Part 1: Companies House Reform Company names Section 8: Names for criminal purposes
This section inserts section 53A into the Companies Act 2006, which provides the Secretary of State with the ability to prevent the registration of a company where the purpose of its proposed name, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, is to facilitate what would, in the UK, constitute an offence of dishonesty or deception. Subsection 53A(b) makes clear that conduct that would take place outside the territory of the UK may also be considered by the Secretary of State.
	A consequential amendment by section 9(3) of the Act is made to section 1047(4) of the Companies Act 2006, so that section 53A applies to overseas companies.