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Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. A180:"Page 322, line 4, leave out subsection (2) and insert—" ““(2)   The regulations— (a)   must, in the case of a company other than a Gibraltar company, require the company to register particulars if the company opens a branch in the United Kingdom, and (b)   may, in the case of a Gibraltar company, require the company to register particulars if the company opens a branch in the United Kingdom, and (c)   may, in any case, require the registration of particulars in such other circumstances as may be specified.”” The noble Lord said: In moving Amendment No. A180, I shall speak to Amendments Nos. A181, A184, A185 and speak in opposition to Amendment No. A182. The government amendment seeks to clarify the meaning of certain terms within Clauses 661, 664 and 665 and to alter the application of Clause 661 as regards Gibraltar companies. Amendment No. A181 inserts a definition of ““branch”” for the purposes of Clause 661. ““Branch”” must have the same meaning as in the 11th company law directive. Section 698 of the Companies Act 1985 achieves the same result by way of a definition, as, indeed, would Amendment No. A182, but in both cases, they use slightly more words. I therefore hope that Amendment No. A182 will not be pressed. I beg to move.