1.—(1) An open-ended investment company may convert or cancel bearer shares on or before 1 January 2022 in accordance with this Part.
(2) This Part applies as if it were contained in the Open-Ended Investment Companies Regulations 2001 and accordingly-
(a)words and expressions used in those Regulations have the same meaning when used in this Part; and
(b)references in this Part to particular regulations are references to those Regulations.
2. In this Part—
“outstanding bearer share” means a bearer share which has been issued by an open-ended investment company before the surrender year and has not been cancelled;
“the surrender year” means the year beginning with the end of 1 January 2021.
3.—(1) Sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply where, at a time in the surrender year, the person who is the bearer of an outstanding bearer share delivers to the company—
(a)the instrument mentioned in regulation 48 relating to the share,
(b)a request for the share to be converted to a registered share, and
(c)a statement of the person’s name and address.
(2) Delivery of the instrument to the company does not operate as a transfer of the share.
(3) The company must—
(a)cancel the instrument,
(b)register the person as the holder of the share, and
(c)prepare a share certificate in respect of the share as registered.
(4) Sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) do not apply in relation to outstanding bearer shares of which the designated person is the bearer (but see paragraph 4).
(5) Regulation 46(2) (expeditious preparation of certificates prepared in accordance with regulation 46(1)(a) to (e)) applies also in relation to a certificate prepared in accordance with sub-paragraph (3)(c).
4. Where the bearer of any outstanding bearer shares is the designated person—
(a)the designated person may not, after the start of the surrender year, transfer the shares to any person other than the company, and
(b)the designated person must, as soon after the start of the surrender year as is reasonably practicable, transfer the shares to the company (so that the shares may be cancelled in accordance with paragraph 3).
5.—(1) A dividend or other distribution paid in the surrender year in respect of an outstanding bearer share must be paid into the account opened by the company in accordance with sub-paragraph (3).
(2) Where a share is converted under paragraph 3, the person registered under paragraph 3(3) in respect of the share is entitled to—
(a)any amounts paid into that account in respect of the share under sub-paragraph (1), and
(b)any interest accrued on those amounts while held in that account.
(3) Where any payments are to be made under sub-paragraph (1) or paragraph 6 in respect of shares of a particular open-ended investment company, the company must open a separate bank account for the purpose of receiving the payments, and must do so before the first of any such payments is to be made.
(4) The terms of the account must be such that its balance—
(a)bears interest at an appropriate rate, and
(b)can be withdrawn during bank hours without having to give prior notice.
6.—(1) Where a person is the bearer of an outstanding bearer share immediately before the end of the surrender year, the company must—
(a)cancel the share with effect from the end of that year, and
(b)pay the value (if any) of the share into the account opened by the company in accordance with paragraph 5(3).
(2) The person is entitled to—
(a)any amounts paid into that account in respect of the share under sub-paragraph (1) or paragraph 5(1), and
(b)any interest accrued on those amounts while held in that account.
(3) If after the surrender year the company receives the documentary evidence of title mentioned in regulation 48 relating to the share, the company may conclusively treat the person sending the documentary evidence of title as being the person entitled to those amounts and that interest.
7.—(1) This paragraph applies to an open-ended investment company if, at the start of the surrender year, any persons other than the designated person are bearers of outstanding bearer shares issued by the company.
(2) The company must, no later than 2 months after the start of the surrender year, give a notice to those persons—
(a)of their right during the surrender year to convert their bearer shares into registered shares,
(b)of what they need to do to exercise that right,
(c)of the company’s duty to retain dividends and other distributions paid in the surrender year in respect of bearer shares until the shares are converted or any proceeds of their cancellation are claimed,
(d)of the company’s duty to cancel bearer shares still outstanding at the end of the surrender year, and
(e)of how any proceeds of such cancelled shares may be claimed.
(3) The notice must be given by being—
(a)published in the Gazette,
(b)communicated to each of the persons in the same way (if any) as the company normally communicates with that person for other purposes relating to the person’s bearer shares in the company, and
(c)published in a prominent position on the company’s website (if it has one).
(4) The company must keep the notice as published on its website in a prominent position on its website until—
(a)the first anniversary of the end of the surrender year, or
(b)if earlier, the time when—
(i)the company no longer has any bearer shares in issue, and
(ii)all amounts (if any) paid into the account opened by the company in accordance with paragraph 5(3) have been paid out in accordance with paragraphs 5(2) and 6(2) and (3).
(5) Sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) do not apply in relation to a company if, before it gives the notice that would be required by sub-paragraph (2), it has ceased to have any bearer shares in issue.
(6) An open-ended investment company which contravenes this paragraph commits an offence.
(7) A person guilty of an offence under sub-paragraph (6) is liable on summary conviction—
(a)in England and Wales, to a fine;
(b)in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.