House of Commons - Amendments
Company Law Reform Bill [Lords] - continued          House of Commons

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Margaret Hodge

451

Clause 450, page 214, line 4, leave out subsections (2) and (3) and insert—

      ‘(2) A group qualifies as medium-sized in relation to the parent company’s first financial year if the qualifying conditions are met in that year.

      (3) A group qualifies as medium-sized in relation to a subsequent financial year of the parent company—

        (a) if the qualifying conditions are met in that year and the preceding financial year;

        (b) if the qualifying conditions are met in that year and the group qualified as medium-sized in relation to the preceding financial year;

        (c) if the qualifying conditions were met in the preceding financial year and the group qualified as medium-sized in relation to that year.’.


Mr Quentin Davies

356

Clause 453, page 216, line 19, after ‘up’, insert ‘and it must be made clear that this is the case and that the company has not accounted in euros.’.


Margaret Hodge

478

Clause 462, page 221, line 45, leave out from ‘5))’ to end of line 9 on page 222.


Margaret Hodge

479

Clause 467, page 224, line 46, leave out from ‘5))’ to end of line 8 on page 225.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
Justine Greening

497

Clause 485, page 234, line 4, leave out ‘;’ and insert ‘, and’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire
Justine Greening

368

Clause 493, page 237, line 26, after ‘name,’, insert ‘or in the name by which he practises,’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire
Justine Greening

369

Clause 495, page 238, line 7, after ‘auditor’, insert ‘or (when the auditor is a sole practitioner) the name by which he practises,’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
Justine Greening

362

Clause 497, page 239, line 3, leave out ‘knowingly or recklessly’ and insert ‘dishonestly or fraudulently’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
Justine Greening

363

Clause 497, page 239, line 5, leave out ‘misleading,’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
Justine Greening

364

Clause 497, page 239, line 7, leave out ‘knowingly or recklessly’ and insert ‘dishonestly or fraudulently’.


Margaret Hodge

480

Clause 500, page 240, line 32, leave out subsections (1) and (2) and insert—

      ‘(1) The members of a company may remove an auditor from office at any time.

      (2) This power is exercisable only—

        (a) by ordinary resolution at a meeting, and

        (b) in accordance with section 501 (special notice of resolution to remove auditor).’.


Margaret Hodge

481

Clause 515, page 249, line 14, leave out from ‘audit’ to end of line 16 and insert ‘—

          (i) the Secretary of State, or

          (ii) if the Secretary of State has delegated functions under section 881 to a body whose functions include receiving the notice in question, that body;’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire
Justine Greening

370

Clause 522, page 252, line 10, leave out ‘directly or indirectly’ and insert ‘in any way whatsoever’.


Jim Cousins

269

Clause 525, page 253, line 16, at end insert ‘, and

        ‘(c) must not specify a sum of money as a cap or absolute upper limit on the total liability’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire
Justine Greening

371

Clause 525, page 253, line 30, leave out ‘negative’ and insert ‘affirmative’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire
Justine Greening

372

Clause 528, page 255, line 2, leave out ‘negative’ and insert ‘affirmative’.


Margaret Hodge

452

Clause 648, page 318, line 13, leave out ‘has been authorised by the Panel and’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

526

* Clause 648, page 318, line 15, leave out paragraph (a).


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

525

* Clause 653, page 321, line 17, after ‘bid’, insert ‘(but not including any person making the bid as agent)’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

527

* Clause 653, page 321, line 39, leave out subsection (6).


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

462

Clause 668, page 328, line 26, leave out ‘in value of all the voting shares’ and insert ‘of the capital carrying voting rights’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

463

Clause 668, page 328, line 34, leave out ‘in value of all the voting shares’ and insert ‘of the capital carrying voting rights’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

464

Clause 671, page 330, line 37, leave out paragraph (a).


Margaret Hodge

520

Page 333, line 42, leave out Clause 675.


