22.3.1
the service of any exercise notice pursuant to Rule 11.2; and
22.3.2
the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action, or where applicable, any arbitration or other method of dispute resolution.
23
ADMINSTRATION AND AMENDMENT
23.1
The Board shall direct the administration the Plan.
23.2
The Board may amend the Plan from time to time, but:
23.2.1
the Board may not amend a Key Feature if the effect would be that the Plan would no longer be a Schedule 3 SAYE option scheme. If the Board amends a Key Feature, the Company shall make a declaration under paragraph 40B of Schedule 3 that the Plan continues to meet the requirements of Parts 2 to 7 of Schedule 3;
23.2.2
while Shares are admitted to the Official List maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority, the Board may not make any amendment to the advantage of Option Holders if that amendment relates to:
(a)
the definition of Eligible Employee;
(b)
Rule 12;
(c)
an Option Holder’s maximum entitlement; or
(d)
the basis for determining an Option Holder’s entitlement to, and the terms of Shares or any other benefit to be provided and for the adjustment thereof (if any) if there is a capitalisation issue, rights issue or open offer, sub-division or consolidation of shares or reduction of capital or any other variation of capital;
without the prior approval of shareholders in general meeting (except for minor amendments to benefit the administration of the Plan, to take account of a change in legislation or to obtain or maintain favourable tax, exchange control or regulatory treatment for Option Holders or for an Eligible Company).
23.3
The Board may establish further savings-related share option plans to operate in overseas territories (overseas plans) that are governed by rules similar to the rules of the Plan, but modified to take account of applicable tax, social security, employment, company, exchange control, trust or securities (or any other relevant) law, regulation or practice, provided that:
23.3.1
all overseas plans are subject to the limitation on awards set out in Rule 12;
23.3.2
only employees of Eligible Companies who are resident in (or otherwise subject to the tax laws of) the relevant territory are entitled to benefit under any overseas plan; and
23.3.3
no employee has an entitlement to awards under any overseas plan greater than the maximum entitlement of an Eligible Employee under the Plan.
23.4
The cost of establishing and operating the Plan will be borne by the Constituent Companies in proportions determined by the Board.
23.5
The Company must ensure that, in order to satisfy the exercise of all Options, at all times:
23.5.1
it has sufficient unissued or treasury Shares available; or
23.5.2
arrangements are in place for any third party to transfer issued Shares,
to satisfy the exercise of all the Options.
23.6
Any decision under the Plan, and whether to consider making such a decision, shall be entirely at the discretion of the Board.
23.7
The Board will determine any question of interpretation and settle any dispute arising under the Plan. In such matters the Board’s decision will be final.