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Savills PLC — Governance Information 2020
Apr 30, 2020
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Governance Information
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No 2122174
THE COMPANIES ACT 1985
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
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SAVILLS plc
(Adopted pursuant to a Special Resolution passed on 10 May 2006 and amended to reflect the Ordinary Resolution passed on 10 May 2006 and Special Resolutions passed on 7 May 2008 and 5 May 2010)
PRELIMINARY
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The regulations contained in Table A in the Schedule to The Companies (Tables A to F) Regulations 1985 and in any Table A applicable to the Company under any former enactment relating to companies shall not apply to the Company except in so far as they are repeated or contained in these Articles
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In these Articles, unless the context otherwise requires
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"Act" means the Companies Act 1985,
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"the 2006 Act" means the Companies Act 2006,
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"address" shall, in any case where electronic form is permitted by or pursuant to these Articles or the 2006 Act, include a number or address used for the purpose of sending or receiving documents or information by electronic means but, in any other case, shall not include any number or address used for such purpose,
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"Articles" means these articles of association as altered from time to time,
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"Auditors" means the auditors for the time being of the Company,
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"clear days' notice" means that the notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect,
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"Directors" means the directors for the time being of the Company, or, as the case may be, the board of directors for the time being of the Company or the persons present at a duly convened meeting of the board of directors or any duly authorised committee thereof at which a quorum is present,
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"dividend" includes bonus,
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"electronic form" and "electronic means" shall, where the context so admits, have the same meaning as in the 2006 Act,
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"London Stock Exchange" means London Stock Exchange plc;
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"Member" means a member of the Company,
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"month" means calendar month,
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"Office" means the registered office for the time being of the Company,
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"paid up" includes credited as paid up,
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"properly authenticated dematerialised instruction" shall have the same meaning as in the Regulations,
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"Register" means the register of members of the Company required to be kept by the Statutes,
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"Regulations" means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001,
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"relevant system" shall have the same meaning as in the Regulations,
"Seal" means the common seal of the Company or any official or securities seal that the Company may have or be permitted to have under the Statutes,
"Secretary" includes a joint, deputy or assistant secretary, and any person appointed by the Directors to perform the duties of the secretary of the Company,
"Statutes" means the Act, the Companies Act 1989, the 2006 Act, the Regulations, and every other statute or subordinate legislation for the time being in force concerning companies and affecting the Company,
"treasury shares" means qualifying shares (within the meaning of section 162(4) of the Act) held by the Company under section 162A(1)(a) of the Act,
"United Kingdom" means Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and
"in writing" and "written" includes printing, lithography, typewriting, photography and other modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise
(a) Words importing the singular number only shall include the plural, and vice versa
(b) Words importing the masculine gender only shall include the feminine gender
(c) Words importing individuals and words importing persons shall include bodies corporate and unincorporated associations
(d) Any reference herein to the provisions of any statute or of any subordinate legislation shall include any amendment or re-enactment (with or without amendment) thereof for the time being in force
(e) Subject as aforesaid, and unless the context otherwise requires, words and expressions defined in the Statutes, or the Regulations, shall bear the same meanings in these Articles
(f) A special resolution shall be effective for any purpose for which an ordinary resolution is expressed to be required under any provision of these Articles
(g) References herein to a share being in uncertificated form are references to that share being an uncertificated unit of a security
(h) Headings to these Articles are for convenience only and shall not affect construction
SHARES
3 [Article Deleted]
4 Without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the holders of any existing shares or class of shares, any share in the Company may be issued with such rights (including preferred, deferred or other special rights) or such restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise as the Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution determine (or, in the absence of any such determination, as the Directors may determine)
5 Subject to the provisions of the Statutes
(a) any shares may be issued which are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the shareholder on such terms and in such manner as may be provided by these Articles, and
(b) the Company may purchase any of its own shares (including any redeemable shares)
6 The Company shall not give any financial assistance for the acquisition of shares in the Company except and in so far as permitted by the Statutes
7 The shares of the Company shall not be allotted at a discount and save as permitted by the Statutes shall not be allotted except as paid up at least as to one-quarter of their nominal value and the whole of any premium thereon
8 The Company may exercise the powers of paying commissions conferred by the Statutes, provided that the rate per cent or the amount of the commission paid or agreed to be paid shall be disclosed in the manner required by
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the Statutes and the rate of the commission shall not exceed the rate of ten per cent of the price at which the shares in respect whereof the same is paid are issued or an amount equal to ten per cent of such price (as the case may be). Such commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the allotment of fully or partly paid shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also on any issue of shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful
9 Save as otherwise provided in the Statutes or in these Articles, all unissued shares (whether forming part of the original or any increased capital) shall be at the disposal of the Directors who may (subject to the provisions of the Statutes) allot (with or without conferring a right of renunciation), grant options over, offer or otherwise deal with or dispose of them to such persons at such times and generally on such terms and conditions as they may determine. The Directors may at any time after the allotment of any share but before any person has been entered in the Register as the holder, recognise a renunciation thereof by the allottee in favour of some other person and may accord to any allottee of a share a right to effect such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Directors may think fit to impose
10 Except as required by law or pursuant to the provisions of these Articles, no person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any share upon any trust, and (except only as by these Articles or by law otherwise provided or under an order of a court of competent jurisdiction) the Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any share or any interest in any fractional part of a share or any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder
SHARE CERTIFICATES
11
(a) Unless otherwise determined by the Directors and permitted by the Regulations, no person shall be entitled to receive a certificate in respect of any share for so long as the title to that share is evidenced otherwise than by a certificate and for so long as transfers of that share may be made otherwise than by a written instrument by virtue of the Regulations. Notwithstanding any provisions of these Articles, the Directors shall have power to implement any arrangements they may, in their absolute discretion, think fit in relation to the evidencing of title to and transfer of an uncertificated share (subject always to the Regulations and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned). No provision of these Articles shall apply or have effect to the extent that it is in any respect inconsistent with the holding of shares in uncertificated form
(b) Conversion of a certificated share into an uncertificated share, and vice versa, may be made in such manner as the Directors may, in their absolute discretion, think fit (subject always to the Regulations and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned)
(c) The Company shall enter on the Register how many shares are held by each Member in uncertificated form and in certificated form and shall maintain the Register in each case as required by the Regulations and the relevant system concerned. Unless the Directors otherwise determine, holdings of the same holder or joint holders in certificated form and uncertificated form shall be treated as separate holdings
(d) A class of share shall not be treated as two classes by virtue only of that class comprising both certificated shares and uncertificated shares or as a result of any provision of these Articles or the Regulations which applies only in respect of certificated or uncertificated shares
(e) The Company shall be entitled, in accordance with regulation 32(2)(c) of the Regulations, to require the conversion of an uncertificated share into certificated form to enable it to deal with that share in accordance with any provision in these Articles, including in particular, Articles 51 to 56A, 52(c) and 82
(f) The provisions of Articles 12 to 16 inclusive shall not apply to uncertificated shares
12 Every share certificate shall specify the number and class and the distinguishing number (if any) of the shares to which it relates and the amount paid up thereon. No certificate shall be issued relating to shares of more than one class
13 Subject to Article 11, every person (other than a recognised clearing house (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) or a nominee of a recognised clearing house or of a recognised investment exchange (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in respect of whom the Company is not by law required to complete and have ready for delivery a certificate) upon becoming the holder of a certificated share and whose name is entered as a Member on the Register shall be entitled without payment to receive within two months after allotment or lodgement of transfer (or within such other period as the conditions of issue shall provide) one certificate for all the certificated shares registered in his name or, in the case of shares of more than one class being registered in his name, a separate certificate for each class of certificated share so registered, and where a Member (except such a clearing house or nominee) transfers part of the shares of any
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class registered in his name he shall be entitled without payment to one certificate for the balance of certificated shares of that class retained by him. If a Member shall require additional certificates he shall pay for each additional certificate such reasonable sum (if any) as the Directors may determine
14 In respect of certificated shares of one class held jointly by more than one person the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate, and delivery of a certificate for such shares to one of the joint holders of such shares shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders
15 If any certificate be defaced then upon delivery thereof to the Directors they may order the same to be cancelled and may issue a new certificate in lieu thereof, and if any certificate be lost or destroyed, then upon proof thereof to the satisfaction of the Directors and on such indemnity with or without security as the Directors deem adequate being given, a new certificate in lieu thereof shall be given to the party entitled to such lost or destroyed certificate
16 Every certificate issued under the last preceding Article shall be issued without payment, but there shall be paid to the Company any exceptional out-of-pocket expenses of the Company in connection with the request if the Directors think fit and a sum equal to the costs incurred by the Company of any such indemnity and security as is referred to in that Article)
VARIATION OF RIGHTS
17 If at any time the share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class or any of such rights may, subject to the provisions of the Statutes, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be modified, abrogated or varied with the consent in writing of the holders of three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of that class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares), or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class
18 To every such separate general meeting the provisions of Chapter 3 of Part 13 of the Companies Act 2006 (excluding sections 303 to 306) and the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings shall, mutatis mutandis, so far as applicable apply, subject to the following provisions, namely
(a) the necessary quorum at any such meeting, other than an adjourned meeting, shall be two persons present holding at least one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class in question (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares) or his proxies and at an adjourned meeting one person present holding shares of the class in question or his proxy, and
(b) any holder of shares of the class in question present in person or by proxy may demand a poll
(c) For the purposes of 18(a) above, where a person is present by proxy or proxies, he is treated as holding only the shares in respect of which those proxies are authorised to exercise voting rights
19 The rights attached to any class of shares shall, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or by the terms upon which such shares are for the time being held, be deemed not to be modified, abrogated or varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith
CALLS ON SHARES
20 The Directors may, subject to the terms of allotment thereof, from time to time make such calls upon the Members as they think fit in respect of any monies unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium) and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least 14 days' notice specifying the time or times and place of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times and place so specified the amount called on his shares. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the Directors may determine
