IN THE HIGH COURT OF
JUSTICE
CHANCERY DIVISION
COMPANIES COURT
IN THE MATTER of Financial Assurance Company Limited
- and -
IN THE MATTER of Financial New Life Company Limited
- and -
IN THE MATTER of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
SCHEME
for the
transfer to Financial New Life Company Limited of
the insurance business of Financial Assurance Company Limited
(pursuant to Part VII of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000)
Slaughter and May
One Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YY
(GWJ/RJZS)
CA032700001
Act |
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means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; |
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Admissible Value |
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means the value determined in accordance with Chapter 4 of IPRU (INS); |
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associated company |
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means any subsidiary or holding company of a party or any other subsidiary of a holding company of a party (subsidiary and holding company have the meanings given to them respectively in Sections 736 and 736A of the Companies Act 1985); |
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Bond Portfolio |
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means the products known as the guaranteed equity bonds, the guaranteed bonds, the flexible term guaranteed bonds, the investment bonds, the flexible access bonds and the structured settlements, issued by FACL to certain policyholders in the United Kingdom and under which any liability of FACL (whether that liability is current or future, certain or contingent) remains unsatisfied or outstanding on the Transfer Date; |
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CIGL |
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means Consolidated Insurance Group Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 1870149 and whose registered office is at Vantage West, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9AG; |
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CIGL Shareholding |
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means all of the rights of FACL in those shares in the issued share capital of CIGL that are owned by FACL as at the Transfer Date; |
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Court |
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means the High Court of Justice in England; |
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EEA State |
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has the meaning given to that phrase in paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 of the Act; |
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Encumbrance |
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means any mortgage, charge, pledge, assignation in security, lien, option, restriction, right of first refusal, right of pre-emption, third party right or interest, any other encumbrance or security interest of any kind and any other type of preferential arrangement (including, without limitation, title transfer and retention agreements) having a similar effect; |
FACL |
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means Financial Assurance Company Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 1044679 and whose registered office is at Vantage West, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9AG; |
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FACL Capital Amount |
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means, if there are any Retained Insurances, the amount of the Minimum Guarantee Fund required for FACL and such further amount as FACLs Actuary shall determine is required under the provisions of IPRU (INS) to satisfy any capital or solvency requirements that FACL may have in respect of any Retained Insurances, provided that the FACL Capital Amount shall from time to time reduce by such amount as FACLs Actuary shall determine will leave FACL with such amount as is necessary under such provisions to satisfy such capital or solvency requirements having regard to any Retained Insurances that are transferred to FINCL or are otherwise discharged; |
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FACLs Actuary |
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means the individual responsible for providing actuarial advice to the board of directors of FACL at the relevant time; |
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FACL Long-Term Insurance Fund |
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means the fund maintained by FACL pursuant to rule 3.1 of IPRU (INS); |
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FACL Shareholder Fund |
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means the fund maintained by FACL which is not part of the FACL Long-Term Insurance Fund; |
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FINCL |
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means Financial New Life Company Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 4873014 and whose registered office is at Vantage West, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9AG; |
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FINCL Long-Term Insurance Fund |
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means the fund maintained by FINCL pursuant to rule 3.1 of IPRU (INS); |
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FINCL Shareholder Fund |
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means the fund maintained by FINCL which is not part of the FINCL Long-Term Insurance Fund; |
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FINCLs Actuary |
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means the individual responsible for providing actuarial advice to the board of directors of FINCL at the relevant time; |
FSA |
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means the Financial Services Authority of the United Kingdom; |
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GMT |
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means Greenwich Mean Time; |
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Goodwill |
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means the goodwill of the Transferring Business; |
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Independent Expert |
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means Michael Arnold of Milliman UK who has been approved by the FSA to make the scheme report required by section 109 of the Act; |
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Insurances |
