Companies: Online AGMs

Viscount Hailsham Excerpts
Monday 23rd March 2026

(1 day, 8 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Viscount Hailsham Portrait Viscount Hailsham (Con)
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My Lords, may I suggest that members of the awkward squad are more readily controlled in virtual meetings, and that is thoroughly undesirable? It is much better to have open general meetings, when members of the awkward squad can speak out.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra Portrait Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
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What we are doing through the consultation on modernising corporate reporting is delivering on our commitment to provide legal clarity on the grey area of whether companies can hold fully virtual AGMs. It would be up to shareholders and businesses to decide whether to take that forward. The proposals that we put forward will be accompanied by appropriate shareholder safeguards.