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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2003 No. 1633

COMPANIES

The Uncertificated Securities (Amendment) (Eligible Debt Securities) Regulations 2003

  Made 23rd June 2003 
  Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1 

Whereas a draft of these Regulations has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament;

     Now, therefore, the Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 207 of the Companies Act 1989[1] and now vested in them[2], hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation
     1.  - (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Uncertificated Securities (Amendment) (Eligible Debt Securities) Regulations 2003, and come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

    (2) In these Regulations "the principal regulations" means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001[
3].

Amendment of the principal regulations
     2. The principal regulations are amended as set out in regulations 3 to 13 of these Regulations.

Eligible debt securities-interpretation
    
3. In regulation 3(1)-

     4.  - (1) In regulation 3(3)-

    (2) After regulation 3(3), add-

Participation in respect of securities other than shares
    
5. In regulation 19(2), for "the issuer", substitute "an issuer of that security".

Entries on registers and records in respect of general public sector securities
    
6.  - (1) In the cross-heading before regulation 21, before "public", insert "general".

    (2) In regulation 21(1) to (3), before "public" (wherever occurring), insert "general".

    (3) In regulation 22(1), for "or public sector securities", substitute, ", general public sector securities or eligible debt securities".

    (4) In regulation 24(5), before "public", insert "general".

    (5) In Schedule 4-

Entries on registers and records in respect of general UK Government securities
    
7. In paragraphs 12(2) and 13(2) of Schedule 4, before "UK", insert "general".

Entries on registers and records in respect of general local authority securities
    
8.  - (1) In regulation 21(3)-

    (2) In regulation 21(5), after "security", insert "falling within paragraph (a)(i) of the definition of "local authority security" in regulation 3(1)".

    (3) After regulation 21(5), add-

    (4) In Schedule 4-

Entries on registers and records in respect of eligible debt securities
    
9.  - (1) In regulation 22(3), after "security" (where first occurring), insert "(other than an eligible debt security)".

    (2) After regulation 22(3), insert-

    (3) In regulation 22(4), for "(2)(a)(i) or (3)", substitute, "(2)(a)(i), (3) or (3A)".

Effect of entries on registers
    
10. In regulation 24, after paragraph (7), add-

Registration by an Operator of transfers of securities
    
11. In regulation 27-

Requirements for approval of a person as Operator
    
12. In paragraphs 12 and 25(e)(ii) of Schedule 1, after "securities", insert "(other than an Operator register of eligible debt securities)".

Keeping of registers and records of participating securities
    
13. In paragraph 16(2) of Schedule 4, after "such register", insert "(other than an Operator register of eligible debt securities)".

Eligible Treasury bills etc
    
14.  - (1) The power of the Treasury to create and issue Treasury bills in accordance with the 1877 Act includes power to create and issue bills in accordance with the 1877 Act and the 1968 Regulations as modified by Part 1 of Schedule 1.

    (2) A bill created and issued by the Treasury in accordance with the 1877 Act and the 1968 Regulations as modified by Part 1 of Schedule 1 is a Treasury bill for the purposes of that Act and those Regulations; and that Act and those Regulations apply in relation to such bills with the modifications set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1.

    (3) The power of the Ministry of Finance under section 11(1)(b) of the 1950 Act to borrow money by the creation and issue of Northern Ireland Treasury Bills includes power to borrow money by the creation and issue of Bills in accordance with the 1950 Act as modified by Part 2 of Schedule 1.

    (4) A Bill created and issued by the Ministry of Finance in accordance with the 1950 Act as modified by Part 2 of Schedule 1 is a Northern Ireland Treasury Bill for the purposes of that Act; and that Act applies in relation to such Bills with the modifications set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

    (5) The power of a local authority under section 43(2)(c) of the 1989 Act to borrow money by means of a loan instrument includes power to borrow money by means of an instrument created and issued in accordance with Part IV of the 1989 Act and the 1990 Regulations as modified by Part 3 of Schedule 1.

