§ Mr. Wakehamasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether his Department intends to take legal action against businesses which are trading in names other than those of the proprietors and which are not registered with the Registrar of Business Names during and immediately following the period when the Registrar of Business Names is not processing applications for the registration of a business name;
(2) when the processing of applications for the registration of a business name at 656W the Registrar of Business Names will recommence;
(3) what action he has taken to recommence the processing of applications for the registration of a business name at the Registry of Business Names;
(4) how many applications for the registration of a business name are currently being received by the Registrar of Business Names;
(5) how many applications for the registration of a business name are currently awaiting processing at the Registry of Business Names;
(6) why the Registrar of Business Names has stopped processing new applications for the registration of business names;
(7) when the Registrar of Business Names stopped processing new applications for the registration of business names.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisThe Registrar of Business Names has not stopped processing new applications for registration. They are being received at the rate of 3,000 a week, which represents a 40 per cent. increase over the corresponding period in 1975. Priority is normally given to new registrations over all other commitments, but during recent weeks resources have been diverted to meet arrears which had accumulated elsewhere. As a result there is a backlog of 14,000 new applications. In this situation we are reviewing the adequacy of the staffing of the Registry. It is not the Registrar's usual practice to commence default proceedings against the proprietors of businesses after they have applied for registration.
§ Mr. Sandelsonasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has yet reached a decision on the proposal to close the Registry of Business Names.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisAs I have already told the House, one of the options under consideration, as part of the Government's programme for achieving economies within the Civil Service, was the introduction of legislation to repeal the Registration of Business Names Act 1916. Before proceeding, however, letters were sent to all significant users of the services provided by the registry to seek their views. The great majority of respondents 657W argued strongly for continuation of the register, particularly as a protection against fraud. Accordingly, we have decided, as an alternative, to introduce amending legislation as soon as the parliamentary situation permits to enable fees charged by the registry to be increased to cover fully its costs of administration.