Part 16U.K.Audit

Chapter 3U.K.Functions of auditor

Duties and rights of auditorsU.K.

500Auditor's right to information from overseas subsidiariesU.K.

(1)Where a parent company has a subsidiary undertaking that is not a body corporate incorporated in the United Kingdom, the auditor of the parent company may require it to obtain from any of the following persons such information or explanations as he may reasonably require for the purposes of his duties as auditor.

(2)Those persons are—

(a)the undertaking;

(b)any officer, employee or auditor of the undertaking;

(c)any person holding or accountable for any of the undertaking's books, accounts or vouchers;

(d)any person who fell within paragraph (b) or (c) at a time to which the information or explanations relates or relate.

(3)If so required, the parent company must take all such steps as are reasonably open to it to obtain the information or explanations from the person concerned.

(4)A statement made by a person in response to a requirement under this section may not be used in evidence against him in criminal proceedings except proceedings for an offence under section 501.

(5)Nothing in this section compels a person to disclose information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege (in Scotland, to confidentiality of communications) could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3Ss. 498-502 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2008 with application as mentioned in reg. 2 of the affecting Regulations) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1911), reg. 40 (as amended (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 85, Sch. 3 para. 16) (as amended (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(5)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Statutory Auditors Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1164), reg. 1(2)(3), Sch. 3 para. 14 (with reg. 2(6)(7)))

C4Ss. 499-502 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 132(1)(2), 325; S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

C7Ss. 484-539 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 11 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

C8Ss. 498-501 applied (with modifications) (31.7.2015) by The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1493), regs. 1(2), 7(1) (with reg. 11)