21 A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising the call was passed and may be required to be paid by instalments
22 The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof
23 If a sum payable in respect of any call or instalment is not paid on or before the day appointed for payment thereof, the holder for the time being of the share in respect of which the call shall have been made, or the instalment shall be due, shall pay interest on the sum at such rate, not exceeding 15 per cent per annum, as the Directors may determine from the day appointed for the payment thereof until the actual payment thereof, and all expenses that may have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment, but the Directors may, if they shall think fit, waive the payment of such interest and expenses or any part thereof
24 Any sum which by the terms of issue of a share becomes payable on allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium, shall for the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be a call duly made and payable on the date on which by the terms of issue the same becomes
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payable, and in case of non-payment all the relevant provisions of these Articles as to payment of interest and expenses, forfeiture or otherwise shall apply as if such sum had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified
25 The Directors may, on the issue of shares, make arrangements for a difference between the holders of such shares in the amounts of calls to be paid and in the times of payment of such calls
26 The Directors may, if they think fit, receive from any Member willing to advance the same all or any part of the moneys, whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium, uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so paid in advance the Directors may (until the same would, but for such advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate not exceeding (unless the Company in general meeting shall otherwise direct) 12 per cent per annum, as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such moneys in advance
FORFEITURE AND LIEN
27 If any Member fails to pay any call or instalment in full on or before the day appointed for payment thereof, the Directors may, at any time thereafter, during such time as any part of the call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice on him requiring him to pay so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment
28 The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of fourteen days from the date of service of the notice) on or before which, and the place where, such call or instalment and such interest and expenses as aforesaid are to be paid. The notice shall also state that in the event of non-payment at or before the time and at the place appointed, the shares in respect of which such call or instalment is payable will be liable to be forfeited
29 If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with, any share in respect of which such notice has been given may at any time thereafter, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect. Such forfeiture shall extend to all dividends declared in respect of the shares so forfeited and not actually paid before such forfeiture. Forfeiture shall be deemed to occur at the time of the passing of the said resolution of the Directors. The Directors may accept a surrender of any share liable to be forfeited hereunder
30 When any share has been forfeited notice of the forfeiture shall be served upon the person who was before forfeiture the holder of the share, or the person entitled to the share by transmission, and an entry of the forfeiture or surrender, with the date thereof, shall forthwith be made in the Register, but no forfeiture or surrender shall be invalidated by any failure to give such notice or make such entry as aforesaid
31 A share so forfeited or surrendered shall be deemed to be the property of the Company, and may be sold, reallocated or otherwise disposed of in such manner, either subject to or discharged from all calls made or instalments due prior to the forfeiture or surrender, as the Directors think fit. Provided that the Company shall not exercise any voting rights in respect of such share and any such share not disposed of in accordance with the foregoing within a period of three years from the date of its forfeiture or surrender shall thereupon be cancelled in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes. For the purpose of giving effect to any such sale or other disposition the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the share so sold or otherwise disposed of to the purchaser thereof or other person becoming entitled thereto
32 The Directors may, at any time before any share so forfeited or surrendered shall have been cancelled or sold, reallotted or otherwise disposed of, annul the forfeiture or surrender upon such terms as they think fit
33 Any person whose shares have been forfeited or surrendered shall cease to be a Member in respect of those shares and, remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which, at the date of the forfeiture or surrender, were payable by him to the Company in respect of the shares, together with interest thereon at such rate, not exceeding 15 per cent per annum, as the Directors may determine from the time of forfeiture or surrender until the time of payment, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all such monies in respect of the shares, together with interest as aforesaid. The Directors may, if they shall think fit, waive the payment of such interest or any part thereof
34 The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every share (not being a fully-paid share) for all monies (whether presently payable or not) called or payable at a fixed time in respect of such share, but the Directors may at any time waive any lien which has arisen and may declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company's lien, if any, on a share shall extend to all dividends payable thereon
35 The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any share on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, nor until the expiration of 14 days after a notice in writing, (i) stating, and demanding payment of, the sum presently payable, and (ii) giving notice of intention to sell in default of such payment, has been given to the registered holder for the time being of the share, or the person entitled thereto by reason of his death or bankruptcy
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36 The net proceeds of such sale, after payment of the costs thereof, shall be applied in or towards satisfaction of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable. The residue, if any, shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the shares at the date of sale. For giving effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the shares sold to
37 A statutory declaration in writing that the declarant is a Director or the Secretary of the Company, and that a share has been duly forfeited or surrendered or sold to satisfy a lien of the Company on a date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated therein against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. Such declaration and the receipt of the Company for the consideration (if any) given for the share on the sale, re-allotment or disposal thereof, together with, in the case of certificated shares, the share certificate delivered to a purchaser or allottee thereof, shall (subject to the execution of a transfer if the same be required) constitute a good title to the share and the person to whom the share is sold, re-allotted or disposed of shall be registered as the holder of the share and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money (if any) nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, surrender, sale, re-allotment or disposal of the share
TRANSFER OF SHARES
38 All transfers of uncertificated shares shall be made in accordance with and be subject to the provisions of the Regulations and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system and, subject thereto, in accordance with any arrangements made by the Directors pursuant to Article 11(a)
39 The instrument of transfer of any certificated share in the Company shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor (and, in the case of a share which is not fully paid, shall also be signed by or on behalf of the transferee). In relation to the transfer of any share (whether a certificated or an uncertificated share) the transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of the share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect thereof
40 All transfers of certificated shares shall be effected by instrument in writing in any usual or common form or any other form which the Directors may approve
41 (Subject to Article 82), the Directors may, in their absolute discretion and without assigning any reason therefor, refuse to register any transfer of any share which is not a fully-paid share (whether certificated or uncertificated) provided that such discretion does not prevent dealings in partly paid shares from being conducted on an open and proper basis. The Directors may likewise refuse to register any transfer of a share (whether certificated or uncertificated), whether fully paid or not, in favour of more than four persons jointly
42 In relation to a certificated share, the Directors may decline to recognise any instrument of transfer unless
(a) the instrument of transfer is left at the Office, or at such other place as the Directors may from time to time determine, to be registered accompanied by the certificate(s) of the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer (and, if the instrument of transfer is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority of that person so to do), and
(b) the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of share
43 If the Directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, in the case of certificated shares, within two months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company, send to the transferee notice of the refusal and (except in the case of fraud) return to him the instrument of transfer or, in the case of uncertificated shares, notify such person as may be required by the Regulations and requirements of the relevant system concerned. All instruments of transfer which are registered may be retained by the Company
44 No fee shall be charged by the Company on the registration of any instrument of transfer, probate, letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of attorney, renunciation of a renounceable letter of allotment, stop notice or other document or instruction relating to or affecting the title to any shares or otherwise for making any entry in the Register affecting the title to any shares
45 [Article deleted]
46 The Company shall be entitled to destroy
(a) any instrument of transfer (which phrase, together with references to documents, shall for the purposes of this Article include electronically generated or stored communications in relation to the transfer of uncertificated shares and any electronic or tangible copies of the same) or other document which has been
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registered, or on the basis of which registration was made at any time after the expiration of six years from the date of registration thereof,
(b) any dividend mandate or any variation or cancellation thereof or any notification of change of address (which shall include, in relation to communications in electronic form, any number or address used for the purposes of such communications), at any time after the expiration of two years from the date of recording thereof, and
(c) any share certificate which has been cancelled, at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of such cancellation,
and it shall conclusively be presumed in favour of the Company that every entry in the Register purporting to have been made on the basis of an instrument of transfer or other document so destroyed was duly and properly made, that every instrument of transfer so destroyed was a valid and effective instrument duly and properly registered, that every share certificate so destroyed was a valid certificate duly and properly cancelled and that every other document destroyed hereunder was a valid and effective document in accordance with the recorded particulars thereof in the books or records of the Company. Provided always that
(i) the provisions aforesaid shall apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without express notice to the Company that the preservation of such document was relevant to any claim (regardless of the parties thereto),
(ii) nothing contained in this Article shall be construed as imposing upon the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any such document earlier than as aforesaid or in any case where the conditions of proviso (i) above are not fulfilled,
(iii) references in this Article to instruments of transfer shall include, in relation to uncertificated shares, instructions and/or notifications made in accordance with the relevant system concerned relating to the transfer of such shares,
(iv) references in this Article to the destruction of any document include references to its disposal in any manner, and
(v) in relation to uncertificated shares, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the extent the same are consistent with the Regulations
TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
47 In case of the death of a Member the survivor or survivors where the deceased was a joint holder, and the legal personal representatives of the deceased where he was a sole or surviving holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his interest in the shares, but nothing herein contained shall release the estate of a deceased member from any liability in respect of any share which had been solely or jointly held by him with other persons
48 Any person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member or otherwise by operation of law may, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time properly be required by the Directors and subject as hereinafter provided, elect either to be registered himself as holder of the share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the transferee thereof, but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the share by the Member registered as the holder of any such share before his death or bankruptcy or other event, as the case may be
49 If the person so becoming entitled shall elect to be registered himself, he shall deliver or send to the Company a notice in writing signed by him stating that he so elects. If he shall elect to have another person registered he shall testify his election by executing to that person a transfer of the share. All the limitations, restrictions and provisions of these Articles relating to the right to transfer and the registration of transfers of shares shall be applicable to any such notice or transfer as aforesaid as if the death or bankruptcy or other event of the Member had not occurred and the notice or transfer were a transfer signed by the Member registered as the holder of any such share
50 A person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the holder or otherwise by operation of law shall, upon supplying to the Company such evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show his title to the share, be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Member in respect of the share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company (including meetings of the holders of any class of shares in the Company), provided
