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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. 899. I shall also speak to Amendments Nos. 901 to 910, 998 to 1010, 1012 and 1013. These are essentially drafting improvements to the way in which the company communications provisions in the Bill operate. Government Amendment No. 1013 is the main one to note. It removes Schedule 7, which was inconsistent with the Financial Services Authority's draft transparency rules to implement the transparency directive. Instead, Schedule 6 will apply to all companies, subject to any additional requirements imposed on traded companies by the transparency rules. This simplifies the communications schedules. I understand that there was no time to debate these amendments in another place. I therefore record our thanks to the Opposition for Amendments Nos. 999 and 1004 to Schedules 5 and 6, to which the Government put their name. It is clear that the requirement is for the person to post a prepaid envelope to the company. It is irrelevant whether that person or someone else pays the postage as long as it is not the company having to pay on receipt. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 899.—(Lord Sainsbury of Turville.) On Question, Motion agreed to.