Addresses of directors and secretaries of companies
106.Companies, both those incorporated here and those incorporated overseas with a place of business or branch in this country (oversea companies) are required to provide the Registrar of Companies (Companies House) with certain information about their directors and secretaries (and in the case of oversea companies having a branch here, their permanent representative). Companies incorporated here must do so on incorporation; in every annual return; and when details of the directors etc change. Oversea companies must do so within one month of establishment here and when details of the directors etc change. This information includes the individuals’ usual residential address. The same information has to be recorded in the company’s own register of directors. Any changes in the details, including an address, have to be notified to the company and to Companies House within 14 days. The company’s register must be open for inspection to any member without charge and to any other person on payment of a fee. Companies House is a public registry and anyone can search the information filed. The Act will allow certain directors, etc to be excluded from the provisions in the Companies Act which require their usual residential address to be available for public inspection, and for a service address to be substituted. There will still be an obligation to provide a home address to the company and for the latter to provide it to Companies House, but this information will be kept on a separate and secure register in both places. The home address will be available to public bodies which will be defined in the regulations.