§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for Trade to what extent he is aware of the level of implementation of the European Community directive that limited companies should be re-classified as public limited companies; and whether he will estimate the costs to companies in getting their notepaper, offices and addresses and so on altered and becoming registered in this manner.
§ Dr. VaughanOnly those limited companies which wished to be able to offer their shares to the public were required, by section 8 of the Companies Act 1980, to reregister as public limited companies. So far, 2,614 companies have re-registered accordingly; no estimates are available of the costs to the companies concerned, but the Act allowed companies which applied for re-registration within the prescribed period, namely by 21 March 1982, a transitional period of 12 months during which old stationery could be used and a transitional period of three years for the change of the name of the company on the outside of its premises. The Act did not affect private companies, which number over 800,000.