Committee stage: except clauses 1 to 8, schedules 1 and 2, clauses 9, 10, 69 and 62, schedule 12, clauses 63 to 68 and 83 to 85, schedule 13, clause 86 and any new clauses or new schedules relating to the subject matter of these clauses and schedules. Clauses 156 to 224 agreed to. Schedule 19 agreed to. Clause 225 agreed to as amended. Clauses 226 to 258 agreed to. Schedule 20 agreed to. Schedule 21 agreed to as amended. Schedule 22 agreed to. Amendment to clause 259 negatived on division (6 votes to 11). Clauses 259 to 279 agreed to. New clauses 2, 10, 22, 25 negatived on division (6 votes to 10 respectively). New clause 33, discussed with new clause 35, withdrawn. New clause 34 withdrawn. New clause 36 negatived on division (6 votes to 10). Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 377). Committee rose. Written evidence reported to the House.

Committee stage: except clauses 1 to 8, schedules 1 and 2, clauses 9, 10, 69 and 62, schedule 12, clauses 63 to 68 and 83 to 85, schedule 13, clause 86 and any new clauses or new schedules relating to the subject matter of these clauses and schedules. Clauses 156...

Programme (No. 3) motion. Agreed to on question. Consideration of Lords amendments. Lords amendment 23, amendment (a), considered with further Lords amendments, Government amendments and motions to disagree, and agreed to on division (295 to 205). Lords amendment 23, as amended, agreed to. Lords amendment 151, amendment (a), agreed to on division (297 to 209). Lords amendments 151 and 153, as amended, agreed to. Lords amendment 115 disagreed to. Lords amendment 117, disagreed to on division (294 to 206). Lords amendment 159, disagreed to on division (291 to 209). Lords amendment 161 disagreed to on division (292 to 206) with Government amendment (a) made in lieu and agreed to. Government amendments (a)-(c) made in lieu of Lords amendment 56. Lords amendments 1-22, 24-55, 57-114, 116, 118-150, 152, 1540158, 160 and 162-229 agreed to with Commons financial privileges waived. Motion that a Committee be appointed to draw up Reasons to be assigned to the Lords for disagreeing to their amendments. Agreed to on question. Reasons to be reported and communicated to the Lords.

Programme (No. 3) motion. Agreed to on question. Consideration of Lords amendments. Lords amendment 23, amendment (a), considered with further Lords amendments, Government amendments and motions to disagree, and agreed to on division (295 to 205). Lords amendment 23, as amended, agreed to. Lords amendment 151, amendment (a), agreed to...

Because such a law has helped in the case of the Health and Safety Executive. The Minister used to talk about how when the health and safety legislation came in, the number of deaths at work dropped dramatically, because the measure was a preventive one, whereby one had to prevent...

Because such a law has helped in the case of the Health and Safety Executive. The Minister used to talk about how when the health and safety legislation came in, the number of deaths at work dropped dramatically, because the measure was a preventive one, whereby one had to prevent...

My right hon. and learned Friend says it is the Treasury. Actually, I am responsible for the business framework and I am concerned about putting £4 billion of regulatory burdens on businesses. That burden has been calculated in the same way that we calculated the burden for bribery, so I...

My right hon. and learned Friend says it is the Treasury. Actually, I am responsible for the business framework and I am concerned about putting £4 billion of regulatory burdens on businesses. That burden has been calculated in the same way that we calculated the burden for bribery, so I...

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate on behalf of myself and my hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock). I thank the Minister for his opening remarks, and for the call last week with him and his officials. I thank the officials, pay tribute to their...

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate on behalf of myself and my hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock). I thank the Minister for his opening remarks, and for the call last week with him and his officials. I thank the officials, pay tribute to their...

The hon. Lady is making some excellent points on her side of the argument, but I think that the 0.5% figure misses the fact that that probably covers a substantially larger proportion of economic activity in the country.

What intrigues me is this. There is a balance to be struck here....

The hon. Lady is making some excellent points on her side of the argument, but I think that the 0.5% figure misses the fact that that probably covers a substantially larger proportion of economic activity in the country.

What intrigues me is this. There is a balance to be struck here....

I think that that will be covered in the points I am going to make, including around the steps that the Government need to take further.

I think that that will be covered in the points I am going to make, including around the steps that the Government need to take further.

On that point, there is discussion in the Bill about reasonable arrangements, which will be decided through secondary legislation. It will be necessary to ensure that the processes through which small and medium-sized enterprises show that they are preventing fraud and money laundering can be done in a way that...