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always that the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share, and, if the notice is not complied with within 60 days, the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all dividends, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with
UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS
51 The Company shall be entitled to sell, at the best price reasonably obtainable at the time of sale, any share of a Member or any share to which a person is entitled by transmission if and provided that
(a) for a period of 12 years no cheque, warrant or order sent by the Company in the manner authorised by these Articles in respect of the share in question has been cashed and no communication has been received by the Company from the Member or the person entitled by transmission, provided that, in such period of 12 years, at least three dividends whether interim or final on or in respect of the share in question have become payable and no such dividend during that period has been claimed, and
(b) the Company has, on or after expiration of the said period of 12 years, by advertisement in both a national newspaper and a newspaper circulating in the area in which the last known address of the Member or the address at which service of notices may be effected in the manner authorised in accordance with the provisions of these Articles is located, given notice of its intention to sell such share (but so that such advertisements need not refer to the names of the holder(s) of the share or identify the share in question), and
(c) the Company has not, during the further period of three months after the publication of such advertisements and prior to the exercise of the power of sale, received any communication from the Member or person entitled by transmission, and
(d) if the shares are admitted to the Official List of the Financial Services Authority or admitted to AIM, the Company has given notice to a Regulatory Information Service (as defined in the Financial Services Authority Listing Rules) of its intention to sell such shares
52
(a) If, during any 12 year period or three month period referred to in Articles 51(a) and 51(c) of the preceding Article, further shares have been issued in respect of those held at the beginning of such 12 year period or of any subsequently issued during such periods and all the other requirements of such Article have been satisfied in respect of the further shares, the Company may also sell such further shares
(b) To give effect to any sale pursuant to the previous two Articles, the Directors may authorise any person to execute as transferor an instrument of transfer of the said share and such instrument of transfer shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the registered holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, such share. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase monies and the title of the transferee shall not be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating thereto. The net proceeds of sale shall belong to the Company which shall be obliged to account to the former Member or other person previously entitled as aforesaid for an amount equal to such proceeds and shall enter the name of such former Member or other person in the books of the Company as a creditor for such amount
(c) No trust shall be created in respect of the debt, no interest shall be payable in respect of the same and the Company shall not be required to account for any money earned on the net proceeds, which may be employed in the business of the Company or invested in such investments (other than shares of the Company or its holding company (if any)) as the Directors may from time to time think fit
52A If either (i) on two consecutive occasions cheques, warrants or orders in payment of dividends or other monies payable in respect of any share have been sent through the post or otherwise in accordance with the provisions of these Articles but have been returned undelivered or left uncashed during the periods for which the same are valid or any transfer by bank of other funds transfer system has not been satisfied, or (ii) following one such occasion reasonable enquiries have failed to establish any new address of the registered holder, the Company need not thereafter despatch further cheques, warrants or orders and need not thereafter transfer any sum (as the case may be) in payment of dividends or other monies payable in respect of the share in question until the Member or other person entitled thereto shall have communicated with the Company and supplied in writing to the Office an address for the purpose
CONVERSION OF SHARES INTO STOCK
53 The Company may by Ordinary Resolution convert any of its fully paid up shares into stock of the same class as the shares so converted, and reconvert such stock into fully paid up shares of the same class and of any denomination
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54 The several holders of stock may transfer the same, or any part thereof, in the same manner, and subject to the same regulations, as and subject to which the shares from which the stock arose might previously to conversion have been transferred, or as near thereto as circumstances admit, and the Directors may from time to time fix the minimum amount of stock transferable but so that such minimum shall not exceed the nominal amount of the shares from which the stock arose
55 The several holders of such stock shall, accordingly to the amount of stock held by them and the class thereof, have the same rights, privileges and advantages as regards dividends, voting at meetings of the Company and other matters as if they held the shares from which the stock arose, but no such privilege or advantage (except participation in the dividends and profits of the Company and in the assets on winding up) shall be conferred by an amount of stock which would not, if existing in shares, have conferred that privilege or advantage
56 Such of the provisions of these Articles as are applicable to fully paid up shares shall apply to stock, and the words "share" and "shareholder" therein shall include "stock" and "stockholder"
ALTERATION OF CAPITAL
57 [Article Deleted]
58 The Company may by ordinary resolution
(a) consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of a larger nominal amount than its existing shares,
(b) sub-divide its existing shares, or any of them, into shares of a smaller nominal amount than is fixed by the Memorandum of Association, provided that
(i) in the sub-division consolidation or division the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced share shall be the same as it was in the case of the share from which the reduced share is derived, and
(ii) the ordinary resolution whereby any share is sub-divided may determine that as between the resulting shares one or more of such shares may be given any preference or advantage or be subject to any restriction or as regards dividend, capital, voting or otherwise over the others or any other of such shares,
(c) cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the ordinary resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person, and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled
59 Subject to any direction by the Company in general meeting, whenever as the result of any consolidation or division of shares Members of the Company are entitled to any issued shares of the Company in fractions, the Directors may deal with such fractions as they shall determine and in particular may sell the shares to which Members are so entitled in fractions for the best price reasonably obtainable and pay and distribute to and amongst the Members entitled to such shares in due proportions the net proceeds of the sale thereof save for individual entitlements (net of expenses) not exceeding £3 which may be retained for the benefit of the Company. For the purpose of giving effect to any such sale the Directors may, in respect of certificated shares, nominate some person to execute a transfer of the shares sold on behalf of the Members so entitled to, or, in respect of uncertificated shares, nominate any person to transfer such shares in accordance with the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned or make such other arrangements as are compatible with the relevant system concerned or, in either case, in accordance with the directions of the purchaser thereof and may cause the name of the purchaser to be entered in the Register as the holder of the shares comprised in any such transfer and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale. For the purposes of this Article, any shares representing fractional entitlements to which any Member would, but for this Article, become entitled may be issued in certificated form or uncertificated form
60 Subject to the provisions of the statutes the Company may by special resolution reduce its share capital, any capital redemption reserve and any share premium account in any way
GENERAL MEETINGS
61 The Company shall in accordance with the Statutes, hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint
62 All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings
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63
The Directors may, whenever they think fit, convene an extraordinary general meeting, and extraordinary general meetings shall also be convened on such requisition, or, in default, may be convened by such requisitionists, as provided by the Statutes. If at any time there are not within the United Kingdom sufficient Directors capable of acting to form a quorum the Directors in the United Kingdom capable of acting may convene an extraordinary general meeting in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which meetings may be convened by the Directors.
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
64
An annual general meeting shall be called by not less than 21 clear days' notice, and a meeting of the Company other than an annual general meeting shall be called by not less than 14 clear days' notice. The notice shall state the place, the date and the time of meeting and, in the case of any special business, the general nature of that business. It shall be given, in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner, if any, as may be prescribed by the Statutes or by the Company in general meeting, to such persons as are entitled to receive such notices from the Company and shall comply with the provisions of the Statutes as to informing Members of their right to appoint proxies. If on two consecutive occasions notices have been sent through the post to any Member at his registered address or his address for the service of notices but have been returned undelivered, such Member shall not thereafter be entitled to receive notices from the Company until he shall have communicated with the Company and supplied in writing to the Office a new registered address or address within the United Kingdom for the service of notices. A notice calling an annual general meeting shall state that the meeting is an annual general meeting and a notice convening a meeting to pass a special resolution shall specify the intention to propose the resolution as such and shall include the text of the resolution.
65
A meeting of the Company shall, notwithstanding that it is called by shorter notice than that specified in the last preceding Article, be deemed to have been duly called if it is so agreed:
(a) in the case of a meeting called as the annual general meeting, by all the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat, and
(b) in the case of any other meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority together holding not less than 95 per cent in nominal value of the shares giving that right (excluding any shares in the Company held as treasury shares).
66
The accidental failure to give notice of a meeting to, or of a resolution intended to be moved at a meeting, or to issue an invitation to appoint a proxy with a notice where required by these Articles, to any one or more persons entitled to receive notice, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting or of such a resolution or of an invitation to appoint a proxy by any such persons, shall be disregarded for the purpose of determining whether notice of the meeting or of any resolution to be moved at the meeting is duly given.
67
If the Directors, in their absolute discretion, consider that it is impractical or unreasonable for any reason to hold a general meeting on the date or at the time or place specified in the notice calling the general meeting, they may postpone the general meeting to another date, time and/or place. When a meeting is so postponed, notice of the date, time and place of the postponed meeting shall be placed in at least two national newspapers in the United Kingdom. Notice of the business to be transacted at such postponed meeting shall not be required.
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
68
All business shall be deemed special that is transacted at an extraordinary general meeting, and also all that is transacted at an annual general meeting, with the exception of declaring a dividend, the receiving of the annual accounts and the reports of the Directors and Auditors on those accounts, the appointment of Directors in place of those retiring, the reappointment of Directors appointed since the last annual general meeting, the appointment of the Auditors (when special notice of the resolution for such appointment is not required by the Statutes), and the determining of the remuneration of the Auditors or the determination of the manner in which such remuneration is to be determined.
69
No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business, save as herein otherwise provided, two Members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall be a quorum. The appointment of a chairman of the meeting in accordance with the provisions of these Articles shall not be treated as part of the business of the meeting.
70
If within 5 minutes (or such longer time as the chairman may decide) from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened by or upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to such day, time and place as the chairman of the meeting shall appoint. If at such adjourned meeting a quorum be not present within 5 minutes from the time appointed therefor, the Member or Members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall have power to decide upon all matters which could properly have been disposed of at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. The Company shall give not less than seven clear days' notice of any meeting adjourned for want of a quorum and the notice shall state that the Member or Members present as aforesaid shall form a quorum and shall have the power aforesaid.
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71
Page 11
(a) In the case of any general meeting, the Directors may, notwithstanding the specification in the notice convening the general meeting of the place at which the chairman of the meeting shall preside (the "Principal Place"), make arrangements for simultaneous attendance and participation at other places by Members and proxies and others entitled to attend the general meeting but excluded from the Principal Place under the provisions of this Article. For the avoidance of doubt all Directors, Members and proxies attending the general meeting will be able to see and hear and be seen and heard (whether by audio visual links or otherwise (whether in use when this Article is adopted or developed subsequently)) by Directors, Members and proxies attending at the other places at which the general meeting is convened.
