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Companies Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 80. Amendments Nos. 80, 109 to112, 158, 181 to184, 206, 207, 632 to 642 and 895 to 897 form a package of amendments requiring a company to make available for inspection various registers and records. This issue was raised in the context of the register of directors. Under the Companies Act, this must be made available for inspection at the company’s registered office. The amendments recognise both that any increased flexibility as to places of inspection should apply to other registers and records to which there is a statutory right of inspection, and that there need to be safeguards against abuse. This package of amendments meets those concerns by providing a power for regulations to specify alternatives to a company’s registered office as the place where specified registers and records are to be made available for inspection. Amendments Nos. 86 to 93 combine provisions that have been in the Bill from the outset in relation to overseas branch registers with a restatement of relevant provisions from the 1985 Act. There is no change in substance. The other amendments in the group are minor and technical changes to improve the clarity and efficacy of the Bill. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 80.—(Lord McKenzie of Luton.) On Question, Motion agreed to.