Paragraph 21

if any person obtains control of a company whose shares are scheme shares as a result of making a general offer falling within paragraph 15(a)(i) or (ii) above, rights obtained under the scheme to acquire shares in the company may be exercised within six months of the time when the person making the offer has obtained control of the company and any condition subject to which the offer is made has been satisfied;

if under section 425 of the M2Companies Act 1985 or Article 418 of the M3Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (power to compromise with creditors and members) the court sanctions a compromise or arrangement proposed for the purposes of or in connection with a scheme for the reconstruction of a company whose shares are scheme shares or its amalgamation with any other company or companies, rights obtained under the share option scheme to acquire shares in the company may be exercised within six months of the court sanctioning the compromise or arrangement;

if any person becomes bound or entitled, under sections 428 to 430 of that Act of 1985 or Articles 421 to 423 of that Order of 1986 (power to acquire shares of shareholders dissenting from schemes or contract approved by majority), to acquire shares in a company shares in which are scheme shares, rights obtained under the scheme to acquire shares in the company may be exercised at any time when that person remains so bound or entitled;

if a company whose shares are scheme shares passes a resolution for voluntary winding up, rights obtained under a scheme to acquire shares in the company may be exercised within six months of the passing of the resolution; F1. . .

if a person ceases to hold an office or employment by virtue of which he is eligible to participate in the scheme by reason only that—

rights under the scheme held by that person may be exercised within six months of his so ceasing; F2and

if, at the bonus date, a person who has obtained rights under the scheme holds an office or employment in a company which is not a participating company but which is—

those rights may be exercised within six months of that date.

the scheme may permit a person having such rights to take advantage of the provision notwithstanding that under the scheme he would otherwise be unable to exercise those rights after he has ceased to hold the office or employment in question; and

if, before the date on which the alteration takes effect, a person who held such rights on 18th March 1986 ceases, in either of the circumstances set out in sub-paragraph (1)(e) above, to hold an office or employment by virtue of which he was eligible to participate in the scheme, then, so far as concerns the rights so held, the scheme may permit him to take advantage of the provision in question as if the alteration had been made immediately before he ceased to hold that office or employment; and

the application of the provision shall not itself be regarded as the acquisition of a right for the purposes of this Schedule.