Companies will be forced to publish confidential information on employees, and commercially sensitive details of licensing agreements and joint ventures, business leaders warned on Monday, as they attacked the government for introducing “a blunderbuss” of a new disclosure law.

Leading business organisations are to meet Margaret Hodge, the industry minister, next Monday to “demand some answers” on a last-minute change to the companies bill introduced by the government and rushed through parliament last week without any warning or consultation.