(b) Such arrangements for simultaneous attendance at the general meeting may include arrangements regarding the level of attendance at the other places provided that they shall operate so that any Members and proxies excluded from attendance at the Principal Place are able to attend at one of the other places. For the purpose of all other provisions of these Articles any such general meeting shall be treated as being held and taking place at the Principal Place.
(c) The Directors may, for the purpose of facilitating the organisation and administration of any general meeting to which such arrangements apply, from time to time make arrangements, whether involving the issue of tickets (on a basis intended to afford to all Members and proxies and others entitled to attend the meeting) an equal opportunity of being admitted to the Principal Place) or the imposition of some random means of selection or otherwise as they shall in their absolute discretion consider to be appropriate, and may from time to time vary any such arrangements or make new arrangements in their place. The entitlement of any Member or proxy or other person entitled to attend a general meeting at the Principal Place shall be subject to such arrangements as may for the time being be in force whether stated in the notice of the general meeting to apply to that Meeting or notified to the Members concerned subsequent to the provision of the notice of the general meeting.
72 The Directors or the Chairman of the meeting or any person authorised by the Directors may direct that Members, proxies or corporate representatives wishing to attend any general meeting or anyone else permitted by the chairman of the meeting to attend should submit to such searches or other security arrangements or restrictions (including, without limitation, restrictions on items of personal property which may be taken into the meeting) as the Directors or the chairman of the meeting or such person authorised by the Directors shall consider appropriate in the circumstances. Such persons shall be entitled in their absolute discretion to refuse entry to, or to eject from, such general meeting any such person who fails to submit to such searches or otherwise to comply with such security arrangements or restrictions.
73 The chairman, if any, of the board of Directors shall preside as Chairman of every general meeting of the Company. If there is no such chairman, or if at any general meeting he shall not be present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is unwilling to act as chairman, the Directors present shall select one of their number to be chairman of the meeting, or if no Director is present and willing to take the chair the Members present and entitled to vote shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
74 The chairman of the meeting may, with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more, not less than seven clear days' notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given specifying the day, the place and the time of the meeting as in the case of an original meeting, but it shall not be necessary to specify in such notice the nature of the business to be transacted at the adjourned meeting. Save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment.
75 If an amendment shall be proposed to any resolution under consideration but shall in good faith be ruled out of order by the chairman of the meeting the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated by any error in such ruling. In the case of a resolution duly proposed as a special or extraordinary resolution no amendment thereto (other than an amendment to correct a patent error) may in any event be considered or voted upon.
76 At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded.
(a) by the chairman of the meeting, or
(b) by at least two Members present in person or by proxy and having the right to vote on the resolution, or
(c) by any Member or Members present in person or by proxy and representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the Members having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attached to any shares in the Company held as treasury shares), or
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(d) by a Member or Members present in person or in proxy holding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all shares conferring that right (excluding any shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution which are held as treasury shares)
Unless a poll be so demanded (and the demand is not subsequently withdrawn), a declaration by the chairman of the meeting that a resolution has on a show of hands been passed or passed unanimously, or with a particular majority, or lost, or an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting of the Company shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution
77 Except as provided in Article 78, if a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner (including the use of ballot or voting papers or tickets) as the chairman of the meeting directs and he may appoint scrutineers and fix a time and place for declaring the result of the poll. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded
78 A poll demanded on the election of a chairman of the meeting or on the question of an adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken either immediately or at such subsequent time (not being more than 30 clear days after the date of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the poll is demanded) and place as the chairman of the meeting may direct. No notice need be given of a poll not taken immediately. Any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn
VOTES OF MEMBERS
79 Subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares and to any other provisions of these Articles or the Statutes, on a show of hands every Member present in person, and each person present as a duly appointed proxy of a Member, shall have one vote, and on a poll every Member shall have one vote for each share held by him
80 In the case of joint holders of a share, the vote of the senior holder who votes, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register in respect of the share
81 A Member in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction (in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his receiver, curator, bonis or other person authorised in that behalf appointed by that court, and such receiver, curator bonis or other person may, on a poll vote by proxy
82 No Member shall, unless the Directors otherwise determine, be entitled, in respect of any share in the capital of the Company held by him, to be present or to vote on any question, either in person or by proxy, at any general meeting, or upon any poll to be reckoned in a quorum, or to exercise if any call or other right or privilege conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company if
(a) any call or other sum presently payable by him to the Company in respect of such share remains unpaid, or
(b) he, or any person appearing to the Directors to be interested in such share, has been duly served with a notice under Section 793 of the 2006 Act and he or any such person is in default in supplying to the Company the information thereby required within twenty-eight days after service of such notice for compliance therewith. For the purpose of this Article a person shall be treated as appearing to be interested in any shares if the Member holding such shares has given to the Company a notification under the said Section 793 of the 2006 Act which fails to establish the identities of those interested in the shares and if (after taking into account the said notification and any other relevant Section 793 of the 2006 Act notification) the Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the person in question is or may be interested in the shares. The sanction imposed on a Member by this Article for default in complying with notices served under Section 793 of the 2006 Act shall cease to have effect once 7 days have elapsed after either
(i) receipt by the Company of notice that the shareholding has been transferred by such Member by means of a permitted transfer, or
(ii) the Directors are satisfied that the default no longer continues,
whichever is the earlier
(c) For the purposes of this Article, a transfer of shares is a permitted transfer if, but only if
(i) it is a transfer by way of, or in pursuance of, acceptance of a takeover offer for the Company (as defined in Section 974 of the 2006 Act), or
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(ii) the Directors are satisfied that the transfer is made pursuant to a bona fide sale of the whole of the beneficial ownership of the shares to a third party unconnected with the transferring Member or with any other person appearing to the Directors to be interested in such shares (and for the purpose of this Article 82(c)(ii) any associate (as that term is defined in Section 435 of the Insolvency Act 1986) of the Member or of any other person appearing to the Directors to be interested in any of the restricted shares shall be deemed to be connected with the transferring Member), or
(iii) the transfer results from a sale made on or through a market operated by the London Stock Exchange or on or through any stock exchange outside the United Kingdom on which the Company's shares of the same class as the restricted shares are normally dealt in
83 No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter or to the counting of, or failure to count, a vote except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered (or at which the error occurs), and every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairman of the meeting, whose decision shall be final and conclusive
84 On a poll votes may be given personally or by proxy and a Member entitled to more than one vote need not, if he votes, use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way
85 The appointment of a proxy shall be in any usual or common form, or in any other form which the Directors may approve and shall be
(a) under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or
(b) if the appointor is a corporation, either under seal, or under the hand of an officer or attorney or other person duly authorised, or
(c) if permitted by the Directors, in electronic form in the manner and form and subject to such terms and conditions as the Directors may decide
The signature, if any, on such appointment need not be witnessed
86 A proxy need not be a Member of the Company. A Member may appoint more than one proxy to attend and to speak and to vote on the same occasion provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by the Member. The appointment of a proxy shall not preclude a Member from attending and voting in person at the meeting or any adjournment thereof
87 (a) The appointment of a proxy shall
(i) (in the case of an appointment not sent in electronic form) be deposited at the Office or at such other place or one of such places (if any) within the United Kingdom as is or are specified for that purpose in or by way of note to the notice convening the meeting or in any document accompanying such notice, or
(ii) (in the case of an appointment sent in electronic form) where an address has been specified for the purposes by the Company (generally or specifically) be received at such address or by such means,
not less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote or, in the case of a poll taken otherwise than at or on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting, not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll at which it is to be used, and in default the appointment of a proxy shall not be treated as valid. Failing previous registration with the Company, the power of attorney or other authority, if any, under which the appointment of a proxy is executed, or a notarially certified copy or a copy certified in accordance with the Powers of Attorney Act 1971 of that power or authority, or a copy in some other way approved by the Directors, shall (whether (i) or (ii) above shall apply) also be deposited or received at the Office or at such other place specified in accordance with (i) above, or (if the Directors so agree) at the address or by the means provided in accordance with (ii) above, not later than the time by which the appointment of a proxy is required to be deposited or (as the case may be) received in accordance with this Article
Without limiting the foregoing, in relation to any shares which are held in uncertificated form, the Directors may from time to time permit appointments of a proxy to be made by an Uncertificated Proxy Instruction, (that is, a properly authenticated dematerialised instruction, and/or other instruction or notification, which is sent by means of the relevant system concerned and received by such participant in that system acting on behalf of the
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Company as the Directors may prescribe, in such form and subject to such terms and conditions as may from time to time be prescribed by the Directors (subject always to the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned)), and may in a similar manner permit supplements to, or amendments or revocations of, any such Uncertificated Proxy Instruction to be made by like means. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the Directors may in addition prescribe the method of determining the time at which any such property authenticated dematerialised instruction (and/or other instruction or notification) is to be treated as received by the Company or such participant. The Directors may treat any such Uncertificated Proxy Instruction which purports to be or is expressed to be sent on behalf of a holder of a share as sufficient evidence of the authority of the person sending that instruction to send it on behalf of that holder.
(b) An appointment of a proxy and any other document referred to in the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Article 87(a) shall be deemed to have been validly deposited or received in accordance with Article 87(a) if the appointment is received at the Office or at such other place specified in accordance with Article 87(a)(i) by facsimile transmission within the period of time specified by Article 87(a) provided that the original appointment in the same form as the appointment received by facsimile transmission and any other such document is deposited at the place at which the facsimile transmission was received not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the meeting or adjourned meeting or the holding of a poll subsequently at which the vote is to be used.
(c) If two or more valid but differing appointments of a proxy are delivered or (in the case of appointments in electronic form) received in accordance with Article 87(a) in respect of the same share for use at the same meeting, the one which is last delivered or, as the case may be, received as aforesaid (regardless of its date, its date of sending or the date of its execution) shall be treated as replacing and revoking the others as regards that share. If the Company is unable to determine which was delivered or received last, none of them shall be treated as valid in respect of that share.
88 An appointment of a proxy shall, unless the contrary is stated thereon, be valid as well for any adjournment of the meeting to which it relates. No appointment of a proxy shall be valid after the expiration of 12 months from the date of its receipt in accordance with Article 87 except at an adjourned meeting or on a poll demanded at a meeting or adjourned meeting in cases where the meeting was originally held within 12 months from that date.
