Insolvency Act 1986

131 Company’s statement of affairs. E+W+S

(1) Where the court has made a winding-up order or appointed a provisional liquidator, the official receiver may require some or all of the persons mentioned in subsection (3) below to make out and submit to him a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company.

(2) The statement F1 . . . shall show—

(a) particulars of the company’s assets, debts and liabilities;

(b) the names and addresses of the company’s creditors;

(c) the securities held by them respectively;

(d) the dates when the securities were respectively given; and

(e) such further or other information as may be prescribed or as the official receiver may require

[F2 (2A) The statement shall [F3 be verified by the persons required to submit it]—

(a) in the case of an appointment of a provisional liquidator or a winding up by the court in England and Wales [F4 be verified by the persons required to submit it], by a statement of truth; and

(b) in the case of an appointment of a provisional liquidator or a winding up by the court in Scotland, [F5 by affidavit] [F5 contain a statutory declaration by the persons required to submit it].]

(3) The persons referred to in subsection (1) are—

(a) those who are or have been officers of the company;

(b) those who have taken part in the formation of the company at any time within one year before the relevant date;

(c) those who are in the company’s employment, or have been in its employment within that year, and are in the official receiver’s opinion capable of giving the information required;

(d) those who are or have been within that year officers of, or in the employment of, a company which is, or within that year was, an officer of the company.

(4) Where any persons are required under this section to submit a statement of affairs to the official receiver, they shall do so (subject to the next subsection) before the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the day after that on which the prescribed notice of the requirement is given to them by the official receiver.

(5) The official receiver, if he thinks fit, may—

(a) at any time release a person from an obligation imposed on him under subsection (1) or (2) above; or

(b) either when giving the notice mentioned in subsection (4) or subsequently, extend the period so mentioned;

and where the official receiver has refused to exercise a power conferred by this subsection, the court, if it thinks fit, may exercise it.

(6) In this section—

• “employment” includes employment under a contract for services; and

• “the relevant date” means—

(a) in a case where a provisional liquidator is appointed, the date of his appointment; and

(b) in a case where no such appointment is made, the date of the winding-up order.

(7) If a person without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any obligation imposed under this section, he is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.

(8) In the application of this section to Scotland references to the official receiver are to the liquidator or, in a case where a provisional liquidator is appointed, the provisional liquidator.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 131(2) omitted (6.4.2010) by virtue of The Legislative Reform (Insolvency) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/18), art. 5(4)(a)

F2 S. 131(2A) inserted (6.4.2010) by The Legislative Reform (Insolvency) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/18), art. 5(4)(b)

F3 Words in s. 131(2A) repealed (S.) (1.4.2016 for specified purposes, 6.4.2019 in so far as not already in force) by The Public Services Reform (Insolvency) (Scotland) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/141), arts. 1(3)(4), 10(a) (with arts. 14, 15) (see S.I. 2019/816, reg. 4(a))

F4 Words in s. 131(2A)(a) inserted (S.) (1.4.2016 for specified purposes, 6.4.2019 in so far as not already in force) by The Public Services Reform (Insolvency) (Scotland) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/141), arts. 1(3)(4), 10(b) (with arts. 14, 15) (see S.I. 2019/816, reg. 4(a))

F5 Words in s. 131(2A)(b) substituted (S.) (1.4.2016 for specified purposes, 6.4.2019 in so far as not already in force) by The Public Services Reform (Insolvency) (Scotland) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/141), arts. 1(3)(4), 10(c) (with arts. 14, 15) (see S.I. 2019/816, reg. 4(a))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 131 applied (with modifications) (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 7(3), Sch. 3 Pt. II para. 7

s. 131 applied (with modifications) (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 8, Sch. 4 Pt. II para. 10

S. 131 applied (with modifications) (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(1), Sch. 2

C2 S. 131 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 103, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 2

C3 S. 131 applied (with modifications) (6.6.2013) by The Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (Contractual Scheme) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1388), Pt. 3 reg. 1, Sch. 2 paras. 3, 5 Table (with reg. 24)

C4 S. 131 applied (with modifications) (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2021/716, Sch. 1 para. 3 (as amended by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1399), regs. 1(2), 20)