The Protection and Disclosure of Personal Information (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Protection and Disclosure of Personal Information (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(2) Except for Part 11, these Regulations come into force—

(a)

(a) on 21st July 2025, if the Regulations are made before 21st July 2025,

(b)

(b) on the day after the day on which the Regulations are made, if they are made on or after 21st July 2025.

(3) Part 11 of these Regulations comes into force when section 167J of the Companies Act 2006 (required information about a director: individuals) comes fully into force.

(4) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Application for protection of personal information

2.—(1) Where there is information of the type mentioned in paragraph (2) on the register in respect of an individual, the individual may apply for the registrar to make that information unavailable for public inspection.

(2) The information is—

(a)

(a) day of date of birth,

(b)

(b) signature, and

(c)

(c) in the case of an individual who is or was—

that individual’s business occupation.

(3) An individual may not make an application that, on registration, would cause the registrar, acting in accordance with regulation 4(1), to make any part of a copy of an order imposing a charge, instrument, deed or debenture delivered under—

(a)

(a) Part 25 of the Companies Act 2006 (company charges),

(b)

(b) Part 12 of the Companies Act 1985 (registration of charges), or

(c)

(c) Part 13 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (registration of charges),

unavailable for public inspection.

(4) An individual may only make an application in respect of the information in paragraph (2)(c) where that information—

(a)

(a) is contained in a document delivered to the registrar in which such information is required to be stated, and

(b)

(b) in the case of a document having more than one part, is contained in a part of the document in which such information is required to be stated.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation—

“signature” does not include a printed name;

“UK Societas” has the meaning given by regulation 3(1) of the European Public Limited-Liability Company Regulations 2004.

Contents of application

3.—(1) An application under regulation 2must contain the following—

(a)

(a) the applicant’s—

(b)

(b) a statement specifying what information the applicant wishes the registrar to make unavailable for public inspection (“the specified information”);

(c)

(c) the name and registered number of the company in respect of which the specified information was placed on the register, and in respect of that company—

(2) The registrar may request further information from the applicant for the purposes of enabling the registrar to locate the specified information on the register.

(3) Where the registrar has requested information from the applicant under paragraph (2), the duty in regulation 4 (1)will not apply to the registrar until the applicant has provided sufficient information to enable the registrar to locate the specified information.

(4) In this Part—

“former name” means a name—

(a) by which an individual was formerly known, and

(b) which was contained in a document delivered to the registrar in which the individual’s name was required to be stated;

“name” means a person's forename and surname, except that in the case of—

(a) a peer, or

(b) an individual usually known by a title,

the title may be stated instead of the person’s forename and surname.

Effect of an application under regulation 2

4.—(1) Where the registrar registers an application delivered under regulation 2, the registrar must make the specified information unavailable for public inspection on the register where the applicant has indicated in the application that it appears.

(2) The registrar is not obliged to check any document or any part of a document, except those specified under regulation 3(1)(c), to ensure the absence of the specified information.

Amendments to the Companies (Disclosure of Address) Regulations 2009

5.—(1) The Companies (Disclosure of Address) Regulations 2009 are amended in accordance with this regulation.

(2) In paragraph (2) of regulation 1 (citation, commencement and interpretation)—

(a)

(b)

(3) For paragraphs (3) to (5) of regulation 3 (permitted disclosure by the registrar to credit reference agencies) substitute—(3)The registrar may decline to disclose protected information to a credit reference agency where the credit reference agency fails to—(a)deliver to the registrar—(i)such information or evidence in addition to the statement required by paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 (disclosure to a credit reference agency) as the registrar may direct;(ii)the information or evidence referred to in sub-paragraph (i) verified in such manner as the registrar may direct;(iii)any updated statement requested by the registrar under Part 2 of Schedule 2;(b)inform the registrar immediately of any change in respect of any statement delivered to the registrar pursuant to Schedule 2 or information or evidence provided for the purpose of enabling the registrar to determine whether to disclose protected information..

(4) In paragraph (2) of regulation 5 (application under section 243 by an individual)—

(a)

(a) at the end of sub-paragraph (a)(vi) omit “or”;

(b)

(5) After regulation 5(6) insert—(7)In this regulation—“the 1907 Act” means the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 (c. 24 (7 Edw 7));“corporate managing officer” has the meaning given in section 3(1) of the 1907 Act;“eligible Scottish partnership” has the meaning given in regulation 3(2) of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017;“general partner” has the meaning given in section 3 of the 1907 Act (interpretation of terms);“limited partnership” has the meaning given in section 4 of the 1907 Act (definition and constitution of limited partnership);“named contact” has the meaning given in section 8K(5) of the 1907 Act (duty to maintain registered officer and named contacts);“registered officer” has the meaning given in section 8K(4) of the 1907 Act..

(6) Regulation 9 (application under section 1088 to make an address unavailable for public inspection by an individual) is amended as follows—

(a)