    (6) An instrument created and issued by a local authority in accordance with Part IV of the 1989 Act and the 1990 Regulations as modified by Part 3 of Schedule 1 is a loan instrument for the purposes of that Part and those Regulations; and that Part and those Regulations apply in relation to such instruments with the modifications set out in Part 3 of Schedule 1.

Application and modification of certain enactments
    
15.  - (1) Schedule 2, which applies and modifies certain enactments, has effect.

    (2) Expressions used in Schedule 2 have, unless the contrary intention appears, the same meaning as in the principal regulations.


Nick Ainger

John Heppell
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury

23rd June 2003



SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 14



PART 1

ELIGIBLE TREASURY BILLS

Modification of the Treasury Bills Act 1877

     1. For the purposes of regulation 14, and the definition of "eligible Treasury bill" in the principal regulations, the 1877 Act is modified as set out in paragraphs 2 to 6, and the 1968 Regulations are modified as set out in paragraphs 7 to 13.

     2. In section 2-

     3. In section 4, for the words from "in the prescribed form" to "the bill", substitute, "for the payment of a principal sum to the holder of one or more uncertificated units of the bill at a date not more than twelve months from the date of issue of that unit or those units".

     4. In section 5, for "of and interest on", substitute "and interest payable in respect of".

     5. For section 8(2), substitute-

     6. In section 9-

     7. In regulation 1-

     8. In regulation 2(1)-

     9. For regulation 3, substitute-

     10. In regulation 4-

     11. In regulation 6-

     12. Omit regulations 7 and 8.

     13. In regulation 9, after the definition of ""NLF bill" and "NLF Treasury bill"", insert-



PART 2

ELIGIBLE NORTHERN IRELAND TREASURY BILLS

     14. For the purposes of regulation 14, and the definition of "eligible Northern Ireland Treasury Bill" in the principal regulations, the 1950 Act is modified as set out in paragraphs 15 to 17.

Modification of the Exchequer and Financial Provisions Act (Northern Ireland) 1950

     15. In section 11(1)(b), after "Northern Ireland Treasury Bills", insert "(and uncertificated units of such Bills)".

     16. In section 40, after subsection (1), insert-

     17. In the First Schedule-



PART 3

DEMATERIALISED LOAN INSTRUMENTS

     18. For the purposes of regulation 14, and the definition of "dematerialised loan instrument" in the principal regulations, Part IV of the 1989 Act is modified as set out in paragraphs 19 to 23, and the 1990 Regulations are modified as set out in paragraphs 24 to 33.

Modification of Part IV of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989

     19. In section 43(4)-

     20. In section 43(5), for "any document", substitute "any security".

     21. After section 43(5), add-

     22. In section 46-

     23. In section 66(1)-

     24. In regulation 2-

     25. In regulation 3-

     26. In regulation 4-

     27. In regulation 5-

     28. In regulation 6-

     29. In regulation 7-

     30. After regulation 8(5), add-

     31. After regulation 9(12), add-

     32. In Schedule 1-

     33. In Schedule 2-



SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 15


APPLICATION AND MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN ENACTMENTS


Eligible Treasury bills

     1. Section 5 of the National Debt Act 1889[
15] applies in relation to eligible Treasury bills with the following modifications-

     2. A reference to Treasury bills in-

includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible Treasury bills.

Eligible Northern Ireland Treasury Bills

     3. A reference to Northern Ireland Treasury Bills in-

includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible Northern Ireland Treasury Bills.

Dematerialised loan instruments

     4. A reference to a loan instrument in-

includes a reference to uncertificated units of a dematerialised loan instrument.

Cash ratio deposits

     5. In the Cash Ratio Deposits (Eligible Liabilities) Order 1998[30]-

     6.

    (1) In an enactment to which this paragraph applies-

    (2) This paragraph applies to-

     7. A reference to commercial paper in Schedule A1 or Schedule 2A to the Insolvency Act 1986[34] includes a reference to uncertificated units of an eligible debt security where the issue of the units corresponds, in accordance with the current terms of issue of the security, to the issue of commercial paper within the meaning of article 9(3) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001[35].

