HC Deb 22 November 1916 vol 87 cc1498-9

(1) If any firm or individual registered under this Act ceases to carry on business it shall be the duty of the persons who were partners in the firm at the time when it ceased to carry on business or of the individual or if he is dead his personal representative, within three months after the business has ceased to be carried on, to send by post or deliver to the registrar' notice in the prescribed form that the firm or individual has ceased to carry on business, and if any person whose duty it is to give such notice fails to do so within such time as aforesaid, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not ex-ceding twenty pounds.

(2) On receipt of such a notice as aforesaid the registrar may remove the firm or individual from the register.

(3) Where the registrar has reasonable cause to believe that any firm or individual registered under this Act is not carrying on business he may send to the firm or individual by registered post a notice that, unless an answer is received to such notice within one month from the date thereof, the firm or individual will be removed from the register.

(4) If the registrar either receives an answer from the firm or individual to the effect that the firm or individual is not carrying on business or does not within one month after sending the notice receive an answer, he may remove the firm or individual from the register.

Mr. DENNISS

I beg to leave out Subsection (3): Where the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe that any firm or individual registered under this Act is not carrying on business he may send to the firm or individual by registered post a notice that unless an answer is received to such notice within one month from the date thereof, the firm or individual will be removed from the register I have put down this Amendment in order to elicit an answer from the Government on a point which I wish to raise. The offices are in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. The words used in the Sub-section are that the firm or individual "will be removed," and in the next Clause the word is that you "may" do it. It seems to me that it is not quite the right thing to tell them that you will remove them from the register, and then afterwards not remove them at all. The object of the Act is not to remove them from the register at all, but as far as possible leave everybody on the register.

Mr. PRETYMAN

The words of the Subsection are "will remove."

Mr. DENNISS

And in the next Section you say "may." I think if you make the word "may" instead of "will" it would be better. Perhaps you will consider that.

Mr. PRETYMAN

Yes, we will consider that.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Question, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," put and agreed to.