Part 1: Companies House Reform Registered email addresses Section 29: Registered email addresses etc
This section amends the Companies Act 2006 by amending section 9 (registration document), section 16 (effect of registration), the heading of Part 6, and inserting new section 88A. The effect is to stipulate that all companies must maintain an appropriate email address. An appropriate email address is one at which, in the ordinary course of events, emails sent to it by the Registrar would be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company. Failure to maintain an appropriate email address, without reasonable excuse, will be an offence and the company will be subject to a criminal penalty. Section 29 also inserts new section 88B which provides for how a company may change its registered email address.
	This will allow the Registrar to communicate with the company electronically, for example, to provide updates, notices and reminders that are important for companies.
	Section 29(6) also inserts new section 853CB, which provides that if a company’s registered email address is not an appropriate email address and the company has not given a notice under section 88B, the company must give notice to the Registrar of the change in the email address at the time it delivers its confirmation statement.
	Section 29(7) secures that the registered email address will not made available for public inspection.
	Section 29(9) inserts a new Part 2A into Schedule 4 to the Companies Act 2006, which prescribes when a document or information is validly sent or supplied electronically to a company by the Registrar or the Secretary of State.