§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many prosecutions have been initiated by 437W his Department against companies for failing to register their accounts in each year since 1958; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaudeThe available information, which relates mainly to prosecutions of directors rather than companies, is as follows:
Prosecutions initiated for failure to file1 Year Annual returns/accounts2 1958 653 1959 514 1960 687 1961 652 1962 620 1963 751 1964 1,041 1965 1,249 1966 865 1967 732 1968 151 1969 146 1970 284 1971 517 1972 731 1973 3,355 1974 2,201 1975 2,635 1976 4,483 1977 2,589
Year Accounts Annual returns 1978 818 2,245 1979 3,103 1,933 1980 2,290 1,430 1981 1,952 1,270 1982 1,886 1,442 1983 1,920 1,494 1984 2,928 2,190 1985 4,409 3,019 1986 5,160 3,359 1986–873 5,454 3,503 1987–883 5,339 2,868 1 Prosecutions for failure to deliver accounts can be initiated only against individual directors. Prosecutions for failure to deliver annual returns can be initiated against companies and/or their officers. The majority of prosecutions are, however, initiated against individual directors. 2 Until 1978, when the separate filing provisions for accounts and annual returns contained in the Companies Act 1976 began to take effect, accounts were required to be annexed to the annual return. There was no separate offence of failure to deliver accounts. 3 Figures are now produced on a financial year basis.