Securities etc creating or acknowledging indebtedness

     8.  - (1) In a provision to which this paragraph applies, a reference to securities, instruments or investments creating or acknowledging indebtedness (or creating or acknowledging a present or future indebtedness) includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible debt securities.

    (2) This paragraph applies to-

     9. The reference to a person becoming party to an instrument in each of article 17(2) and article 31(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 includes a reference to a person assuming rights and obligations in respect of uncertificated units of an eligible debt security in accordance with its current terms of issue.

Public offers of securities

     10. In regulation 3(4) of the Public Offers of Securities Regulations 1995-

     11. In the Building Societies Act 1986[55]-

     12. In Part III of Schedule 2 to the Building Societies (Accounts and Related Provisions) Regulations 1998[56]-

     13. A reference to bearer securities in-

includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible debt securities.

     14. A reference to securities payable to bearer in-

includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible debt securities.

     15. A reference to bearer instruments in articles 41(1) and 42(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2001[62] includes a reference to uncertificated units of an eligible debt security the holding of which confers, in accordance with the current terms of issue of the security, rights which correspond to those conferred by an investment of a kind falling within paragraph 15(1) of Schedule 1 to that Order.

Application and modification of other enactments

     16. Section 7(1) of the Trustee (Northern Ireland) Act 1958 applies in relation to uncertificated units of eligible debt securities with the omission of the words after "bank".

     17. The reference in paragraph 6 of Schedule 13 to the Local Government Act 1972[63] to "other securities so transferable" includes a reference to uncertificated units of eligible debt securities.

     18. In any enactment, a reference to an enactment modified by these Regulations or the principal regulations includes a reference to that enactment as so modified.



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations amend the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/3755) ("the principal regulations") to allow for the evidencing and transfer of title to "eligible debt securities" by means of a "relevant system" as defined in the principal regulations. "Eligible debt securities" principally comprise the non-material equivalents of the certificated securities known as money market instruments.

A new definition of "eligible debt security" is inserted into the principal regulations by regulation 3(h) of these Regulations. The definition includes a general category of securities that satisfy certain conditions as to their constitution and terms of issue. In addition, "eligible Northern Ireland Treasury Bill" and "eligible Treasury bill" are defined as special cases of eligible debt securities by new definitions inserted into the principal regulations by regulation 3(h) of these Regulations. Various enactments that define and govern the material equivalents of these special cases are applied, with modifications, to the relevant categories of eligible debt securities by regulation 14 of, and Schedule 1 to, these Regulations.

Regulation 4(2) of these Regulations inserts interpretation provisions into the principal regulations, in relation to the persons who are "issuers" or "participating issuers" of eligible debt securities, and in relation to the question of when a sum of money is to be regarded as payable at a determinable future time for the purposes of the definition of "eligible debt securities". As regards the former, an "issuer" or a "participating issuer" of an eligible debt security for the purposes of the principal regulations is to be taken to be a reference to a person ("P") who undertakes as principal to perform the payment obligation constituted by the security in accordance with its current terms of issue; and includes any other person who undertakes as principal to perform that obligation in accordance with those terms in the event that P fails to do so. However, for these purposes, a person who undertakes to perform an obligation under a contract of guarantee or other contract of suretyship is not to be regarded as undertaking to perform it as principal. In relation to sums of money payable at a determinable future time, new regulation 3(6) of the principal regulations provides that a sum of money is to be regarded as payable at a determinable future time if it is payable at a future time fixed by or in accordance with the current terms of issue of the security, or is payable at the expiry of a fixed period after the occurrence of a specified event which is certain to happen, even though the time of happening may be uncertain. For this purpose, a sum is not to be regarded as so payable if it is payable on the happening of a contingency. These interpretation provisions relate principally to the non-material equivalents of the category of money market instruments known as bankers' acceptances.

