Company Law Reform Bill

I am obviously also in favour of what my noble friend Lord Freeman said. I have some personal experience of this too, and I have for some years been trying to get something of this nature into Companies House registrations, so I am delighted and I very strongly welcome this chapter. When I was a Minister, my address was made available when the security authorities were saying that you should not make your address available at all. Particularly in relation to nomination forms for standing at elections, there was a real loophole, and I was adversely affected as a result, so I feel strongly about this issue. As my noble friend and the noble Lord, Lord Sharman, said, with the arrival of political activists and animal welfare extremists, it is important. I cannot therefore understand why Clause 219(4)(b) and the other points dealt with in Amendments Nos. 230A and 231 are in the Bill. It is not just a case of those who are directly affected; I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Sharman, and others know of other instances. I know of directors in companies which you would not think had anything to do with those activist areas who have been threatened quite seriously. It is becoming a widespread issue. It is a very strong protection, and it would be helpful if the Bill could be amended to remove what looks like a loophole that undermines it.