Part 1: Companies House Reform Company names Section 9: Names suggesting connection with foreign governments etc
Section 54 of the Companies Act 2006 already provides that the Secretary of State’s approval must be obtained for the use of a company name which implies a connection with the UK Government, devolved administrations and local authorities in the UK and other public bodies specified by regulation. This section broadly adds to that prohibition, inserting section 56A into the Companies Act 2006. This new section gives the Secretary of State the ability to prevent the registration of a company with a proposed name, which, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, suggests a connection, where none exists, with a foreign government or its offshoots or with international bodies such as the United Nations or NATO.
	A consequential amendment in subsection 10(3) inserts subsection 1047(4)(bza) into the Companies Act 2006. This applies the new prohibition of section 56A to overseas companies.