Schedule 9 - Chargeable gains: share exchanges
Finance Bill
12:15 pm
Ms Ruth Kelly (Economic Secretary, HM Treasury; Bolton West, Labour)
I do not believe that that is the case. There is nothing in the new rules to prevent such companies from effecting a scheme of reconstruction. It is merely that preference shareholders and debenture holders cannot be issued ordinary shares in the reconstruction. If a company wishes to simplify its capital structure and go through a reconstruction, it can arrange its matters in such a way that they fall within the meaning of reconstruction as it is now defined. I hope that that reassures the hon. Gentleman.