89 The appointment of a proxy to vote on a matter at a meeting of the Company shall be deemed to confer authority on the proxy to demand or join in demanding a poll on that matter.
90 A vote given or poll demanded in accordance with the terms of an appointment of a proxy or by the duly authorised representative of a corporation shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or determination of the authority of the person voting or demanding a poll, provided that no intimation in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or determination shall have been received by the Company at the Office or such other place (if any) as is specified for depositing the appointment of proxy or, where the appointment of the proxy was in electronic form, at the address at which such appointment was duly received, in each case in accordance with Article 87, before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting or the time appointed for taking a poll subsequently thereto at which such vote is given.
91 [Article Deleted]
92 (a) Any corporation which is a Member of the Company may by resolution of its Directors or other governing body authorise a person or persons to act as its representative or representatives at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members of the Company.
(b) Any person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member of the Company and such corporation shall for the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be present in person at any such meeting if a person so authorised is present thereat.
DIRECTORS
93 Unless and until the Company in general meeting shall otherwise determine, the number of Directors shall be not more than eighteen nor less than three.
94 A Director shall not be required to hold any shares in the capital of the Company. A Director who is not a Member shall nevertheless be entitled to receive notice of and attend and speak at all general meetings of the Company and all separate general meetings of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company.
95 There shall be no age limit for Directors.
96 A Director of the Company may be or continue as or become a director or other officer, servant or member of, or otherwise interested in, any body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be
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interested as shareholder or otherwise, and no such Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received or receivable by him as a director or other officer, servant or member of, or from his interest in, such other body corporate
97 (A) The Directors shall be paid out of the funds of the Company by way of fees for their services as Directors such sums (if any) as the Directors may from time to time determine (not exceeding in the aggregate an annual sum (excluding amounts payable under any other provision of these Articles) of £500,000 or such larger amount as the Company may by ordinary resolution determine) and such remuneration shall be divided between the Directors as they shall agree or, failing agreement, equally. Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day
(B) The Directors may also be paid all reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in attending and returning from meetings of the Directors or any committee of the Directors or general meetings or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company
98 Any Director who is appointed to any executive office or who serves on any committee or who devotes special attention to the business of the Company, or who otherwise performs services which in the opinion of the Directors are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a Director, may be paid such extra remuneration by way of salary, percentage of profits or otherwise as the Directors may determine
99 [Article Deleted]
ALTERNATE DIRECTORS
100 (a) Each Director shall have the power at any time to appoint as an alternate Director either (i) another Director or (ii) any other person approved for that purpose by a resolution of the Directors, and, at any time, to terminate such appointment. Every appointment and removal of an alternate Director shall be in writing signed by the appointor and (subject to any approval required) shall (unless the Directors agree otherwise) only take effect upon receipt of such written appointment or removal at the Office or at a meeting of the Directors or in the case of an appointment or removal in electronic form, at such address (if any) specified by the Company for that purpose. An alternate Director shall not be required to hold any shares in the capital of the Company and shall not be counted in reckoning the maximum and minimum numbers of Directors allowed or required by Article 93
(b) An alternate Director so appointed shall not be entitled as such to receive any remuneration from the Company except only such part (if any) of the remuneration otherwise payable to his appointor as such appointor may by notice in writing to the Company from time to time direct, but shall otherwise be subject to the provisions of these Articles with respect to Directors. An alternate Director shall during his appointment be an officer of the Company and shall not be deemed to be an agent of his appointor
(c) An alternate Director shall be entitled (subject to his giving to the Company either an address within the United Kingdom or an address for the purpose of sending or receiving documents or information by electronic means at which notices may be served upon him) to receive notices of all meetings of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors of which his appointor is a member, and shall be entitled to attend and vote as a Director at any such meeting at which his appointor is not personally present and generally in the absence of his appointor to perform and exercise all functions, rights, powers and duties as Director of his appointor
(d) The appointment of an alternate Director shall automatically determine on the happening of any event which, if he were a Director, would cause him to vacate such office or if his appointor shall cease for any reason to be a Director otherwise than by retiring and being re-appointed at the same meeting
(e) A Director or any other person may act as alternate Director to represent more than one Director and an alternate Director shall be entitled at meetings of the Directors or any committee of the Directors to one vote for every Director whom he represents in addition to his own vote (if any) as a Director, but he shall count as only one for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present
BORROWING POWERS
101 (a) Subject as hereinafter provided the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money, and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital, or any part thereof, and, subject to the provisions of the Statutes and Article 9 of these Articles to issue debentures, debenture stock, and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party
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(b) The Directors shall restrict the borrowings of the Company and exercise all voting and other rights or powers of control exercisable by the Company in relation to its subsidiary undertakings (if any) so as to secure (so far, as regards subsidiary undertakings, as by such exercise they can secure) that the aggregate amount for the time being remaining undischarged of all monies borrowed by the Group (which expression in this Article means the Company and its subsidiary undertakings for the time being) and for the time being owing to persons outside the Group shall not at any time, without the previous sanction of an ordinary resolution of the Company in general meeting, exceed a sum equal to three times the aggregate of
(i) the amount paid up on the issued share capital of the Company, and
(ii) the total of the capital and revenue reserves of the Group (including any share premium account, capital redemption reserve, revaluation reserve and credit balance on the profit and loss account),
all as shown in the latest audited consolidated balance sheet of the Group but after
(i) making such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any variation in such amount paid up on the share capital, or share premium account or capital redemption reserve since the date of such latest audited consolidated balance sheet,
(ii) deducting (to the extent included) any amounts distributed or proposed to be distributed (but not provided in such latest audited consolidated balance sheet),
(iii) excluding
(A) any sums set aside for taxation,
(B) any amounts attributable to outside shareholders in subsidiary undertakings of the Company,
(iv) deducting any debit balance on the profit and loss account,
(v) adding any amounts of goodwill that have been written off or amortised,
(vi) adding back an amount equal to amounts charged in respect of any deficit relating to pensions and other post retirement/ employment benefits and any asset or liability which has been re-valued under the provisions of IAS 32, 39 or 40 or the corresponding UK standard, net of any associated deferred tax assets, whether charged to profit and loss account or to revaluation reserve (in each case) and deducting from reserves amounts credited in respect of any surpluses relating to pensions and other post retirement/ employment benefits or any asset or liability which has been re-valued under the provisions of IAS 32, 39 or 40 or the corresponding UK standard, net of any associated deferred tax liabilities, whether included in profit and loss account or in the revaluation reserve (in each case)
References in this paragraph to IAS are to those International Accounting Standards as from time to time amended, and any standards, principles, practice or rules that may from time to time, directly or indirectly, supplement or replace those standards or any part of them, and
(vii) Making such adjustments (if any) as the Auditors may consider appropriate
(c) For the purpose of the foregoing limit, "monies borrowed" shall be deemed to include the following except in so far as otherwise taken into account (together in each case with any fixed or minimum premium payable on final redemption or repayment)
(i) the principal amount for the time being owing (other than to a Member of the Group) in respect of any loan capital, whether secured or unsecured, issued by a Member of the Group in whole or in part for cash or otherwise,
(ii) the principal amount raised by any Member of the Group by acceptances or under any acceptance credit opened on its behalf by any bank or accepting house other than acceptances relating to the purchase of goods in the ordinary course of trading and outstanding for not more than 90 days,
(iii) the nominal amount of any share capital, and the principal amount of any moneys borrowed or other indebtedness, the redemption or repayment of which is guaranteed or secured or is the subject of an indemnity given by any Member of the Group and the beneficial interest in the redemption or repayment of which is not owned within the Group, and
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(iv) the nominal amount of any share capital (not being equity share capital which as regards capital has rights no more favourable than those attached to its ordinary share capital) of any subsidiary of the Company owned otherwise than by other Members of the Group,
but "monies borrowed" shall not include and shall be deemed not to include
(v) amounts borrowed for the purpose of repaying the whole or any part (with or without premium) of any monies borrowed by any member of the Group then outstanding and so to be applied within six months of being so borrowed, pending their application for such purpose within such period,
(vi) the proportion of the excess outside borrowing of a partly owned subsidiary which corresponds to the proportion of its equity share capital owned otherwise than by Members of the Group and so that, for this purpose, the expression "excess outside borrowing" shall mean so much of the borrowings of such partly owned subsidiary otherwise than from Members of the Group as exceeds the amounts (if any) borrowed from it by other Members of the Group
(vii) moneys borrowed of a company which becomes a subsidiary after the date of the adoption of this Article and which moneys borrowed are outstanding at the date when such company becomes a subsidiary for the period of six months from the date of such event
POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS
102 The business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors, who may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not, by the Statutes or by these Articles, required to be exercised by the Company in general meeting, subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of these Articles and of the Statutes, and to such directions, being not inconsistent with any provisions of these Articles and of the Statutes, as may be given by the Company in general meeting. Provided that no direction given by the Company in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if such direction had not been given. The general powers conferred upon the Directors by this Article shall not be deemed to be abridged or restricted by any specific power conferred upon the Directors by any other Article
103 (a) The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to give or award pensions, annuities, gratuities and superannuation or other allowances or benefits to any persons who are or have at any time been Directors of or employed by or in the service of the Company or of any company which is a subsidiary company of or allied or associated with the Company or any such subsidiary and to the wives, widows, children and other relatives and dependants of any such persons and may establish, maintain, support, subscribe to and contribute to all kinds of schemes, trusts and funds (whether contributory or non contributory) for the benefit of such persons as are hereinbefore referred to or any of them or any class of them, and so that any Director shall be entitled to receive and retain for his own benefit any such pension, annuity, gratuity, allowance or other benefit (whether under any such fund or scheme or otherwise)
(b) Without prejudice to any other provisions of these Articles, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to purchase and maintain insurance for or for the benefit of any persons who are or were at any time Directors, officers or employees of the Company, or of any other body (whether or not incorporated) which is or was its parent undertaking or subsidiary undertaking or another subsidiary undertaking of any such parent undertaking (together "Group Companies") or otherwise associated with the Company or any Group Company or in which the Company or any such Group Company has or had any interest, whether direct or indirect, or of any predecessor in business of any of the foregoing, or who are or were at any time trustees of (or directors of trustees of) any pension, superannuation or similar fund, trust or scheme or any employees' share scheme or other scheme or arrangement in which any employees of the Company or of any such other body are interested, including (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) insurance against any costs, charges, expenses, losses or liabilities suffered or incurred by such persons in respect of any act or omission in the actual or purported execution and/or discharge of their duties and/or the exercise or purported exercise of their powers and discretions and/or otherwise in relation to or in connection with their duties, powers or offices in relation to the Company or any such other body, fund, trust, scheme or arrangement