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means, in respect of every contract of insurance or reinsurance under which the whole or any part of the insurance or reinsurance risk in respect of that contract is written by FACL and which is in force at the Transfer Date or under which any liability in respect of the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk written by FACL (whether current or future, certain or contingent) remains unsatisfied or outstanding at the Transfer Date, the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk under that contract of insurance or reinsurance which is assumed by FACL, together with all liabilities for which FACL is responsible under or by virtue of such contract, and includes (without limitation): |
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(a) the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk which FACL would have assumed, together with all liabilities for which FACL would have been liable as a result, under all proposals for insurance or reinsurance received or issued by or on behalf of FACL before the Transfer Date and which have not at the Transfer Date been accepted but which FINCL, on FACLs behalf, subsequently accepts and which, but for the provisions of the Scheme, FACL would have been able to accept or, as applicable, that FACL would have been bound by the provisions thereof; |
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(b) all obligations of FACL in respect of any third party rights to reinstatement of any contract of insurance or reinsurance under which the whole or, as the case may be, the relevant part of the insurance or reinsurance risk in respect of that contract is written by FACL; and |
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(c) all liability of FACL for damages (including compensatory, consequential, exemplary, punitive, bad faith or similar or other damages) which relate to the marketing, sale, underwriting, issuance, delivery, cancellation or administration of such contract of insurance or reinsurance, including liability arising out of or relating to any alleged or actual act, error or omission by FACL or its agents, whether intentional or otherwise, with respect to any of such contracts, including (a) any alleged or actual reckless conduct or bad faith in connection with the handling of any claim arising out of or under such contract, or (b) the marketing, sale, underwriting, issuance, delivery, cancellation or administration of such contract, |
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each such contract, proposal, right (including all amendments and other modifications thereto) and liability being an Insurance; |
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IPRU (INS) |
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means the Interim Prudential Sourcebook for Insurers issued by the FSA; |
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liabilities |
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means all liabilities, obligations and duties whatsoever (whether present or future, actual or contingent), including, without limitation, any cost, expenses, liability, damage or loss of any kind; |
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Mathematical Reserves |
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has the meaning given to that phrase in IPRU (INS); |
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Minimum Guarantee Fund |
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has the meaning given to that phrase in rule 2.9 of IPRU (INS); |
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Order |
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means the order of the Court sanctioning the Scheme pursuant to Section 111(1) of the Act and any order of the Court making provision under Section 112 of the Act; |
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property |
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means (without limitation) property assets, rights and powers of every description (whether present or future, actual or contingent) and includes property held on trust and any interest in any of the foregoing and, for the avoidance of doubt, real and heritable property, moveable and personal property and any interest proprietor, landlord, tenant, mortgagee, chargee or heritable creditor; |
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Reinsurance Contracts |
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means all of FACLs rights, obligations and liabilities under all reinsurance contracts or treaties subsisting at the Transfer Date entered into by FACL pursuant to which FACL reinsures any of its risk or liabilities to another party, to the extent such rights, obligations and liabilities relate to the reinsurance of FACLs risk or liabilities arising under or in respect of the Transferring Business, and includes, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing and for the avoidance of doubt, the Viking Reinsurance; |
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Residual Assets |
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means: |
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(a) any property of FACL in respect of which an impediment exists such that the Court cannot, or declines to, sanction the transfer of that property by way of the Order; |
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(b) any other interest of FACL in any property which FACL and FINCL determine prior to the Transfer Date is more conveniently to be transferred pursuant to this Scheme at a date other than the Transfer Date; |
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(c) any rights, proceeds of sale, income or other accrual or return, whether or not in any case in the form of cash, from time to time after the Transfer Date received by FACL in respect of, or earned on, any such property as is referred to in (a), (b) or (d) of this definition; and |
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(d) any sum which FACLs Actuary may determine be transferred to FINCL by way of a reduction in the FACL Capital Amount after the Transfer Date; |
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Residual Liability |
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means any liability whatsoever (whether present or future, actual or contingent) of FACL (other than under a Retained Insurance): |
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(a) which is attributable to, or connected with, a Residual Asset and arises at any time before the Subsequent Transfer Date applicable to that Residual Asset; or |
