§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies failed to lodge annual accounts for the financial year 1986–87; and how many prosecutions took place as a result.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 29 November 1989]: The chief executive of Companies House tells me that information is not available in the form requested. However, 130,000 companies in England and Wales had not filed their latest accounts at 30 June 1988. These accounts related mostly to financial years ending between September 1986 and August 1987.
Companies House seeks to achieve compliance primarily by means of reminders to companies before they 350W are due to file and warning letters after companies have gone into default. These measures are supplemented by publicity aimed at directors and professional advisers.
Companies House's present policy is to prosecute only when other methods of obtaining statutory documents have failed. In the year ending 31 March 1989, there were 4,543 prosecutions for failure to deliver accounts. Some, but by no means all, of these prosecutions would relate to accounts for 1986–87.