104 The Directors may make such arrangements as they think fit for the management and transaction of the Company's affairs in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and may from time to time and at any time establish any local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company in any specified locality, and may appoint any persons to be members of such local board, or any managers or agents, and may fix their remuneration. The Directors from time to time, and at any time, may delegate to any person so appointed any of the powers, authorities, and discretions for the time being vested in the Directors (other than the powers of borrowing and of making calls), with power to sub-delegate, and may authorise the members for the time being of any such local board, or any of them, to fill up any vacancies therein, and to act notwithstanding vacancies, and any such appointment or delegation may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Directors may think fit, and the Directors may at any time remove any person so appointed, and may annul or vary any such delegation
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105
The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney appoint any body corporate, firm or person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him
106
The Company may exercise the powers conferred by the Statutes with regard to having an official seal for use abroad and the powers conferred by Section 40 of the Act with regard to having an official seal for sealing and evidencing securities, and such powers shall be vested in the Directors
107
The Company may exercise the powers conferred upon the Company by the Statutes with regard to the keeping of an overseas branch register, and the Directors may (subject to the provisions of the Statutes) make and vary such regulations as they may think fit concerning the keeping of any such register
107A
(a) Subject to the provisions of the Statutes, a Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company, except that of Auditor, in conjunction with the office of Director and may act by himself or through his firm in a professional capacity for the Company, and in any such case on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may arrange. Any such remuneration shall be in addition to any remuneration provided for by any other Article. No Director or intending Director shall be disqualified by his office from entering into any contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal with the Company either with regard to his tenure of any such other office or place of profit or any such acting in a professional capacity or as a seller, buyer or otherwise. Subject to the provisions of the Statutes and save as therein provided no such contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or person connected with him is in any way interested, whether directly or indirectly, shall be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director who enters into any such contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal or who is so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit or other benefit realised by any such contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal by reason of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established, but he shall declare the nature of his interest in accordance with the Statutes
(b) Save as herein provided, a Director shall not vote in respect of any contract, arrangement, transaction or any other proposal whatsoever in which he has an interest which (together with any interest of any person connected with him within the meaning of sections 252-5 of the 2006 Act) is to his knowledge a material interest otherwise than by virtue of interests in shares or debentures or other securities of or otherwise in or through the Company. A Director shall not be counted in the quorum at a meeting in relation to any resolution on which he is debarred from voting
(c) A Director shall (in the absence of some other material interest than is indicated below) be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of any resolution concerning any of the following matters, namely
(i) the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of money lent or obligations incurred by him or by any other person at the request of or for the benefit of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings,
(ii) the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings for which he himself has assumed responsibility in whole or in part under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security,
(iii) any proposal concerning an offer of securities of or by the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings in which offer he is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of which he is to participate,
(iv) any contract, arrangement, transaction or other proposal concerning any other body corporate in which he or any person connected with him (within the meaning of sections 252-5 of the 2006 Act) is interested, directly or indirectly and whether as an officer or shareholder or otherwise howsoever, provided that he and any persons so connected with him do not to his knowledge hold an interest (within the meaning of sections 820 to 825 of the 2006 Act) in one per cent or more of any class of the equity share capital of such body corporate or of the voting rights available to members of the relevant body corporate,
(v) any contract, arrangement, transaction or other proposal for the benefit of employees of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings which does not accord to him any privilege or advantage not generally accorded to the employees to whom the scheme relates,
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(vi) any contract, arrangement, transaction or other proposal concerning any insurance which the Company is to purchase and/or maintain for, or for the benefit of, any Directors or persons including Directors,
(vii) the giving of an indemnity pursuant to Article 159, and
(viii) section the provision of funds to any Director to meet, or the doing of anything to enable a Director to avoid incurring, expenditure of the nature described in section 205(1) or 206 of the 2006 Act
(d) A Director shall not vote or be counted in the quorum on any resolution concerning his own appointment as the holder of any office or place of profit with the Company or any company in which the Company is interested including fixing or varying the terms of his appointment or the termination thereof
(e) Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more Directors to offices or employments with the Company or any body corporate in which the Company is interested, such proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each Director separately and in such cases each of the Directors concerned (if not debarred from voting under paragraph 107A(d) of this Article) shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of each resolution except that concerning his own appointment
(f) If any question shall arise at any meeting as to the materiality of an interest or as to the entitlement of any Director to vote and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting, such question shall be referred to the chairman of the meeting and his ruling in relation to any Director other than himself shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interests of the Director concerned have not been fairly disclosed
(g) Subject to the provisions of the Statutes the Company may by ordinary resolution suspend or relax the provisions of this Article to any extent or ratify any contract, arrangement or transaction not duly authorised by reason of a contravention of this Article
(h)
(i) For the purposes of Section 175 of the 2006 Act, the Directors may authorise any matter proposed to them in accordance with these Articles which would, if not so authorised, constitute or give rise to an infringement of duty by a Director under that Section
(ii) Authorisation of a matter under sub paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article shall be effective only if -
(A) the matter in question shall have been proposed by any person for consideration at a meeting of the Directors, in accordance with the Directors procedures, if any, for the time being relating to matters for consideration by the Directors or in such other manner as the Directors may approve,
(B) any requirement as to the quorum at the meeting of the Directors at which the matter is considered is met without counting the Director in question and any other interested Director (together the "Interested Directors"), and
(C) the matter was agreed to without the Interested Directors voting or would have been agreed to if the votes of the Interested Directors had not been counted
(iii) Any authorisation of a matter pursuant to sub paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article shall extend to any actual or potential conflict of interest which may reasonably be expected to arise out of the matter so authorised
(iv) Any authorisation of a matter under sub paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article shall be subject to such conditions or limitations as the Directors may specify, whether at the time such authorisation is given or subsequently, and may be terminated or varied by the Directors at any time. A Director shall comply with any obligations imposed on him by the Directors pursuant to any such authorisation
(v) A Director shall not, by reason of his office or the fiduciary relationship thereby established, be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefit which derives from any matter authorised by the Directors under sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article and any contract, transaction or arrangement relating thereto shall not be liable to be avoided on the grounds of any such remuneration or other benefit or on the ground of the Director having any interest as referred to in the said section 175
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(vi) A Director shall be under no duty to the Company with respect to any information which he obtains or has obtained otherwise than as a director or officer or employee of the Company and in respect of which he owes a duty of confidentiality to another person. However, to the extent that his connection with that other person conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company, this sub-paragraph (vi) of this paragraph of this Article applies only if the existence of that connection has been authorised by the Directors under sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article. In particular, the Director shall not be in breach of the general duties he owes to the Company by virtue of sections 171 to 177 Companies Act 2006 because he fails -
(A) to disclose any such information to the Directors or to any Director or other officer or employee of the Company, and/or
(B) to use any such information in performing his duties as a Director or officer or employee of the Company
(vii) Where the existence of a Director's connection with another person has been authorised by the Directors under sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph of this Article and his connection with that person conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company, the Director shall not be in breach of the general duties he owes to the Company by virtue of sections 171 to 177 of the 2006 Act because he -
(A) absents himself from meetings of the Directors or any committee thereof at which any matter relating to the conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest will or may be discussed or from the discussion of any such matter at a meeting or otherwise, and/or
(B) makes arrangements not to receive documents and information relating to any matter which gives rise to the conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest sent or supplied by the Company and/or for such documents and information to be received and read by a professional adviser,
for so long as he reasonably believes such conflict of interest (or possible conflict of interest) subsists
(viii) The provisions of sub-paragraphs (vi) and (vii) of this paragraph of this Article are without prejudice to any equitable principle or rule of law which may excuse the Director from -
(A) disclosing information, in circumstances where disclosure would otherwise be required under these Articles or otherwise, or
(B) attending meetings or discussions or receiving documents and information as referred to in sub-paragraph (vii) of this paragraph of this Article, in circumstances where such attendance or receiving such documents and information would otherwise be required under these Articles
(ix) For the purposes of this Article, a conflict of interest includes a conflict of interest and duty and a conflict of duties
108 The Directors may exercise or procure the exercise of the voting rights conferred by the shares in any other company held or owned by the Company, and may exercise any voting rights to which they are entitled as Directors of such other company, in such manner as they shall in their absolute discretion think fit, including the exercise thereof in favour of any resolution appointing themselves or any of them as Directors, officers or servants of such other company, and fixing their remuneration as such, and may vote as Directors of this Company in connection with any of the matters aforesaid
109 All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments, and all receipts for monies paid to the Company, shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed, or otherwise executed, as the case may be, in such manner as the Directors shall from time to time determine
110 (a) The Directors shall cause minutes to be recorded in books provided for the purpose
(i) of all appointments of officers made by the Directors;
(ii) of the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors,
(iii) of all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company, and of the Directors, and of committees of Directors
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(b) It shall not be necessary for Directors present at any meeting of Directors or committee of Directors to sign their names in any minute book or other book kept for recording attendance. Minutes recorded as aforesaid, if purporting to be signed by the chairman of the meeting or by the chairman of the next succeeding such meeting, shall be receivable as evidence of the matters stated in such minutes without any further proof.
DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS
111 The office of a Director shall be vacated in any of the following events, namely
(a) if a bankruptcy order is made against him or he makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally,
(b) if he becomes prohibited by law from acting as a Director,
(c) if, in England or elsewhere, an order is made by any court claiming jurisdiction in that behalf on the ground (however formulated) of mental disorder for his detention or for the appointment of a guardian or receiver or other person to exercise powers with respect to his property or affairs,
(d) if he resigns his office by notice to the Company or offers to resign and the Directors resolve to accept such offer,
(e) if, not having leave of absence from the Directors, he and his alternate (if any) fail to attend the meetings of the Directors for six successive months, unless prevented by illness, unavoidable accident or other cause which may seem to the Directors to be sufficient, and the Directors resolve that his office be vacated,
(f) if at a Meeting of the Board of Directors, 75% or more of all the other Directors so resolve
(g) if, by notice in writing delivered to or received at the Office or, in the case of a notice in electronic form, at such address (if any) specified by the Directors for that purpose or tendered at a meeting of the Directors, his resignation is requested by all of the other Directors (but so that this shall be without prejudice to any claim such Director may have for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company)
RETIREMENT AND SUBMISSION FOR RE-ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
112 Each Director shall retire from office at the third annual general meeting after the annual general meeting at which he was last elected. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-election. If at any general meeting at which an election of Directors ought to take place the place of any Director retiring pursuant to the Article above be not filled up, then, subject to any resolution reducing the number of Directors in office, such retiring Director shall, if willing, continue in office until the dissolution of the annual general meeting in the next year, and so on from year to year until his place is filled up, unless a resolution for his re-election shall have been put to the meeting and lost.
113 A single resolution for the appointment of two or more persons as Directors shall not be put at any general meeting, unless an ordinary resolution that it should be so put has first been agreed to by the meeting without any vote being given against it.
114 No person other than a Director retiring at the meeting shall, unless recommended by the Directors, be eligible for appointment to the office of Director at any general meeting unless not less than seven nor more than 42 days before the date appointed for the meeting there shall have been left at the Office notice in writing, signed by a Member duly qualified to attend and vote at such meeting, of his intention to propose such person for appointment, and also notice in writing signed by that person of his willingness to be appointed.
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115
The Directors shall have power at any time, and from time to time, to appoint any person to be a Director of the Company, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors, but so that the total number of Directors shall not at any time exceed the maximum number, if any, fixed by or pursuant to these Articles. Any Director so appointed shall hold office only until the next following annual general meeting, and shall then be eligible for reappointment. If not reappointed at such meeting, he shall vacate office at the conclusion thereof.
116
The Company may by ordinary resolution, of which special notice has been given in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes, remove any Director before the expiration of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director. Such removal shall be without prejudice to any claim such Director may have for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company.
117
Subject to Article 114, the Company may by ordinary resolution appoint another person in place of a Director removed from office under the immediately preceding Article, and without prejudice to the powers of the Directors under the preceding Article the Company in general meeting may appoint any person to be a Director either to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director. A person appointed in place of a Director so removed or to fill such a vacancy shall be subject to retirement at the same time as if he had become a Director on the day on which the Director in whose place he is appointed was last elected a Director.
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
118
The Directors may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit and determine the quorum necessary for the transaction of business. Until otherwise determined three Directors shall constitute a quorum. Without prejudice to the foregoing, all or any of the Directors or of the members of any committee of the Directors may participate in a meeting of the Directors or of that committee by means of a conference telephone or any communication equipment which allows all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other and to address each other. A person so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall be entitled to vote and be counted in the quorum accordingly. Such a meeting shall be deemed to take place where the largest group of those participating is assembled, or, if there is no such group, where the Chairman of the meeting is then present. The word "meeting" in these Articles shall be construed accordingly.
119
Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. A Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors.
120
Notice of a meeting of the Directors shall be deemed to be duly given to a Director if it is given to him personally or by word of mouth or sent in writing to him at his last known address or any other address given by him to the Company for this purpose or sent in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by him or on his behalf to the Company for that purpose. A Director absent or intending to be absent from the United Kingdom may request the Directors that notices of meetings of the Directors shall during his absence be sent in writing to him at his last known address or any other address given by him to the Company for this purpose, whether or not out of the United Kingdom, or be sent by electronic means to such address (if any) for the time being notified by him to the Company for that purpose. If no such request is made to the Directors, it shall not be necessary to send notice of a meeting of the Directors to any Director who is for the time being absent from the United Kingdom.
121
The continuing Directors or sole continuing Director may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but, if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors, the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to that number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.
122
The Directors may elect a Chairman of their meetings and determine the period for which he is to hold office, but if no such Chairman be elected, or if at any meeting the Chairman be not present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of such meeting.
123
The Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such Member or Members of their body as they think fit. Any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors. Save as aforesaid the meetings and proceedings of a committee consisting of more than one Member shall be governed by the provisions of these Articles regulating the proceedings and meetings of Directors.
124
All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors or by any person acting as a Director shall, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment or continuance in office of any such Director or person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them were or was disqualified from holding office or not entitled to vote, or had in any way vacated their or his office be as valid as if
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every such person had been duly appointed or had duly continued in office and was qualified and had continued to be a Director and was entitled to vote
125
A resolution in writing, signed by all the Directors for the time being entitled to receive notice of a meeting of the Directors shall be as valid and effective for all purposes as a resolution of the Directors passed at a meeting duly convened and held, and may consist of two or more documents in like form each signed by one or more of the Directors. Such a resolution need not be signed by an alternate Director if it is signed by the Director who appointed him
CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
126
Subject to the provisions of the Statutes, the Directors may from time to time appoint one or more of their body to the office of chief executive, managing director to hold such other executive office in relation to the management of the business of the Company as they may decide, for such period and on such terms as they think fit, and, subject to the terms of any service contract entered into in any particular case and without prejudice to any claim for damages such Director may have for breach of any such service contract, may revoke such appointment. Without prejudice to any claim for damages such Director may have for breach of any service contract between him and the Company, his appointment shall be automatically determined if he ceases from any cause to be a Director
127
The salary or remuneration of any Managing Director or such executive Director of the Company shall, subject as provided in any contract, be such as the Directors may from time to time determine, and may either be a fixed sum of money, or may altogether or in part be governed by the business done or profits made, and may include the making of provisions for the payment to him, his widow or other dependants, of a pension on retirement from the office or employment to which he is appointed and for the participation in pension and life assurance and other benefits, or may be upon such other terms as the Directors determine
128
The Directors may entrust to and confer upon a Managing Director or such executive Director any of the powers and discretions exercisable by them upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as they may think fit, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers
129
[Article Deleted]
SECRETARY
130
Subject to the provisions of the Statutes, the Secretary shall be appointed by the Directors for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions as they think fit and any Secretary may be removed by them
THE SEAL
131
(a) The Directors shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal and any official seal kept under section 40 of the Act, and neither shall be used without the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors in that behalf. Every instrument to which either shall be affixed shall be signed autographically by one Director and the Secretary or by two Directors, save that as regards any certificates for shares or debentures or other securities of the Company the Directors may by resolution determine that such signatures or either of them shall be dispensed with or affixed by some of mechanical or electronic method or system
(b) Where the Statutes so permit, any instrument signed by one Director and the Secretary or by two Directors or by a director in the presence of a witness who attests the signature and expressed, in whatever words, to be executed by the Company shall have the same effect as if executed under the Seal, provided that no instrument shall be so signed which makes it clear on its face that it is intended by the person or persons making it to be a deed without the authority of the Directors or of a committee authorised by the Directors in that behalf. The Directors may by resolution determine that such signatures or either of them shall be affixed by some mechanical or electronic method or system
RESERVE
132
The Directors may, before recommending any dividend, set aside out of the profits of the Company such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose to which the profits of the Company may be properly applied, and pending such application may, at the like discretion, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments as the Directors think fit. The Directors may divide the reserve into such special funds as they think fit, and may consolidate into one fund any special funds or any parts of any special funds into which the reserve may have been divided as they think fit. The Directors may also without placing the same to reserve carry forward any profits which they may think prudent not to divide
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DIVIDENDS
133 The Company in general meeting may declare dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors
134 The Directors may from time to time pay to the Members such interim dividends as appear to the Directors to be justified by the profits of the Company
135 No dividend or interim dividend shall be paid otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes which apply to the Company
136 Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to shares with any priority, preference or special rights as to dividend, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the shares in respect whereof the dividend is paid, but no amount paid up on a share in advance of calls shall be treated for the purpose of this Article as paid up on the share. All dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid up on the shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid, but if any share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as if paid up in full or in part from a particular date, whether past or future, such share shall rank for dividend accordingly
137 The Directors may deduct from any dividend or other moneys payable to any Member on or in respect of a share all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise in relation to shares of the Company
138 Any general meeting declaring a dividend may, upon the recommendation of the Directors, direct payment of such dividend wholly or in part by the distribution of specific assets and in particular of paid up shares or debentures of any other company and the Directors shall give effect to such direction. Where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient, and in particular may issue fractional certificates and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all parties, and may vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Directors
139 (a) All dividends and other distributions shall be paid (subject to any lien of the Company) to those Members whose names shall be on the Register at the date at which such dividend shall be declared or at such other time and/or date as the Company by ordinary resolution or the Directors may determine
(b) The Company may pay any dividend or other monies payable in cash in respect of shares by direct debit, bank transfer (subject always, in respect of shares in uncertificated form, to the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned, where payment is to be made by means of such system), or by cheque, dividend warrant or money order and may remit the same by post directed to the registered address of the holder or person entitled thereto (or, in the case of joint holders or of two or more persons entitled thereto, to the registered address of the person whose name stands first in the Register), or to such person and to such address as the holder or joint holders or person or persons may in writing direct, and the Company shall not be responsible for any loss of any such cheque, warrant or order nor for any loss in the course of any such transfer or where it has acted on any such directions. Every such cheque, warrant or order shall be made payable to, or to the order of, the person to whom it is sent, or to the order of, such person as the holder or joint holders or person or persons entitled may in writing direct, and the payment of such cheque, warrant or order or the collection of funds from or transfer of funds by a bank in accordance with such direct debit or bank or other funds transfer or, in respect of shares in uncertificated form, the making of payment by means of the relevant system concerned, shall be a good discharge to the Company. Any one of two or more joint holders of any share, or any one of two or more persons entitled jointly to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder or otherwise by operation of law, may give effectual receipts for any dividends or other monies payable or property distributable on or in respect of the share