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(b) which is not, or is not capable of being, transferred by this Scheme or by the Order; |
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Retained Insurances |
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means any Insurance in respect of which: |
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(a) |
(i) the establishment of FACL which has written that Insurance is in an EEA State other than the United Kingdom; and |
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(ii) the FSA has not prior to the making of the Order provided the certificate referred to in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Act; or |
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(b) |
(i) an EEA State other than the United Kingdom is the State of the commitment; and |
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(ii) the FSA has not prior to the making of the Order provided the certificate referred to in paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Act; or |
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(c) |
the transfer of such Insurance would contravene the legal or regulatory requirements to which FACL is subject in any state which is not an EEA State, |
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and for these purposes State of the commitment shall have the meaning given in paragraph 6(1) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 of the Act; |
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Scheme |
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means this Scheme, including any schedules to it, in its original form or with, or subject to, any modification, addition or condition which may be approved pursuant to paragraph 21 or imposed by the Court; |
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Subsequent Transfer Date |
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means, in relation to any Residual Asset or Residual Liability, the date (after the Transfer Date) on which that Residual Asset or Residual Liability is or is to be transferred to FINCL, namely: |
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(a) in respect of any Residual Asset falling within paragraph (a) of the definition thereof and of any Residual Liability which is attributable to, or connected with, that Residual Asset, the date on which the relevant impediment to the transfer of such Residual Asset or Residual Liability no longer exists; |
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(b) in respect of any Residual Asset falling within (b) of the definition thereof and of any Residual Liability which is attributable to, or connected with, that Residual Asset, the Subsequent Transfer Date shall be the date on which FACL and FINCL mutually agree that the interest is to be transferred; |
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(c) in the case of any Residual Asset falling within paragraph (c) of the definition thereof, the date on which such Residual Asset is received or earned by FACL, provided that where such Residual Asset is subject to an impediment on transfer which falls within paragraph (a) of the definition of Residual Asset, the Subsequent Transfer Date shall then be the date on which the relevant impediment no longer exists; |
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(d) in the case of any Residual Asset falling within paragraph (d) of the definition thereof, the Subsequent Transfer Date shall be the date on which the determination is made by FACLs Actuary to release the relevant sum from the FACL Capital Amount; and |
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(e) in the case of a Residual Liability falling within paragraph (a) of the definition thereof, provided that it can be so transferred on that date, the Subsequent Transfer Date for the relevant Residual Asset or, if it cannot be transferred on that date, as promptly as practicable thereafter; |
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Taxes Act |
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means the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988; |
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Transfer Date |
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means the date and time as determined in accordance with paragraph 20.1; |
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Transferring Assets |
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means all of the property of FACL as at the Transfer Date (other than the Residual Assets, the FACL Capital Amount and the rights of FACL under the Retained Insurances), including, without limitation: |
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(a) the rights of FACL under or by virtue of the Transferring Insurances; |
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(b) all rights of FACL to all client lists in relation to the Transferring Business; |
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(c) all rights of FACL under the Reinsurance Contracts and the Transferring Contracts; |
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(d) all rights that FACL has in any investments entered into in connection with the Bond Portfolio or to which any of the products comprising the Bond Portfolio are linked in any way; and |
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(e) all rights and claims (present or future, actual or contingent) against any third party in relation to the Transferring Business or arising as a result of FACL having carried on the Transferring Business, |
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and, for the avoidance of doubt, any rights of FACL which comprise such property shall include any rights of FACL which relate to, and arose during, any period prior to the Transfer Date; |
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Transferring Business |
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means the whole of the business of FACL carried on as at the Transfer Date (including effecting or carrying out the Transferring Insurances, all activities carried on in connection with or for the purposes of FACLs business, and any proposals for insurance not yet accepted) save to the extent that such business relates to the Retained Insurances or to the carrying on of insurance business in any jurisdiction to the extent that, if carried on prior to the Transfer Date, it would have resulted in the issue of further Retained Insurances; |
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Transferring Contracts |
