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Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that explanation, which, I fear, has not taken us much further forward than the point that we reached in Grand Committee. The Minister said that to allow information to be disclosed to overseas bodies not similar to a public nature in the UK would contravene the spirit of the Act. I have never known the spirit of Acts acting as a practical restraint when power came to be used. There is no jurisprudence on the spirit of legislation, as far as I understand it. The Minister has said again that he cannot predict how the power could be used and invites us merely to rest on the negative procedure, which is the weakest. There are various issues about the disclosure of information that we will want to clarify with the Minister between now and Third Reading. I must say that we are not entirely happy; but that is not the only area in which we are not entirely happy about the clauses. I seek further clarification, but, in the meantime, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 278 and 279 not moved.]