Results of Court Meeting and General Meeting
United Utilities PLC
Recommended proposals relating to the introduction of United Utilities Group
PLC as the holding company of United Utilities PLC and for the Return of
Capital of approximately £1.5 billion to Shareholders
Results of Court Meeting and General Meeting
1 July 2008
United Utilities PLC (the "Company") announces that at the meeting convened
pursuant to an order of the High Court and held earlier today (the "Court
Meeting") and at the subsequent general meeting (the "General Meeting") to
approve the scheme of arrangement and other related matters, all resolutions
received the necessary majorities and were accordingly approved. At the General
Meeting shareholders also approved the operation of new share schemes by United
Utilities Group.
Under the scheme of arrangement, shares in the Company will be cancelled and
then issued to United Utilities Group PLC ("United Utilities Group"), a new
holding company. Shareholders will receive 17 United Utilities Group Ordinary
Shares for every 22 United Utilities Shares and one B Share in United Utilities
Group for each United Utilities Share.
The full results of the meetings are summarised below and will shortly be
available on the Company's website at: http://www.unitedutilities.com
Expected Timetable of Key Events
24 July 2008 Court hearing of the claim form to sanction the Scheme and
confirm the capital reduction of United Utilities
11:00 a.m. 25 United Utilities Annual General Meeting
July 2008
25 July 2008 Scheme Record Date
28 July 2008 Scheme Effective Date
8:00 a.m. 28 Delisting of United Utilities Shares, Admission of United
July 2008 Utilities Group Ordinary Shares and dealings in United Utilities
Group Ordinary Shares commence on the London Stock Exchange's
main market for listed securities
30 July 2008 Court hearing to confirm the United Utilities Group Reduction of
Capital
31 July 2008 United Utilities Group Reduction of Capital becomes effective
8 August 2008 Payment of the United Utilities Final Dividend
By 19 August Despatch of cheques or crediting of CREST/mandated bank accounts
2008 in relation to B Share Dividend and Initial B Share Redemption
14 April 2009 Final B Share Redemption
This timetable is based on the Board's expectations and may be subject to
change.
Documents Available for Inspection
Copies of the resolutions passed at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting
have been submitted to the United Kingdom Listing Authority (the "UKLA") and
will shortly be available for viewing at the UKLA's Document Viewing Facility
which is situated at the following address: Financial Services Authority, 25
The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HS.
For Further Information
Equiniti Limited, United Utilities' registrars 0871 384 2898/+44 121 415
0269
Tim Weller, Chief Financial Officer, United +44 (0) 1925 237000
Utilities
Gaynor Kenyon, Communications Director, United +44 (0) 1925 237000
Utilities
Darren Jameson, Head of Investor Relations, +44 (0) 1925 237000
United Utilities
Dominic Fry/Tom Murray, Tulchan Communications +44 (0) 20 7353 4200
Result of the Court Meeting
The voting of those members who cast votes either in person or by proxy on the
resolution to approve the Scheme at the Court Meeting is summarised below:
For: 285,869,607 Against: 1,463,842 Total votes cast:
287,333,449
Result of the General Meeting
All resolutions proposed at the General Meeting were duly passed and the result
of the poll is shown below. At the record date for the meeting the total number
of voting rights in the Company stood at 881,754,345 and the total United
Utilities Shares in issue were 881,754,345. Proxy appointments were received,
by 11:15 a.m. on 29 June 2008, from shareholders of 284,829,024 United
Utilities Shares.
Resolutions (No. as noted Votes For Votes Against Votes Withheld
on proxy form)
1. Scheme of arrangement 283,662,380 1,230,966 263,658
and other related
matters
2. Establishment by 282,641,121 1,908,575 582,890
United Utilities Group
PLC of the United
Utilities Group 2008
Savings-Related Share
Option Scheme and the
United Utilities Group
2008 Share Incentive
Plan
3. Establishment by 276,319,992 5,257,731 3,571,665
United Utilities Group
PLC of the United
Utilities Group 2008
Performance Share
Plan, the United
Utilities Group 2008
International Plan and
the United Utilities
Group 2008 Matching
Share Award Plan
4. Establishment by 282,441,470 1,945,298 772,701
United Utilities Group
PLC of additional
share schemes to those
mentioned in
resolutions 2 and 3
for the benefit of
overseas employees of
United Utilities Group
PLC and its
subsidiaries
Notes
1. Terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to
them in the scheme circular sent by the Company to its shareholders dated 6
June 2008.
2. No United Utilities Group Ordinary Shares or B Shares have been marketed
to, nor are any available for purchase by, the public in the United Kingdom
or elsewhere in connection with the Admission. This announcement does not
constitute an offer or form part of any offer or invitation to purchase,
subscribe for, sell or issue, or a solicitation of any offer to purchase,
subscribe for, sell or issue United Utilities Group Ordinary Shares, B
Shares or any other securities in United Utilities or United Utilities
Group. This announcement does not constitute a prospectus equivalent
document.
3. Overseas Shareholders may be affected by the laws of other jurisdictions in
relation to the Proposals or the distribution of this announcement. Persons
into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves
about and observe any applicable restrictions and legal, exchange control
or regulatory requirements in relation to the Proposals, the distribution
of this announcement and the Prospectus. Any failure to comply with such
restrictions or requirements may constitute a violation of the securities
laws of any such jurisdiction.
INFORMATION FOR US SHAREHOLDERS
4. Neither the United Utilities Group Ordinary Shares nor the B Shares will
be, and are not required to be, registered with the US Securities and
Exchange Commission under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in
reliance of the exemption from registration provided by Section 3(a)(10)
thereof. Neither the SEC nor any other US federal or state securities
commission or regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the United
Utilities Group Ordinary Shares or the B Shares or passed an opinion on the
adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offence in the United States.
This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States.
Neither the United Utilities Group Ordinary Shares nor the B Shares to be
issued to Shareholders in connection with the Scheme have been, will be, nor
are required to be, registered with the SEC under the US Securities Act, in
reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the US
Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of that act. For the purpose of
qualifying for the exemption from the registration requirements of the US
Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of that act with respect to the
United Utilities Group Ordinary Shares and the B Shares issued pursuant to the
Scheme, United Utilities will advise the Court that it will rely on Section 3
(a)(10) exemption based on the Court's sanctioning of the Scheme, which will be
relied upon by United Utilities as an approval of the Scheme following a
hearing on its fairness to Shareholders at which hearing all such Shareholders
will be entitled to attend in person or through counsel to support or oppose
the sanctioning of the Scheme and with respect to which notification has been
or will be given to all such Shareholders.
5. United Utilities PLC has received advice in relation to the Proposals from
Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and JPMorgan Cazenove Limited. Deutsche
Bank, which is authorised under German Banking Law (competent authority:
BaFin-Federal Financial Supervising Authority) and with respect to UK
commodity derivatives business by the Financial Services Authority and
regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of UK
business and JPMorgan Cazenove, which is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, are jointly acting as
sponsors and financial advisers for United Utilities and United Utilities
Group and no-one else in connection with the Proposals and will not be
responsible to anyone other than United Utilities and United Utilities
Group for providing protections afforded to clients of Deutsche Bank and
JPMorgan Cazenove respectively or providing advice in relation to the
Proposals or any other matters described in this announcement.
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