Companies Act 2006 – Commencement timetable
The Government has decided on the following commencement timetable
With effect from 20 January 2007:
Part 22 (Information about interests in a company's shares) except sections 811(4), 812 and 814;
With effect from 6 April 2007:
Part 28 (Takeovers)
With effect from 1 October 2007:
Part 8 (Inspection of register of members), sections 116 - 119.
Part 9 (Exercise of members’ rights);
Part 10 (A company’s directors), other than provisions relating to directors’ conflict of interest duties (sections 175 - 177, 182 - 187), directors’ residential addresses and underage and natural directors;
Part 11 (Derivative claims and proceedings by members);
Part 13 (Resolutions and meetings) other than section 327(2)(c) and 330 (6)(c), and, related to this, sections 485-488 of Part 16 (Audit);
Part 14 (Control of political donations and expenditure), other than provisions relating to independent election candidates;
Section 417 of Part 15 (Contents of directors’ report: business review);
Part 29 (Fraudulent trading);
Part 30 (Protection of members against unfair prejudice);
Part 32 (Company investigations: amendments).
With effect from 6 April 2008:
Part 3 (A company's capacity and related matters), section 44 only;
Part 8 (A company's members) sections 121 and 128 only;
Part 12 (Company secretaries) other than sections 270(3)(b)(ii) and 275-279;
Part 15 (Accounts and reports), other than section 417;
Part 16 (Audit), other than sections 485-488;
Part 19 (Debentures);
Part 20 (Private and public companies);
Part 21 (Certification and transfer of securities);
Part 22 (Information about a company's shares), sections 811(4), 812,814;
Part 23 (Distributions);
Part 26 (Arrangements and reconstructions);
Part 27 (Mergers and divisions of public companies);
Part 42 (Statutory auditors).
With effect from 1 October 2008:
Part 5 (A company's name), provisions relating to similar names (sections 69-74)
Part 5 (Trading disclosures), sections 82-85
Part 10 (A company's directors) provisions relating to directors' conflict of interest duties (sections 175-177, 180 (1), (2) (in part) and (4)(b) and 181(2) and (3), 182-187)
Part 14 (Control of political donations and expenditure) - provisions relating to independent election candidates;
Part 17 (A company's share capital), reduction of share capital provisions (sections 641(1)(a), and (2)-(6), 642, 643 and 652, 654;
Part 18 (Acquisition by limited company of its own shares. Repeal of the restrictions in the Companies Act 1985 on financial assistance of shares in private companies, including the 'whitewash' procedure;
With effect from 1 October 2009:
Part 1 (General introductory provisions);
Part 2 (Company formation);
Part 3 (A company’s constitution) other than sections 29-30;
Part 4 (A company’s capacity and related matters) other than section 44;
Part 5 (A company’s name), other than sections 69-74 and 82 to 85;
Part 6 (A company’s registered office);
Part 7 (Re-registration as a means of altering a company’s status);
Part 8 (A company’s members) other than sections 116-119 and 121 and 128;
Part 10 (A company’s directors) directors’ residential addresses and underage and natural directors
Part 12 (Company secretary) sections 270(3)(b)(ii) and 275-279;
Part 17 (A company’s share capital), other than section 544, 641(a) and (2)-(6), 642, 652 and 654;
Part 18 (Acquisition by limited company of its own shares);
Part 24 (A company’s annual return);
Part 25 (Company charges);
Part 31 (Dissolution and restoration to the register);
Part 33 (UK companies not formed under the Companies Acts), other than section 1643;
Part 34 (Overseas companies);
Part 35 (The registrar of companies);
Part 40 (Company directors, foreign disqualification)
Part 41 (Business names).
Section 358 of the Companies Act 1985, which provides a power for companies to close the register of members, will be repealed with effect from 1 October 2009.
Part 36 (Offences under the Companies Acts), Part 37 (Companies: supplementary provisions), Part 38 (Companies: interpretation), Part 45 (Northern Ireland) and Schedule 16 (Repeals) will come in with the relevant provisions.
