Finance Act 2000

Requirement as to no pre-arranged exits

37 (1) The issuing arrangements for the relevant shares must not include—

(a) arrangements with a view to the subsequent repurchase, exchange or other disposal of those shares or of other shares in or securities of the issuing company;

(b) arrangements for or with a view to the cessation of any trade which is being or is to be or may be carried on by the issuing company or a person connected with that company;

(c) arrangements for the disposal of, or of a substantial amount (in terms of value) of, the assets of the issuing company or of a person connected with that company; or

(d) arrangements the main purpose of which, or one of the main purposes of which, is (by means of any insurance, indemnity or guarantee or otherwise) to provide partial or complete protection for persons investing in shares in the issuing company against what would otherwise be the risks attached to making the investment.

(2) For the purposes of this paragraph “the issuing arrangements” means—

(a) the arrangements under which the relevant shares are issued to the investing company,

(b) any arrangements made, before the issue of the relevant shares to that company, in relation to or in connection with that issue, and

(c) if before the relevant shares were issued information on pre-arranged exits was made available to any prospective subscribers for shares in the relevant issue, any arrangements made—

(i) on or after the issue of the shares, but

(ii) before the end of the qualification period relating to them.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) “information on pre-arranged exits” means any information indicating the possibility of making, on or after the issue of the relevant shares but before the end of the qualification period relating to them, arrangements of the kind described in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of sub-paragraph (1), and

(b) “the relevant issue” means the issue of shares in the issuing company which includes the relevant shares.

(4) The arrangements referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) do not include any arrangements with a view to such an exchange of shares, or shares and securities, as is mentioned in paragraph 83(1) (certain exchanges resulting in acquisition of share capital by new company).

(5) The arrangements referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) and (c) do not include any arrangements applicable only on the winding up of the issuing company except in a case where—

(a) the issuing arrangements include arrangements for the issuing company to be wound up, or

(b) the issuing company is wound up otherwise than for commercial reasons.

(6) The arrangements referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(d) do not include any arrangements which are confined to the provision—

(a) for the issuing company itself, or

(b) where the issuing company is the parent company of a group, for any group company,

of any such protection against the risks arising in the course of carrying on its business as might reasonably be expected to be provided for normal commercial reasons.