Companies Act 2006

[F1 1225E Financial penalties: supplementary U.K.

(1) Before imposing a penalty on a body, the Secretary of State must give the body a notice (a “notice of proposed penalty”)—

(a) stating that the Secretary of State proposes to impose a penalty and the amount of the penalty proposed,

(b) identifying the requirement or obligation in question and stating why it appears to the Secretary of State that the requirement is not satisfied or the obligation has not been complied with, and

(c) specifying a period within which the body may make written representations with respect to the proposed penalty.

(2) The period specified under subsection (1)(c)—

(a) must begin with the date on which the notice of proposed penalty is given to the body, and

(b) must not be less than 21 days.

(3) Written representations made by the body before the end of the period specified under subsection (1)(c) must be considered by the Secretary of State.

(4) After considering any such representations or, in their absence, on the expiry of the period specified under subsection (1)(c), the Secretary of State must decide—

(a) whether to impose a penalty, and

(b) where the Secretary of State decides to do so, whether to reduce the proposed amount of the penalty.

(5) The Secretary of State must give notice of the decision (a “penalty decision notice”) to the body.

(6) Where the Secretary of State decides to impose a penalty, the penalty decision notice must—

(a) state that the Secretary of State has imposed a penalty on the body and its amount,

(b) identify the requirement or obligation in question and state—

(i) why it appears to the Secretary of State that the requirement is not satisfied or the obligation has not been complied with, or

(ii) where, by that time, the requirement is satisfied or the obligation has been complied with, why it appeared to the Secretary of State when giving the notice of proposed penalty that the requirement was not satisfied or the obligation had not been complied with, and

(c) specify a time by which the penalty is required to be paid.

(7) The time specified under subsection (6)(c) must be at least 3 months after the date on which the penalty decision notice is given to the body.

(8) Where the Secretary of State decides to impose a penalty, the Secretary of State must publish the penalty decision notice and must do so in such manner as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for bringing the penalty to the attention of persons likely to be affected.

(9) The Secretary of State may rescind a penalty imposed on a body under section 1225D and, where doing so, must—

(a) give the body notice of the rescission, and

(b) publish the notice in the same manner as the penalty decision notice was published.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 1225-1225G substituted (2.7.2012) for s. 1225 by The Statutory Auditors (Amendment of Companies Act 2006 and Delegation of Functions etc) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1741), arts. 1(2), 4