Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975

10 (1) It shall be the duty of the Corporation—

(a) to keep proper accounts and proper records in relation to the accounts ; and

(b) to prepare in respect of each accounting year, in such form as the Secretary of State may specify with the approval of the Treasury, a statement of those accounts showing the state of affairs and, subject to the following subsection, the profit or loss of the Corporation and giving separate information with respect to, and showing as far as may be the financial and operating results of, each of the main activities of the Corporation.

(2) If the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury gives notice to the Corporation requiring it to prepare statements of accounts in accordance with this subsection, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to prepare, in respect of each accounting year during which the notice is in force and in the form specified in the notice, statements of the consolidated accounts of the group consisting of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, or, if the notice so requires, of the group consisting of the Corporation and any specified subsidiary or subsidiaries of the Corporation, showing—

(a) the state of affairs and the profit or loss of the group in question; and

(b) the financial and operating results as far as may be of each of the main activities of the group in question ;

and a notice in pursuance of this subsection may provide that the statement of accounts to be prepared by the Corporation in pursuance of the preceding subsection in respect of any accounting year during which the notice is in force shall not be required to show the Corporation's profit or loss.

(3) If the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury gives notice to the Corporation requiring it to prepare statements of accounts in pursuance of this subsection, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to prepare, in respect of each accounting year while the notice is in force and in the form specified in the notice, statements of accounts showing—

(a) the state of affairs and the profit or loss of such of the following as are specified in the notice, namely—

(i) a group consisting of such of the Corporation's subsidiaries as are so specified ; and

(ii) each of the Corporation's subsidiaries so specified; and

(b) if the notice so requires, the financial and operating results as far as may be of each of the main activities of the group or of each subsidiary in question.

(4) The accounts kept and the statements prepared in pursuance of the preceding provisions of this section shall be audited by auditors appointed annually by the Secretary of State; and a person shall not be qualified to be so appointed unless he is a member of one or more of the following bodies—

• the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;

• the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland ;

• the Association of Certified Accountants ;

• the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland ;

• any other body of accountants established in the United Kingdom and for the time being recognised for the purposes of section 161(1)(a) of the [1948 c. 38.] Companies Act 1948 by the Secretary of State;

but a Scottish firm may be so appointed if each of the partners is qualified to be so appointed.

(5) As soon as any accounts and statements have been audited in pursuance of the preceding subsection, the auditors shall send to the Secretary of State copies of the statements and any report made by the auditors on the accounts or statements and shall send to the Corporation a copy of any such report; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every document received by him in pursuance of this subsection.