On that point, there is discussion in the Bill about reasonable arrangements, which will be decided through secondary legislation. It will be necessary to ensure that the processes through which small and medium-sized enterprises show that they are preventing fraud and money laundering can be done in a way that...

I thank my right hon. Friend for her intervention. Indeed, she pre-empts some of the content of my speech, which is absolutely fine—we can reference it twice. She makes an important point about the Bribery Act 2010, which has also been referred to by the right hon. and learned Member...

I thank my right hon. Friend for her intervention. Indeed, she pre-empts some of the content of my speech, which is absolutely fine—we can reference it twice. She makes an important point about the Bribery Act 2010, which has also been referred to by the right hon. and learned Member...

It is a pleasure to rise in support of Lords amendments 146 and 147, which introduce the power to strike out SLAPPs claims in relation to instances of economic crime. SLAPPs—strategic litigation against public participation claims—are described as

“legal actions typically brought…with the intention of harassing, intimidating and financially or psychologically...

It is a pleasure to rise in support of Lords amendments 146 and 147, which introduce the power to strike out SLAPPs claims in relation to instances of economic crime. SLAPPs—strategic litigation against public participation claims—are described as

“legal actions typically brought…with the intention of harassing, intimidating and financially or psychologically...

I completely agree with everything the hon. Lady has said about SLAPPs and the importance of journalists effectively acting as an additional regulator, but they need the information. Does she also support the amendments that would ensure trusts cannot be a means of hiding information from journalists and others who...

I completely agree with everything the hon. Lady has said about SLAPPs and the importance of journalists effectively acting as an additional regulator, but they need the information. Does she also support the amendments that would ensure trusts cannot be a means of hiding information from journalists and others who...

The Government are insisting that we should keep the real ownership of trusts secret, and the problem journalists have is that there is not a proper exemption to enable them to find out the ownership that lies behind a trust.

The Government are insisting that we should keep the real ownership of trusts secret, and the problem journalists have is that there is not a proper exemption to enable them to find out the ownership that lies behind a trust.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that clarification. The important thing is that journalists do not find themselves called before the courts through SLAPPs and this type of litigation, and that is the point we are trying to make here. I am sure the Minister has heard the...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that clarification. The important thing is that journalists do not find themselves called before the courts through SLAPPs and this type of litigation, and that is the point we are trying to make here. I am sure the Minister has heard the...

I welcome the moves the Government have made on this Bill. It is important that they have done so, but they could still go much further.

I pay tribute to the work of the right hon. Member for Barking (Dame Margaret Hodge) on the all-party parliamentary group for whistleblowing, and to...

I welcome the moves the Government have made on this Bill. It is important that they have done so, but they could still go much further.

I pay tribute to the work of the right hon. Member for Barking (Dame Margaret Hodge) on the all-party parliamentary group for whistleblowing, and to...

Is the point not that in the 400 pages of legislation we have before us we are doing exactly that: closing these loopholes, making it easier for businesses and making it easier for Companies House to make sure that these entries are valid? We are also committed to increasing the...

Is the point not that in the 400 pages of legislation we have before us we are doing exactly that: closing these loopholes, making it easier for businesses and making it easier for Companies House to make sure that these entries are valid? We are also committed to increasing the...

I thank the Minister for that point, but the number of incorporations is massive and the resource to Companies House is not keeping pace to check on each and every company that is going. I direct him to the tweet from Graham Barrow highlighting some of these issues, because there...

I thank the Minister for that point, but the number of incorporations is massive and the resource to Companies House is not keeping pace to check on each and every company that is going. I direct him to the tweet from Graham Barrow highlighting some of these issues, because there...

The hon. Lady has made a point, which the shadow spokesperson also made, about harms being done to small businesses by businesses that are committing fraud against them. But there is already a law against committing fraud, so why does the additional law about not taking any actions to prevent...

The hon. Lady has made a point, which the shadow spokesperson also made, about harms being done to small businesses by businesses that are committing fraud against them. But there is already a law against committing fraud, so why does the additional law about not taking any actions to prevent...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for bringing that point forward. As we know, this is about investigative journalists who want to get in there and get the information. Transparency is in the name of the Bill, which may answer his question.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for bringing that point forward. As we know, this is about investigative journalists who want to get in there and get the information. Transparency is in the name of the Bill, which may answer his question.

I beg to move amendment (a) to Lords amendment 23.

I beg to move amendment (a) to Lords amendment 23.

It is a pleasure to bring this Bill back to the House. It is crucial in ensuring that we can bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our open economy, while also strengthening the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive. I am pleased to...

It is a pleasure to bring this Bill back to the House. It is crucial in ensuring that we can bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our open economy, while also strengthening the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive. I am pleased to...