If the Secretary of State so directs at any time before the successor company ceases to be wholly owned by the Crown, such sum (not exceeding the accumulated realised profits of the Corporation) as may be specified in the direction shall be carried by the successor company to a reserve (in this section referred to as "the statutory reverse ").
The statutory reserve may only be applied by the successor company in paying up unissued shares of the company to be allotted to members of the company as fully paid bonus shares.
Notwithstanding subsection (2) above, the statutory reserve shall not count as an undistributable reserve of the successor company for the purposes of section 831(4)(d) of the Companies Act 2006; but for the purpose of determining under that section whether the successor company may make a distribution at any time any amount for the time being standing to the credit of the statutory reserve shall be treated for the purposes of section 831(4)(c) as if it were unrealised profits of the company.
For the purposes of any statutory accounts of the successor company—
References in this section to the statutory accounts of the successor company are references to any accounts prepared by the successor company for the purposes of any provision of the Companies Act 1985 (including group accounts); and in this section "complete financial year " means a financial year ending with 31st March.