§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies went into voluntary liquidation (a) because they had ceased trading and (b) because they had been purchased as off the shelf and were no longer required, for each year since 1979 to the latest available date.
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§ Mr. FletcherThe total number of companies in Great Britain which notified their voluntary liquidation in each year was as follows:
Year 1979 6,899 1980 8,411 1981 9,991 1982 12,809 1983 12,908 1984 12,718 No records are maintained to identify the reasons for such liquidations.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies were compulsorily wound up for reasons of non-compliance with statutory documentation for each year since 1979 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. FletcherNone. A significant number of companies were removed from the register in each year, however, under the provisions of section 353 of the Companies Act 1948*, where the registrar had reason to believe that they were no longer in business or in operation; such action normally follows failure by the companies concerned to respond to reminder letters in respect of outstanding statutory documents. The numbers struck-off on this basis in each year for Great Britain are as follows:
Year 1979 18,734 1980 21,135 1981 23,245 1982 47,861 1983 35,172 1984 44,451 * now sections 652 and 653 of the Companies Act 1985