Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the maximum time between which companies must hold annual general meetings, as set out in section 336 of the Companies Act 2006, due to the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government has announced a number of measures to reduce burdens on businesses small and large during the Covid-19 outbreak as part of the measures announced by the Chancellor and as set out in the Coronavirus Act. Further measures are being developed and will be announced in due course.

The Government has also been working closely with stakeholders in developing guidance on how to conduct Annual General Meetings in the face of Covid-19 restrictions. The guidance is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s and Chartered Governance Institute’s websites and is being kept under review in light of evolving circumstances. We have continued to listen and work closely with businesses to ensure they are able to conduct their business in a safe, orderly and effective way. As a consequence we announced on 28 March our intention to legislate as soon as possible to give companies greater, temporary flexibility.