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means all rights, obligations and liabilities of FACL under all contracts entered into by FACL to the extent that such rights, obligations and liabilities arise in connection with or in relation to the carrying on of the Transferring Business other than any rights, obligations and liabilities under the Reinsurance Contracts; |
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Transferring Insurances |
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means, in respect of every contract of insurance or reinsurance under which the whole or any part of the insurance or reinsurance risk in respect of that contract is written or assumed by FACL and which is in force at the Transfer Date or under which any liability in respect of the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk written or assumed by FACL (whether current or future, certain or contingent) remains unsatisfied or outstanding at the Transfer Date, the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk under that contract of insurance which is assumed by FACL, together with all liabilities whatsoever (whether present or future, certain or contingent) for which FACL is responsible as at the Transfer Date under or by virtue of such contract, and includes (without limitation): |
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(a) the whole or, as the case may be, such part of the insurance or reinsurance risk which FACL would have assumed, together with all liabilities for which FACL would have been liable as a result, under all proposals for insurance or reinsurance received or issued by or on behalf of FACL before the Transfer Date which have not at the Transfer Date been accepted but which FINCL, on FACLs behalf, subsequently accepts and which, but for the provisions of the Scheme, FACL would have been able to accept or, as applicable, FACL would have been bound by the provisions thereof; |
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(b) all obligations of FACL in respect of any third party rights to reinstatement of any contract of insurance or reinsurance under which the whole or, as the case may be, the relevant part of the insurance or reinsurance risk in respect of that contract is written by FACL; and |
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(c) all liability of FACL for damages (including compensatory, consequential, exemplary, punitive, bad faith or similar or other damages) which relate to the marketing, sale, underwriting, issuance, delivery, cancellation or administration of such contract of insurance or reinsurance, including liability arising out of or relating to any alleged or actual act, error or omission by FACL or its agents, whether intentional or otherwise, with respect to any of such contracts, including (a) any alleged or actual reckless conduct or bad faith in connection with the handling of any claim arising out of or under such contract, or (b) the marketing, sale, underwriting, issuance, delivery, cancellation or administration of such contract, |
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each such contract, proposal, right (including all amendments and other modifications thereto) and liability being a Transferring Insurance. |
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For the avoidance of doubt, the expression Transferring Insurances shall exclude all of the Retained Insurances; |
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Transferring Liabilities |
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means all liabilities whatsoever (whether present or future, actual or contingent) of FACL (other than to the extent discharged prior to the Transfer Date) arising in connection with or in relation to the carrying on of the Transferring Business including (for the avoidance of doubt) all obligations and liabilities of FACL under the Transferring Contracts and the Reinsurance Contracts and any liabilities or obligations of FACL which remain outstanding at the Transfer Date or may thereafter arise and relate to, or arose during, any period prior to the Transfer Date, but excluding the Residual Liabilities and liabilities under, or relating to, the Retained Insurances; and |
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Viking Reinsurance |
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means the reinsurance agreement effective as of 1st January, 2004 entered into between FACL and Viking Insurance Company, Limited., of Craig Appin House, 8 Wesley Street, Hamilton, Bermuda. |
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except for any such amendment, extension, application or re-enactment made after the date on which the application is made to Court by FACL and FINCL for an Order in respect of this Scheme, if and to the extent that it would (but for this provision) create or increase any liability of any party hereto, and enactment includes any legislation (whether primary or subordinate) in any jurisdiction.
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Any allocation of property or attribution of liabilities, and any re-allocation or re-attribution of the same, which is made under the terms of this Scheme is for the purpose of establishing or recognising respective policyholder and shareholder entitlements from time to time and shall not be taken to limit the availability of all the property from time to time of FINCL to meet the liabilities which it is obliged by law to meet.
On and with effect from the Transfer Date, all of the Transferring Insurances shall be allocated to the FINCL Long-Term Insurance Fund.
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deemed to take effect on the basis that it does not contravene any such restriction and does not give rise to any right of termination or other right which might otherwise arise in respect of such transfer.
For the avoidance of doubt, on and with effect from the Transfer Date, all of the rights and obligations of FACL under the Viking Reinsurance shall, by the Order and without
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any further act or instrument, be transferred to and vested in FINCL and FINCL shall be able to exercise any of its rights under the terms of the Viking Reinsurance.
On and with effect from the Transfer Date, any judicial, quasi-judicial, administrative or arbitration proceedings in any country which are pending by or against FACL by virtue of the Transferring Insurances, Transferring Contracts or Reinsurance Contracts or any of them shall be continued in lieu thereof by or against FINCL and FINCL shall be entitled to all defences, claims, counterclaims and rights of set-off that would have been available to FACL in relation to such proceedings. FINCL shall succeed to and assume any liability under such proceedings to which FACL would have been exposed.
