For section 86 substitute—

“86Duty to ensure registered office at appropriate address

(1)

A company must ensure that its registered office is at all times at an appropriate address.

(2)

An address is an “appropriate address” if, in the ordinary course of events—

(a)

a document addressed to the company, and delivered there by hand or by post, would be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company, and

(b)

the delivery of documents there is capable of being recorded by the obtaining of an acknowledgement of delivery.

(3)

If a company fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with this section an offence is committed by—

(a)

the company, and

(b)

every officer of the company who is in default.

(4)

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction—

(a)

in England and Wales, to a fine;

(b)

in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale.

(5)

Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a company during any period for which the address of its registered office is a default address nominated by virtue of section 1097A(3)(h).”

In section 87 (change of address of registered office), after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A)

The notice must include a statement that the new address is an appropriate address within the meaning given by section 86(2).”

After section 853C insert—

“853CADuty to notify a change in registered office

(1)

This section applies where—

(a)

a company makes a confirmation statement,

(b)

the company’s registered office is not at an appropriate address within the meaning given by section 86(2), and

(c)

the company has not given a notice under section 87 (change of registered office) that is awaiting registration by the registrar.

(2)

The company must deliver a notice under section 87 at the same time as it delivers the confirmation statement.”