National Consumer Council (Hansard, 17 October 1994)

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much grant was given to the National Consumer council for each year since 1987.
166W
recommendations made to me by the Registrar of Companies.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date statutory filing fees at Companies House were reduced; what consultation he has had with his opposite number in the Commission of the European Union in relation to the level of charges for statutory filing; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
The new lower fees apply with effect from 1 October 1994. The details and transitional arrangements are set out in the Companies (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994 No. 2217), and the European Economic Interest Grouping (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994 No. 2327). No consultations have taken place with the European Commission.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the gross percentage year-on-year change in the level of statutory filing fees at Companies House and its net change after deduction of retail price index inflation for each of the past 10 years.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
The main filing fees are for the registration of a new company, the change of name of an existing company, and a company's annual return. There were no changes in these fees in the years between 1975 and 1990, or between 1991 and 1994. Comparisons for each year separately are not therefore appropriate. Fee levels and date changes were introduced as follows.

Date of change Incorporation £ Name Change £ Annual Return £

October 1994 20 20 18

July 1991 50 50 32

July 1990 50 40 25

June 1975 50 40 20

The RPI increase in the ten years to September 1994, the latest month for which data is available, was 61 per cent. This compares with fee changes as follows.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
The following table gives the grant-in-aid paid in each year since 1987 to the National Consumer Council:

Year Grant (£)

1987–88 1,800,651

1988–89 1,843,097

1989–90 1,991,334

1990–91 2,225,599

1991–92 2,559,129

1992–93 2,929,827

1993–94 3,138,741

Note:
Figures include DTI contribution to NCC staff pension fund.
Source
National Consumer Council Annual Reports 1987/88–1993/94.

Date of change	Incorporation £	Name Change £	Annual Return £
October 1994	20	20	18
July 1991	50	50	32
July 1990	50	40	25
June 1975	50	40	20

Year	Grant (£)
1987–88	1,800,651
1988–89	1,843,097
1989–90	1,991,334
1990–91	2,225,599
1991–92	2,559,129
1992–93	2,929,827
1993–94	3,138,741