Any mandate or other instruction in force on the Transfer Date (including, without limitation, any instruction given to a bank by its customer in the form of a direct debit or standing order) and providing for the payment by a banker or other intermediary of premiums payable under or in respect of any Transferring Insurance to FACL shall, on and with effect from the Transfer Date, take effect as if it had provided for and authorised such payment to FINCL.
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FACL shall, from the Transfer Date or from the relevant Subsequent Transfer Date, as the case may be, hold that property as trustee for FINCL absolutely and shall be subject to FINCLs directions in respect thereof until the relevant property is transferred to, or otherwise vested in, FINCL or is disposed of (whereupon FACL shall account to FINCL for the net proceeds of the disposal thereof received by FACL) and FINCL shall have irrevocable authority to act as the attorney of FACL in respect of such property for all such purposes.
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On and with effect from the Transfer Date, FINCL shall, as principal, take over from FACL the administration and negotiation of proposals for insurance which would not have been Transferring Insurances had FACL determined to accept them (but whether or not FINCL does so determine) and FINCL shall bear all expenses and liabilities in relation thereto but nothing contained herein shall oblige FINCL to accept any proposal for insurance received by or on behalf of FACL before the Transfer Date but not accepted by FACL by that date.
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FINCL and FACL may at any time agree on behalf of themselves and all other persons concerned to any modification of or addition to this Scheme or to any further condition or provision affecting the same that the Court may approve or impose.
To the extent not already borne or discharged by FACL, FINCL shall bear all professional fees, costs of advertising and any required mailing and any other expenses incurred in the preparation and carrying into effect of this Scheme and those fees, costs and expenses shall be attributed to the FINCL Shareholder Fund (but so that this provision shall be without prejudice to any obligation of any person to reimburse such costs).
This Scheme shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
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TAX CONFIRMATIONS
FACL and FINCL will seek tax clearances and confirmations in respect of the transfer of FACLs business to FINCL that:
1. the transfers effected pursuant to the Scheme, including those of any residual assets, will not by virtue of sections 139 and 211 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 and to the extent provided by those sections give rise to chargeable gains;
2. unrelieved management expenses (including acquisition expenses unrelieved by virtue of section 86(6) of the Finance Act 1989) and Schedule Case VI losses carried or spread forward in FACL at the Transfer Date may be carried or spread forward and set against the appropriate taxable income of FINCL under Section 444A of the Taxes Act;
3. relevant unused losses in FACL at the Transfer Date are treated as BLAGAB allowable losses accruing to FINCL in the accounting period of FINCL in which the Transfer takes place, under Section 211ZA of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992;
4. the UK taxation consequences of the exercise after the Transfer Date of any option to vary a policy or contract or to effect an additional or substituted policy on favourable terms conferred by policies or contracts issued or granted by FACL will not by virtue of the Scheme be different from the UK taxation consequences which would have ensued from such an exercise before the Transfer Date;
5. the Scheme will not constitute a breach of a qualifying policy or a variation in any of the terms of any qualifying policy for the purposes of Chapter II of Part XIII of the Taxes Act;
6. the transactions contemplated under the Scheme are such that no notice under section 703(3) of the Taxes Act ought to be given in respect of any of them or that the Inland Revenue are of the view that section 703 does not apply to such transactions; and
7. the transfer of the Goodwill does not result in any change in categorisation within section 440 of the Taxes Act.
EEA BRANCHES LIST
1. Ireland
2. Norway
3. Netherlands
4. Denmark
5. Germany
6. Italy
7. Portugal
8. Finland
9. Sweden
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Version (10): 14.01.04
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE |
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CHANCERY DIVISION |
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COMPANIES COURT |
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[THE HON. MR JUSTICE [ ]] |
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IN THE MATTER of |
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Financial Assurance Company Limited |
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and |
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IN THE MATTER of |
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Financial New Life Company Limited |
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and |
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IN THE MATTER of |
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the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 |
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SCHEME |
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for the transfer to Financial New Life Company Limited of the insurance business of Financial Assurance Company Limited (pursuant to Part VII of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) |
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Slaughter and May |
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CONTENTS
Schedules
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