Corporate Social Responsibility

HC Deb 22 May 2003 vol 405 cc900-1W

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to require public limited companies to publish an annual social responsibility report. [114908]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Government's plans for a revised reporting regime for all companies were contained in the White Paper "Modernising Company Law" (Cm 5553), published in July 2002. This included the proposal that economically significant companies should be required to prepare an Operating and Financial Review as part of their annual financial statements and reports. The Review would include information on matters of corporate social responsibility where those were relevant to an informed assessment of the company.

We continue to encourage companies to publish annual corporate social responsibility reports on a voluntary basis.