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Companies Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 710 to 756. These provisions concern reorganisations, arrangements and reconstructions within a company, and allow some types of merger or demerger to take place. They restate Part XIII of and Schedule 15B to the 1985 Act with only two changes of substance. First, there are amendments concerning orders amending company constitutions that must be filed with the registrar. These are included for consistency with provisions concerning other such orders. Secondly, in the new clause introduced by Amendment No. 751 concerning the independent requirement of experts and valuers, we have taken a power to specify a disallowed connection for the purpose of determining whether a person meetsthe independence requirement. That is consistent with the approach that we have taken in Clauses 327 and 843. We have consulted on the draft clauses and are particularly grateful to the Law Society for its comments. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 710 to 756.—(Lord McKenzie of Luton.) On Question, Motion agreed to.