1369.This section gives the Secretary of State a power to set fees by regulations in relation to any function of the registrar and in relation to the provision of services and facilities incidental to the registrar’s functions. It replaces section 708 of the 1985 Act, but is more specific about the types of things for which fees may be charged, although this list is not exhaustive.
1370.As now, fees relating to the normal statutory obligations of companies under companies legislation are to be set by regulations made by the Secretary of State. It is also possible for fees to be charged for any ad hoc or bespoke services that Companies House provides. The 1985 Act (section 708(5)) provides that the registrar determines fees for services for which there is no direct legal obligation. Subsection (6) of this section replaces this with a more general power for the registrar to determine fees where no fee has been set in regulations by the Secretary of State. Such fees might relate for example to the introduction of new services (e.g. those made possible by new technologies) which could not have been anticipated when the Secretary of State last made fees regulations; or for services such as seminars and road shows which Companies House arranges.