HC Deb 24 October 1972 vol 843 cc249-50W
Mr. Cant

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish an estimate of the percentage of companies which are in arrears with their returns; and what steps his Department are taking both to reduce this figure and increase the number of prosecutions.

Mr. Noble

Overall about one company in three is more than three months late at any one time, although the degree of non-compliance by public companies is a very small proportion of these. As computerisation in Companies House gathers pace, the Registrar will be able to take earlier enforcement action against defaulting companies.

Mr. Cant

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies were prosecuted by his Department under the Companies Acts for failure to send in their returns by the due date in the years 1970, 1971 and 1972 to date, respectively; and what was the average fine.

Mr. Noble

Information about the number of prosecutions under Section 126 of the Companies Act, 1948, is published in the Companies Annual Report. To calculate the average level of fines over the period requested would involve undue expenditure of staff resources.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Pinnock Finance Group (Great Britain) Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;

  1. (2) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Sempah Holdings Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  2. 250
  3. (3) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Hartley Baird Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  4. (4) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Associated Leisure Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  5. (5) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Camp Bird Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  6. (6) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Three Way Nurseries Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  7. (7) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that H. J. Baldwin & Co. Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time;
  8. (8) whether he will give details of the number of occasions, and the dates, when his Department was requested to take action to ensure that Dollar Land Holdings Limited filed its company returns and accounts within the statutory period, and the periods of time that the company was in arrears with its filing of such accounts, for the longest stated periods of time.

Mr. Noble

This information could not be produced without undue expenditure of time and effort.

Back to