Regulation 3(a) to (f) and (i) to (q), and regulations 4(1) and 5 to 13 of these Regulations make additional amendments to the principal regulations in order to adapt the procedures set out in those Regulations to the evidencing and transfer of title to eligible debt securities.

In order to ensure that the various categories of securities referred to in the principal regulations as amended by these Regulations do not overlap, and that entries relating to eligible debt securities are recorded solely on an Operator register of eligible debt securities (see below), new definitions of "general local authority security", "general public sector security" and "general UK Government security" are inserted into the principal regulations by regulation 3(h) of these Regulations. These new definitions cover the same categories as the previous definitions of "local authority security", "public sector security" and "UK Government security" respectively, but with eligible debt securities excluded in each case. Regulations 4(1)(a), 6, 7 and 8(1)(a) and (4)(a) of these Regulations amend certain references in the principal regulations to confine them by reference to the new definitions, in order to ensure that eligible debt securities are excluded from the operation of those provisions of the principal regulations.

Regulation 5 of these Regulations amends regulation 19(2) of the principal regulations to allow for the possibility that some eligible debt securities (i.e., the non-material equivalents of bankers' acceptances) may have more than one "issuer" (as explained above in relation to regulation 4(2)).

Regulation 8(1)(b), (2), (3) and (4)(b) and (c) of these Regulations amend regulation 21 of, and Schedule 4 to, the principal regulations to include references to registrars in relation to dematerialised loan instruments.

By virtue of provisions inserted into the principal regulations by regulation 9 of these Regulations, an Operator of a relevant system must maintain an "Operator register of eligible debt securities" in relation to each such security which is a participating security. Such a register must contain entries indicating the names and addresses of persons holding units of the security, and how many such units each person holds. Such entries are prima facie evidence, and in Scotland sufficient evidence (unless the contrary is shown) of the matters to which they relate (regulation 10, which inserts a new paragraph (8) into regulation 24 of the principal regulations).

Regulation 11 of these Regulations disapplies regulation 27(7) of the principal regulations in the case of eligible debt securities, in view of the nature of those securities.

Regulation 12 of these Regulations amends paragraphs 12 and 25(e)(ii) of Schedule 1 to the principal regulations with the effect that an Operator of a relevant system is not required to permit issuers of eligible debt securities to inspect an Operator register of eligible debt securities. This is in keeping with the nature of "eligible debt securities" as uncertificated counterparts to bearer securities, in relation to which the identity of the bearer need not be known to the issuer of the security.

Regulation 13 of these Regulations excludes eligible debt securities from the scope of paragraph 16(2) of Schedule 4 to the principal regulations. That subparagraph makes provision as to the location of registers which relate to securities issued by companies and which are required to be maintained by an Operator under the principal regulations.

Regulation 14 of, and Schedule 1 to, these Regulations apply and modify various enactments relating to the issue of specific kinds of securities by public authorities. The modifications of the Treasury Bills Act 1877 (c. 2) and the Treasury Bills Regulations 1968 (S.I. 1968/414) referred to in the definition of "eligible Treasury bill" (inserted into the principal regulations by regulation 3(h) of these Regulations) are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1. A security constituted by a Treasury bill issued in accordance with these provisions as so modified amounts to an "eligible Treasury bill" for the purposes of the definition in the principal regulations. Similar modifications are carried out by Part 2 of Schedule 1 in relation to eligible Northern Ireland Treasury Bills, and Part 3 of Schedule 1 in relation to dematerialised loan instruments.

Various enactments are applied, with modifications, to eligible debt securities, by regulation 15 of, and Schedule 2 to, these Regulations. Regulation 15(2) and (3) contain interpretation provisions for the purposes of Schedule 2.


