Website notification

A website notification is a document sent in either hard copy form or electronic form to a person to whom a document, an announcement or any information is required to be sent, giving such person notice of the publication of the document, announcement or information on a website and providing details of the relevant website.

NOTE ON WEBSITE NOTIFICATION

1. A website notification must be prepared with the highest standards of care and accuracy in accordance with Rule 19.1 and must contain a directors’ responsibility statement in accordance with Rule 19.2. A website notification must contain a summary of the provisions of Rule 8 (see the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk) and must also comply with the other relevant requirements of the Code in relation to the publication of documents, announcements and information.

2. The information in a website notification must be confined to non-controversial information about an offer or a party to an offer and should not include any argument or opinion. A website notification should not include a recommendation to take or not to take any action in relation to, or contain any view on the merits of, an offer except for a factual statement as to whether or not the offer is proceeding with the recommendation of the offeree company board.

3. A party to an offer should not include anything other than acceptance forms, withdrawal forms, proxy cards and other forms connected with an offer in the same envelope as a website notification without the consent of the Panel.

4. A website notification must include the following information in relation to the document, announcement or information to which it relates:

   1. details of the website on which the document, announcement or information is published;

   2. a statement setting out the right of persons to whom the document, announcement or information is sent to receive a copy of the document, announcement or information (and any information incorporated into it by reference to another source) in hard copy form and drawing attention to the fact that such persons will not receive a hard copy unless they so request;

   3. details of how a hard copy may be obtained (including an address in the United Kingdom and a telephone number to which requests for hard copies may be made); and

   4. a statement that the website notification is not a summary of the document, announcement or other information to which it relates and should not be regarded as a substitute for reading the document, announcement or information in full.