*Fried Frank published a memorandum titled COVID-19 Pandemic: Key UK Government and Bank of England Initiatives to Support Businesses on March 30, 2020 and published updates to this memorandum on April 15, 2020, May 13, 2020 and June 15, 2020. As we approach the expiry of a number of the UK Government's initial COVID-19 business support initiatives, this memorandum summarises the UK Government measures that have been announced and that are to be available to eligible UK businesses as we move into 2021.

. .1. はじめに Covid-19 の影響が残る 2020 年 6 月 26 日、英国新倒産法(Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020)が施行され、英国 倒産法の大改正が実施されました。英国新倒産法の最大の目的は、債務者フレンドリーな倒産制度の確立にあります。欧州の ファイナンスのハブとして機能する英国は、これまでは比較的、債権者フレンドリーな倒産制度を採用していましたが、新倒産法に より方向転換が図られています。 本ニューズレターでは、ファイナンスの視点から、英国倒産法を概説すると共に、英国新倒産法によるファイナンス実務への影 響を考察します 1 。 2. 英国企業倒産手続及びその適用範囲 (1) 英国企業倒産手続とモラトリアム 英国の企業倒産手続には、主として①清算手続(Liquidation 又は Winding up)、②会社任意整理(Company Voluntary Arrangement)、③スキームオブアレンジメント(Scheme of Arrangement)、④会社管理手続(Administration)及び⑤財産管理手続 (Receivership)があります。

The United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced that certain temporary measures put in place under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA), which became law on 26 June 2020, will be extended.

Statutory Demands and Winding-Up Petitions

On 23 April 2020, the UK Government announced that the use of statutory demands and winding-up petitions would be restricted to ‘safeguard the UK high street against aggressive debt recovery actions' during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As previously reported, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) had made some permanent and temporary changes to the insolvency regime.

Here we focus on the impact of CIGA on construction contracts and, in particular, how the new provisions impact on construction contracts and the Construction Act.

What is CICA?

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the Act) received royal assent on 25 June 2020 and is now in force, bringing with it significant changes to the insolvency world and the operation of the construction industry.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has placed many companies registered in England and Wales into a position where they are now either balance sheet or cash flow insolvency or both. The loss of these companies to the economy would be catastrophic and, as a result, the UK Government started the Bill’s passage through parliament on 3 June 2020.

“Government gives businesses much-needed breathing space with extension of insolvency measures”

The UK government has announced an extension of the following temporary insolvency measures introduced by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act (CIGA), 2020.

Highlights include:

Although the Sunbird scheme of arrangement was approved by the relevant creditors, sanction was refused by Mr. Justice Snowdon, who highlighted:

• a ‘paucity of information provided by the company as part of the scheme process’, and
• a failure to engage with creditors ‘whom the directors clearly felt were irrelevant or would be an obstacle to their plans’.

He remarked that the company’s approach 'fell a considerable distance short of what was required for a fair process'.

The UK Government has issued secondary legislation extending the period of applicability of certain temporary provisions of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (“CIGA”).

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act received Royal Assent on 25 June 2020. It implements the measures announced by the UK government on 23 April 2020 to safeguard against aggressive rent collection tactics. It follows the ban on forfeiture for non-payment of rent contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020 which came into effect on 25 March 2020. In this article, DLA Piper’s experienced Real Estate and Restructuring lawyers assess the debt collection restrictions contained in both Acts.