Notes:

[1] 1989 c. 40. Section 207 was amended by the Bank of England Act 1998 (c. 11), section 35 and by S.I. 2001/3649, article 90.back

[2] By the Transfer of Functions (Financial Services) Order 1992 (S.I. 1992/1315), article 2(1)(c). (There is a partial revocation of article 2 not relevant to these Regulations.)back

[3] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[4] 1877 c. 2.back

[5] 1950 c. 3 (N.I.).back

[6] 1989 c. 42.back

[7] S.I. 1968/414, amended by S.I. 1988/1603, S.I. 1991/1667, S.I. 1998/1450 and S.I. 1999/2907.back

[8] S.I. 1990/767, amended by the Audit Commission Act 1998 (c. 18), section 54 and by S.I. 1991/551, S.I. 1991/1091, S.I. 1991/2000 and S.I. 2001/3469; references to the Official List of the Stock Exchange in regulations 6 and 7 modified by S.I. 2000/968.back

[9] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[10] 1968 c. 13.back

[11] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[12] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[13] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[14] S.I. 2001/3755.back

[15] 1889 c. 6. There are amendments to section 5 not relevant to these Regulations.back

[16] 1953 c. 52, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[17] 1961 c. 62. Schedule 1 was substituted by S.I. 2001/3649, article 269.back

[18] 1968 c. 13.back

[19] 1973 c. 63, to which there are modifications not relevant to these Regulations.back

[20] 1985 c. 6, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[21] S.I. 1990/426, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[22] S.I. 1990/1338.back

[23] S.I. 1994/2507.back

[24] S.I. 1995/2092, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[25] S.I. 1998/504.back

[26] 1961 c. 62. There are amendments to paragraph 4 which are not relevant to these Regulations.back

[27] S.I. 1998/504.back

[28] S.I. 1997/319, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[29] S.I. 1990/426.back

[30] S.I. 1998/1130.back

[31] 1988 c. 1. There are amendments to the provisions referred to which are not relevant to these Regulations.back

[32] 2000 c. 8.back

[33] S.I. 1998/504.back

[34] 1986 c. 45. Schedule A1 was inserted by the Insolvency Act 2000 (c. 39), section 1 and Schedule 1; Schedule 2A was inserted by the Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), section 250 and Schedule 18.back

[35] S.I. 2001/544, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[36] 1961 c. 62 Schedule 1 was substituted by S.I. 2001/3649, article 269.back

[37] 1972 c. 70. Subsection (1) was substituted by S.I. 2002/1555, article 5.back

[38] 1973 c. 65. Subsection (3) was inserted by S.I. 2001/3649, article 220.back

[39] 1981 c. 28. Subsection (6) was substituted by S.I. 2002/1555, article 9.back

[40] 1985 c. 6.back

[41] 1993 c. 36.back

[42] 1998 c. 11. Subsection (7A) was substituted by S.I. 2001/3649, article 161.back

[43] 2000 c. 8.back

[44] 2000 c. 26.back

[45] S.I. 1987/2117. Regulation 3 was amended by S.I. 2001/3649, article 386.back

[46] S.I. 1994/188.back

[47] S.I. 1994/2005.back

[48] S.I. 1994/2576. The Schedule was amended by S.I. 2001/3649, article 472.back

[49] S.I. 1994/2577. The Schedule was amended by S.I. 2001/3649, article 473.back

[50] S.I. 1994/2973. The Schedule was amended by S.I. 2001/3649, article 478.back

[51] S.I. 1995/1537. Regulations 2(1), 3(2) and 7(2), and Schedule 1, were amended by S.I. 2001/3649, articles 501, 502, 504 and 510 respectively.back

[52] S.I. 1996/1536. Regulation 2(1) was amended by S.I. 2001/3469, article 525.back

[53] S.I. 1996/3127, amended by S.I. 2001/3469, article 545.back

[54] S.I. 2000/1403. A relevant substitution was made by S.I. 2001/3469, article 595(1)(b).back

[55] 1986 c. 53.back

[56] S.I. 1998/504.back

[57] 1958 c. 23.back

[58] 1977 c. 3.back

[59] 1989 c. 26.back

[60] 1965 c. 12, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[61] S.I. 1919/1961.back

[62] S.I. 2001/1335, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.back

[63] 1972 c. 70.back



ISBN 0 11 046675 6


 
© Crown copyright 2003
Prepared 4 July 2003


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