Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on business and public confidence of the HM Revenue and Customs' guidance note which maintains that data concerning company registration from Companies House should not be relied upon because this data is obtained only on a trust basis.

No such assessment has been made. HM Revenue and Customs’ guidance note “Anti-Money Laundering Supervision: Trust or Company Service Providers” does not comment on the basis on which Companies House obtains company registration data.

Companies House carries out checks on all information received, ensuring that it is valid, complete and in compliance with company law filing requirements. The obligation to ensure that the information is accurate lies with the company and its directors. The validation checks serve to help companies get it right.