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Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

In moving the amendment I should have referred to my Amendment No. 301DZJ, which deals with ratification, which the Minister touched on. It is appropriate to speak to that amendment now. As I believe the Committee is aware, the Companies Act 1985, which we are currently operating under, contains a provision that prevents ratification of political donations and expenditure. I understand from consultation and from what the Minister has just said that that is not the Government’s intention. The intention is that unauthorised political donations or expenditure can now be ratified under the Bill. In the light of the change in the law, would it not be better to include a specific authority for ratification rather than just being silent on the matter, especially bearing in mind that the previous Act prohibited ratification? Silence might be unfortunate. It might be better to insert a clause which confirms that ratification is possible.