Margaret Hodge

522

Page 468, line 1, leave out Schedule 3.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

503

Clause 530, page 255, line 42, after ‘securities’, insert ‘or warrants, options or convertible debt that may confer an entitlement on the holder to acquire securities’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

501

Clause 530, page 256, line 6, leave out ‘six’ and insert ‘three’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

504

Clause 530, page 256, line 10, leave out ‘it acts’ and insert ‘the directors act’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

505

Clause 530, page 256, line 12, leave out ‘it undertakes’ and insert ‘the directors undertake’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

502

Clause 530, page 256, line 16, leave out ‘six’ and insert ‘twelve’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

506

Clause 531, page 256, line 26, leave out ‘calculated’ and insert ‘intended’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

508

Clause 531, page 256, line 31, leave out subsection (4) and insert—

      ‘(4) An offer is not regarded as an offer to the public if—

        (a) it is made to fewer than 100 persons,

        (b) it is made on terms allowing the person to whom it is made to renounce his rights, which may only be renounced in favour of a person connected with the company or another person to whom the offer is made, and

        (c) it cannot properly be regarded, in all circumstances, as being intended to result, directly or indirectly, in securities of the company becoming available to persons other than those receiving the offer or persons not already connected with the company.

      (4A) The Secretary of State may by regulations specify other conditions applicable to an offer which, to the extent satisfied, would result in an offer not being deemed to be an offer to the public for the purposes of this section.

      (4B) Any such regulations, as set out in subsection (4A), shall be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

515

Clause 531, page 256, line 31, leave out subsection (4) and insert—

      ‘(4) A person does not contravene section 530(1) if—

        (a) the offer is made to or directed at qualified investors only;

        (b) the offer is made to or directed at fewer than 100 persons, other than qualified investors, per EEA State;

        (c) the minimum consideration which may be paid by any person for transferable securities acquired by him pursuant to the offer is at least 50,000 euros (or an equivalent amount);

        (d) the transferable securities being offered are denominated in amounts of at least 50,000 euros (or equivalent amounts); or

        (e) the total consideration for the transferable securities being offered cannot exceed 100,000 euros (or an equivalent amount).

      (4A) Where—

        (a) a person who is not a qualified investor (“the client”) has engaged a qualified investor falling within Article 2.1(e)(i) of the prospectus directive to act as his agent, and

        (b) the terms on which the qualified investor is engaged enable him to make decisions concerning the acceptance of offers of transferable securities on the client’s behalf without reference to the client,

      an offer made to or directed at the qualified investor is not to be regarded for the purposes of subsection (4) as also having been made to or directed at the client.

      (4B) For the purposes of subsection (4)(b), the making of an offer of transferable securities to—

        (a) trustees of a trust,

        (b) members of a partnership in their capacity as such, or

        (c) two or more persons jointly,

      is to be treated as the making of an offer to a single person.

      (4C) In determining whether subsection (4)(e) is satisfied in relation to an offer (“offer A”), offer A is to be taken together with any other offer of transferable securities of the same class made by the same person which—

        (a) was open at any time within the period of 12 months ending with the date on which offer A is first made; and

        (b) had previously satisfied subsection (4)(e).

      (4D) For the purposes of this section, an amount (in relation to an amount denominated in euros) is an “equivalent amount” if it is an amount of equal value denominated wholly or partly in another currency or unit of account.

      (4E) The equivalent is to be calculated at the latest practicable date before (but in any event not more than 3 working days before) the date on which the offer is first made.’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

507

Clause 531, page 256, line 31, leave out subsection (4).

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

348

Clause 531, page 256, line 44, after ‘member’, insert ‘, director’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

509

Clause 532, page 257, line 20, after ‘creditor’, insert ‘(of more than £5,000)’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

510

Clause 533, page 257, line 23, leave out subsection (1).

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

511

Clause 533, page 257, line 37, leave out paragraph (b).

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

512

Clause 533, page 257, line 37, at end insert ‘or

        ‘(c) a decision that in the interests of justice no further action be taken’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

513

Clause 538, page 259, line 24, leave out ‘£50,000’ and insert ‘the sterling equivalent of 25,000 euros’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

514

Clause 538, page 259, line 24, at end insert ‘, or an equivalent amount in another currency calculated by reference to the appropriate exchange rate prevailing on, or on such date as the company may select being not more than 28 days preceding—

        (a) for the purposes of section 91, the date of the relevant special resolution under section 90,

        (b) for the purposes of section 536 and 537, the date of the application for a certificate under section 536, or

        (c) for the purposes of section 139 of the Companies Act 1985 (cl. 6) (public company reducing capital below authorised minimum), the date of the relevant court order under section 138 of that Act (registration of order and minute of reduction)’.


Margaret Hodge

108

Clause 542 , page 261, line 39, leave out ‘alters’ and insert ‘amends’.


