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Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

I am grateful to my noble friend for that very practical example. I will leave the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, to pursue his question on his own. I hope that the Minister will listen to some of the practical implications that we on this side of the Committee have raised today. As has been the thrust in so much of our discussions in the past one-and-a-half hours, what does that mean practically for the operations of a business? We are trying to make the UK a good place to do business. All these bits and pieces where you can get tripped up cannot help that. I accept what the noble Lord, Lord Sainsbury, said in his opening remarks at Second Reading about the thrust behind the Bill. We share that thrust. Such traps for the unwary run exactly counter to what he, quite rightly, put forward as the thrust behind the Bill as a whole. Although I shall withdraw the amendment, I hope that the Government will have a serious look at it, not because we want people to get around the provision, but because we want to make the operation of the Bill as simple, workmanlike and practical for British companies as possible. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 301CD not moved.] Clause 343 agreed to. Clause 344 [Enforcement of directors’ liabilities by shareholder action]: [Amendment No. 301CE not moved.] Clause 344 agreed to. Clauses 345 and 346 agreed to. Clause 347 [Trade unions]: [Amendment No. 301CF not moved.] Clause 347 agreed to. Clause 348 [Subscription for membership of trade association]: [Amendments Nos. 301D and 301DZA not moved.] Clause 348 agreed to. Clauses 349 and 350 agreed to. Clause 351 [Donations not amounting to more than £5,000 in any twelve month period]: