Building Societies Act 1986

7 (1) It is hereby declared that every building society has had, as from 19th December 1985, power, for the purposes of any power conferred by this Act on building societies or building societies of its description, to do such things, subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, as are reasonably necessary to enable it—

(a) to decide whether or not, and to what extent, to exercise (and in the case of an adoptable power to adopt) the power, and

(b) if it decides to exercise the power, to exercise it as from the date when it becomes exercisable by the society.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1)(b) above does not authorise a society—

(a) to make contracts, other than conditional contracts, for the acquisition of land, the acquisition of a business or the acquisition of shares in any company if that company offers the public any service or facility within the power,

(b) to issue invitations to members of the society or the public to apply for any power to be exercised for their benefit, or

(c) to retain shares in a company which offers the public any service or facility within the power ;

and, in this sub-paragraph, "conditional", in relation to contracts with respect to the exercise of a power, means conditional on the power's becoming exercisable by the society.

(3) The power conferred by this paragraph, and activities carried on under it, for the purposes of an adoptable power are not to be treated as included in, or in activities comprised in, that adoptable power for the purposes of paragraph 8 of this Schedule.