In this Act "associate" includes a business associate and otherwise has the meaning given by the following provisions of this section.
A person is an associate of another if he is the spouse or civil partner or a relative of that other or of a business associate of that other.
In subsection (2) above "relative" means brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, lineal ancestor or linear descendant, ... references to a spouse include a former spouse and a reputed spouse, and references to a civil partner include a former civil partner and a reputed civil partner; and for the purposes of this subsection a relationship shall be established as if an illegitimate child or step-child of a person were the legitimate child of the relationship in question .
A body corporate is an associate of another body corporate—
(a) if the same person is a controller of both, or a person is a controller of one and persons who are his associates, or he and persons who are his associates, are controllers of the other; or
(b) if a group of two or more persons is a controller of each company, and the groups either consist of the same persons or could be regarded as consisting of the same persons by treating (in one or more cases) a member of either group as replaced by a person of whom he is an associate.
An unincorporated association is an associate of another unincorporated association if any person—
(a) is an officer of both associations;
(b) has the management or control of the activities of both associations; or
(c) is an officer of one association and has the management or control of the activities of the other association.
A partnership is an associate of another partnership if—
(a) any person is a member of both partnerships; or
(b) a person who is a member of one partnership is an associate of a member of the other partnership; or
(c) a member of one partnership has an associate who is also an associate of a member of the other partnership.