Margaret Hodge

517

Page 260, line 6, leave out Clauses 540 to 555.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

529

* Clause 554, page 267, line 3, leave out ‘conditions are’ and insert ‘condition is’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

530

* Clause 554, page 267, line 8, leave out ‘conditions are’ and insert ‘condition is that’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

528

* Clause 554, page 267, line 10, leave out paragraph (b).

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

532

* Clause 554, page 267, line 12, at end insert ‘or

          (iii) the amount or rate approved by members,’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

531

* Clause 554, page 267, line 13, leave out ‘less’ and insert ‘least’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

465

Clause 558, page 268, line 37, after ‘capital’, insert ‘or convert shares into shares of a different class provided this does not constitute any variation of rights attached to the shares so converted.’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

466

Clause 558, page 269, line 27, at end add—

      ‘(6) Any conversion of rights pursuant to subsection (3)(a) shall not constitute a variation of the rights attached to the shares in question and rights attached to such shares will only be varied in accordance with sections 125 and 125A of the Companies Act 1985 (c. 6).’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

467

Clause 560, page 270, line 14, after ‘up’, insert ‘or treated as paid up’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

468

Clause 564, page 272, line 12, at end insert ‘and any other restrictions, whether more or less onerous than the restrictions set out in this section, on the variation of rights.’.

Margaret Hodge

109

Clause 564 , page 272, line 20, leave out ‘alteration’ and insert ‘amendment’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

469

Clause 564, page 272, line 27, at end add—

      ‘(7) Nothing in this section affects a company’s power to vary the rights attaching to shares under section 125(2) of the Companies Act 1985 (c. 6) where the company has already obtained the requisite consent under section 125(2)(a) or convened the general meeting under section 125(2)(b).’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

470

Clause 565, page 272, line 38, at end insert ‘and to any other restrictions, whether more or less onerous than the restriction specified in this section, on the variation of the rights.’.

Margaret Hodge

110

Clause 565 , page 273, line 3, leave out ‘alteration’ and insert ‘amendment’.


Mr Quentin Davies

357

Clause 570, page 275, line 22, leave out ‘private’.


Mr Quentin Davies

358

Clause 571, page 276, line 8, leave out ‘private’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

349

Clause 574, page 279, line 30, after ‘person’, insert ‘(other than the company itself)’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

354

Clause 574, page 279, line 31, after ‘subsidiaries’, insert ‘incorporated in the United Kingdom’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

350

Clause 574, page 279, line 35, after ‘person’, insert ‘(other than the company itself)’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

355

Clause 574, page 279, line 39, after ‘subsidiaries’, insert ‘incorporated in the United Kingdom’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

471

Clause 574, page 280, leave out lines 6 to 15.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

472

Clause 574, page 280, line 11, leave out ‘twelve’ and insert ‘six’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

351

Clause 574, page 280, line 18, after ‘person’, insert ‘(other than the company itself)’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

352

Clause 574, page 280, line 24, after ‘person’, insert ‘(other than the company itself)’.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

324

Clause 574, page 280, line 44, at end insert—

      ‘(6) It is not unlawful, by reason only of any rule of law relating to maintenance of capital, for a private company to give financial assistance directly or indirectly for the purpose of an acquisition of shares in its capital or in the capital of its holding company or to give any such financial assistance of the kind referred to in subsection (2) of section 151 where the acquisition in question is an acquisition of shares in the company or its holding company, provided that either—

        (a) the company has net assets which are not thereby reduced and which are not less than the aggregate of its paid up share capital, share premium account and capital redemption reserve (if any), or

        (b) to the extent that the net assets of the company are thereby reduced the assistance is either provided out of distributable profits or is authorised as a reduction of capital in accordance with sections 135 to 139.

      (7) In this section “net assets” has the meaning ascribed by section 154(2).’.


Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Crispin Blunt
James Brokenshire

325

Clause 575, page 281, line 23, at end insert—

      ‘(3A) In subsection (3), after paragraph (g) insert—

        “(h) the payment of a commission which is permitted by the Companies Acts,

        (i) indemnities given in connection with any issue of shares (whether in respect of defaults by the company itself or in respect of defaults by third parties and including indemnities in respect of losses arising in connection with activities carried out as a broker, underwriter, placing agent, adviser or sponsor to an issue),

        (j) representations or warranties given by a company in connection with any issue of shares in its capital,

        (k) the payment of any fees or other costs, charges or expenses by a company in connection with an issue of shares in its capital.”.’.


 
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Prepared: 13 July 2006