§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many companies are two years late in filing their company returns; and against how many of them legal proceedings have been instituted.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisComplete information in the precise form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Nevertheless, in mid-March of this year over 71,000 returns relating to 1975–14 per cent. of the total—had not been lodged; for 1976 the corresponding figures were about 156,000 and 31 per cent., respectively. All cases in which companies are in default on the filing of annual returns are considered for possible prosecution; some 2,500 prosecutions were initiated in 1975 and 4,500 in 1976.