s 444 Use of Internet websites by relevant officeholder
444.—(1) A relevant officeholder required to give, deliver or send a document to any person may (other than in a case where personal service is required) satisfy that requirement by sending that person a notice —(a) stating that the document is available for viewing and downloading on an Internet website; (b) specifying the address of that Internet website together with any password necessary to view and download the document from that site; and (c) containing a statement that the person to whom the notice is given, delivered or sent may request a hard copy of the document and that specifies an electronic address to which a request for hard copy may be sent. (2) Where a notice is sent under subsection (1), the document to which the notice relates must —(a) be available on the Internet website for a period of not less than 3 months after the date on which the notice is sent; and (b) must be in such a format as to enable the document to be downloaded from the Internet website within a reasonable time of an electronic request being made for the document to be downloaded. (3) Where a hard copy of the document is requested, it must be sent within 7 days of the receipt of the request by the relevant officeholder. (4) A relevant officeholder must not, unless provided otherwise by regulations, require a person making a request under subsection (3) to pay a fee for the supply of the document. (5) Where a document is given, delivered or sent to a person by means of an Internet website in accordance with this section, it is deemed to have been delivered at the later of the following times:(a) the time when the document was first made available on the Internet website; (b) the time when the notice under subsection (1) was delivered to that person.