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Companies Bill [Lords]

I am sure other hon. Members are envious of my hon. Friend’s title. ““Great Barking”” or ““Great Burnley”” would suit some of us very well. There seems to be some misunderstanding of what the amendments would do. Amendment No. 761 attempts to provide power to make regulations specifying the conditions with which a service address must comply. Our intention is to require a director of a company to have a service address in the same jurisdiction as the company’s registered office. That is a practical way of ensuring that documents can easily be served by UK residents on any director. My hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) mistakes that. With the duties that will be placed on directors when the Bill is enacted, no one would be able to evade responsibility in the way he suggested.