§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list all the Acts which require companies to disclose information, together with the requirements of each Act.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisI do not have responsibility for all the Acts which require companies to disclose information. Under the Companies Acts 1948 to 1976 and the European Communities Act 1972 a company is required to file with the Registrar of Companies information about its activities. The information to be provided includes the company's memorandum and articles of association, together with particulars of the registered office, directors and secretary, directors' interests, mortgages, debentures or other charges on the company's assets, directors' report, annual accounts and notices relating to winding-up or the appointment of a receiver or manager.
Under the Registration of Business Names Act 1916 as amended by the Companies Act 1947 a company must file particulars with the Registrar of Business Names of all names under which the company trades other than its own.
The Statistics of Trade Act 1947 requires companies to provide information to my Department for the compilation of statistics, but information relating to individual companies is not disclosed publicly.