising as a result of the holding of shares in A;
(b)
control arising as a result of the holding of shares in P;
(c)
control arising as a result of the entitlement to exercise, or control the exercise of, voting power in A;
(d)
control arising as a result of the entitlement to exercise, or control the exercise of, voting power in P.
(5)
For the purposes of this section and sections 180 and 181, “associate”, “ ” and “voting power” have the same meaning as in section 422.
X2180 Increasing control.
(1)
For the purposes of this Part, a controller of a person (“A”) who is a UK authorised person increases his control over A if—
(a)
the percentage of shares held by the controller in A increases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2);
(b)
the percentage of shares held by the controller in a parent undertaking (“P”) of A increases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2);
(c)
the percentage of voting power which the controller is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, in A increases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2);
(d)
the percentage of voting power which the controller is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, in P increases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2); or
(e)
the controller becomes a parent undertaking of A.
(2)
The steps are—
(a)
from below 10% to 10% or more but less than 20%;
(b)
from below 20% to 20% or more but less than 33%;
(c)
from below 33% to 33% or more but less than 50%;
(d)
from below 50% to 50% or more.
(3)
In paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) “the controller” means—
(a)
the controller;
(b)
any of the controller’s associates; or
(c)
the controller and any of his associates.
(4)
In the rest of this Part “acquiring control” or “having control” includes—
(a)
acquiring or having an additional kind of control; or
(b)
acquiring an increase in a relevant kind of control, or having increased control of a relevant kind.
X3181 Reducing control.
(1)
For the purposes of this Part, a controller of a person (“A”) who is a UK authorised person reduces his control over A if—
(a)
the percentage of shares held by the controller in A decreases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2),
(b)
the percentage of shares held by the controller in a parent undertaking (“P”) of A decreases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2),
(c)
the percentage of voting power which the controller is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, in A decreases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2),
(d)
the percentage of voting power which the controller is entitled to exercise, or control the exercise of, in P decreases by any of the steps mentioned in subsection (2), or
(e)
the controller ceases to be a parent undertaking of A,
unless the controller ceases to have the kind of control concerned over A as a result.
(2)
The steps are—
(a)
from 50% or more to 33% or more but less than 50%;
(b)
from 33% or more to 20% or more but less than 33%;
(c)
from 20% or more to 10% or more but less than 20%;
(d)
from 10% or more to less than 10%.
(3)
In paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) “the controller” means—
(a)
the controller;
(b)
any of the controller’s associates; or
(c)
the controller and any of his associates.