140 No dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of a share shall bear interest against the Company
141 All dividends, interest or other sums payable on or in respect of any share which remain unclaimed may be invested or otherwise made use of by the Directors for the benefit of the Company until claimed. All dividends unclaimed for a period of twelve years after becoming due for payment shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. The payment of any unclaimed dividend or other sum payable by the Company on or in respect of any share into a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee thereof
CAPITALISATION OF PROFITS AND SCRIP DIVIDENDS
142 The Company in general meeting may upon the recommendation of the Directors resolve that it is desirable to capitalise any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of any of the Company's reserve accounts or to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution, and accordingly that such sum be set free for distribution amongst the Members who would have been entitled thereto if distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions on condition that the same be not paid in cash (including, for this purpose, any
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shares in the Company held as treasury shares, as if the restriction on payment of dividends in the Statutes did not apply), but be applied either in or towards paying up any amounts for the time being unpaid on any shares held by such Members respectively or paying up in full unissued shares or debentures of the Company to be allotted and distributed credited as fully paid up to and amongst such members in the proportion aforesaid, or partly in the one way and partly in the other, and the Directors shall give effect to such resolution. Provided that a share premium account and a capital redemption reserve may, for the purposes of this Article only be applied in the paying up of unissued shares to be allotted to Members of the Company as fully paid bonus shares
143 The Company in general meeting may upon the recommendation of the Directors resolve that it is desirable to capitalise any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of any of the Company's reserve accounts or to the credit of the profit and loss account which is not available for distribution by applying such sum in paying up in full unissued shares to be allotted credited as fully paid to those members of the Company who would have been entitled to that sum if it were distributed by way of dividend (and in the same proportions), and the Directors shall give effect to such resolution
144 Whenever a resolution is passed in pursuance of Article 142 or 143 above the Directors shall make all appropriations and applications of the undivided profits resolved to be capitalised thereby, and all allotments and issues of fully paid shares or debentures, if any, and generally shall do all acts and things required to give effect thereto, with full power to the Directors to make such provision by the issue of fractional certificates or by payment in cash or otherwise as they think fit for the case of shares or debentures becoming distributable in fractions, and also to authorise any person to enter on behalf of all Members entitled thereto into an agreement with the Company providing for the allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any further shares or debenture to which they may be entitled upon such capitalisation, or (as the case may require) for the payment up by the Company on their behalf, by the application thereto of their respective proportion of the profits resolved to be capitalised, of the amounts or any part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing shares, and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members
ACCOUNTS
145 The Directors shall cause accounting records to be kept in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes
146 The accounting records shall be kept at the Office or, subject to the provisions of the Statutes, at such other place or places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of the officers of the Company
147 The Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounting records of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors, and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting
148 The Directors shall from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes, cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting such profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and reports as are referred to in the Statutes
149 A printed copy of every balance sheet (including every document required by law to be annexed thereto) which is to be laid before the Company in general meeting, together with a copy of the Auditors' report and Directors' report, shall not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting be sent to every Member (whether or not he is entitled to receive notices of general meetings of the Company) and every holder of debentures of the Company (whether or not he is so entitled) and to every other person who is entitled to receive notices of meetings from the Company under the provisions of the Statutes or these Articles, but this Article shall not require a copy of those documents to be sent to any person of whose address the Company is not aware or to more than one of the joint holders of any shares or debentures
AUDIT
150 Auditors shall be appointed and their duties regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes
NOTICES
151
(a) Service of notice and curtailment of postal service
(i) A notice or other document (including a share certificate) or information may be given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided by the Company to any Member in accordance with the 2006 Act, subject to these Articles
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(b) Subject to the Statutes, if at any time by reason of the suspension or any curtailment of postal services in the United Kingdom or of services for delivery by electronic means, the Company is unable in the opinion of the Directors effectively to convene a general meeting by notices sent through the post or (in the case of those Members in respect of whom an address has for the time being been notified to the Company, in a manner specified by the Directors, for the purpose of giving notices by electronic means) by electronic means, a general meeting may be convened by a notice advertised in at least one national newspaper and such notice shall be deemed to have been duly served on all Members and other persons entitled thereto at noon on the day when the advertisement has appeared. In any such case the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by post or (as the case may be) by electronic means if, at least seven days prior to the date of the general meeting, the posting of notices to addresses throughout the United Kingdom or (as the case may be) the sending of notices by electronic means again becomes, in the opinion of the Directors, practicable.
152 A Member who has no registered address within the United Kingdom, and has not supplied to the Company an address within the United Kingdom at which notices or other documents or information may be given to him, shall not be entitled to receive any notice or other documents or information from the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such a Member shall not be entitled to receive any notice or other documents or information from the Company even if he has supplied an address for the purpose of receiving notices or other documents or information in electronic form.
153 (a) Where a notice or other document or information is given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided by the Company by post, service of the notice or other document or information shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, prepaying, and posting a letter containing the notice or other document or information, and to have been effected at the latest at the expiration of 24 hours if prepaid as first-class and at the latest at the expiration of 72 hours if prepaid as second-class after the letter containing the same is posted. In proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the same was properly addressed and stamped and put in the post.
(b) Where a notice or other document or information is given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided by the Company by electronic means, service of the notice or other document or information shall be deemed to be effected by sending it by electronic means to an address for the time being notified to the person giving the notice or other document or information or as otherwise permitted by the Statutes for that purpose, and to have been effected at the latest at the expiration of 24 hours from when it was sent. In proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the notice or other document or information was properly addressed subject to the provisions of section 1147(4) of the 2006 Act as to deemed delivery of documents or information by means of a website.
154 A notice or other document or information may be given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided by the Company to the joint holders of a share by giving, sending, supplying, delivering or providing the notice or other document or information to the joint holder first named in the Register in respect of the share.
Anything to be agreed or specified by joint holders of a share may be agreed or specified by any of the joint holders (and any such agreement or specification shall be deemed for all purposes to be agreed or specified by all the joint holders) unless the Directors require it to be agreed or specified by all the joint holders or by the joint holder first named in the Register in respect of the share.
155 A notice or other document or information may be given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided by the Company to the persons entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member or otherwise by operation of law by giving, sending, supplying, delivering or providing it addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description, to the address, if any, within the United Kingdom supplied for the purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled or (until such an address has been so supplied) by giving, sending, supplying, delivering or providing the notice or other document or information in any manner in which the same might have been given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided if the death or bankruptcy or other event had not occurred.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
156 Electronic Communication
Notwithstanding anything in these Articles to the contrary
(a) Any document or information to be given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided to any person by the Company, whether pursuant to these Articles, the Statutes or otherwise, is also to be treated as given, sent, supplied, delivered or provided where it is made available on a website, or is sent in electronic form, in the
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manner provided by the 2006 Act for the purposes of, inter alia, the 2006 Act (subject to the provisions of these Articles)
For the purposes of paragraph 10(2)(b) of schedule 5 to the 2006 Act, the Company may give, send, supply, deliver or provide documents or information to Members by making them available on a website
For the purposes of paragraph 6 1 8R(1) of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the Company may use electronic means (as defined therein) to convey information or documents to Members
(b) The Directors may from time to time make such arrangements or regulations (if any) as they may from time to time in their absolute discretion think fit in relation to the giving of notices or other documents or information by electronic means by or to the Company and otherwise for the purpose of implementing and/or supplementing the provisions of these Articles and the Statutes in relation to electronic means, and such arrangements and regulations (as the case may be) shall have the same effect as if set out in this Article
PROVISION FOR EMPLOYEES
157 The power conferred upon the Company by section 719 of the Act to make provision for the benefit of persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or part of the undertaking of the Company or any subsidiary shall only be exercised by the Company with the prior sanction of a special resolution. If at any time the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the exercise of such power as aforesaid shall be deemed to be a variation of the rights attached to each class of shares in issue and shall accordingly require either (i) the prior consent in writing of the holders of at least three-quarters of the nominal value of the issued shares or (ii) the prior sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of each class, in accordance with the provisions of Article 17
WINDING UP
158 If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, with the sanction of an special resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Statutes, divide amongst the Members in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose, set such value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the contributors as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other securities or other assets whereon there is any liability
INDEMNITY
159 Indemnity of officers
Subject to the provisions of the Statutes (but so that this Article does not extend to any matter insofar as it would cause this Article or any part of it to be void under the Statutes) but without prejudice to any indemnity to which the person concerned may otherwise be entitled, every person who is or was at any time a director or other officer of the Company or any Group Company (as defined in Article 103(b) excluding the Auditors may be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against all costs, charges, expenses, losses or liabilities (together "Liabilities") which he may sustain or incur in or about the actual or purported execution and/or discharge of his duties (including those duties, powers and discretions in relation to any Group Company (as defined in Article 103(b) or any company that is a trustee of an occupational pension scheme (as defined in section 235(6) of the 2006 Act)) and/or the actual or purported exercise of his powers or discretions and/or otherwise in relation thereto or in connection therewith, including (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) any Liability suffered or incurred by him in disputing, defending, investigating or providing evidence in connection with any actual or threatened or alleged claims, demands, investigations, or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, or regulatory or in connection with any application under section 144(3) or (4) or section 727 of the Act
159A The Company may also provide funds to any director or other officer of the company or of any Group Company (as defined in Article 103(b) (excluding the Auditors) to meet, or do anything to enable a director or other officer of the Company or any Group Company (as defined in Article 103(b) to avoid incurring expenditure of the nature described in sections 205(1) or 206 of the 2006 Act
160 [Deleted for historic reasons]
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