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Management of records and documents

Every company is legally obliged to keep certain specified registers, books and records to reflect the operation of its business. The company secretary or governance lead’s primary responsibility is to see that they are properly maintained and kept up to date.

Category
Information management

Statutory registers

Every company is legally obliged to keep certain specified registers, books and records to reflect the operation of its business. The company secretary or governance lead’s primary responsibility is to see that they are properly maintained and kept up to date.

The Companies Act requires that every company keep the following registers, books and records:

  • Register of members
  • Register of directors
  • Register of directors’ residential addresses
  • Directors’ service contracts
  • Directors’ indemnities
  • Books containing minutes of directors’ meetings, resolutions in writing of directors and decisions of a sole director
  • Register of secretaries
  • Books containing minutes of company meetings, resolutions in writing of members and resolutions of a sole member
  • Accounting records
  • Register of people with significant control

There are additional requirements for companies with shares that are not listed here.

The register of members of a company (as distinct from other categories of member that an organisation may define) must include, as a minimum:

  • Names and addresses of the members
  • The date on which each person was registered as a member
  • The date on which any person ceased to be a member

The register of directors must contain for each current and former director:

  • Name and former name. Former names need not be disclosed if not used in business or not used in the previous 20 years. Maiden names of married women need not be disclosed.
  • Service address. This can be an office or residential address. An office address is recommended to mitigate against identity theft. The address in the register of directors, which must be available for public inspection, should be the same as on the central register maintained at Companies House. In the case of a corporate appointment, the address should be the registered or principal office.
  • Country of residency
  • Nationality
  • Business occupation, if any
  • Date of birth
  • Date of appointment
  • Date of termination of appointment, if relevant

This must contain details of each director’s usual residential address and any changes to it. If the address stated i

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