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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reason Companies House publishes the month and year of birth of company directors.

The Government considers that the date of birth of company directors is an important identifier for those searching the public companies register as it allows searchers to distinguish between individuals with the same, or similar, names.

Following feedback from company directors about the availability of their full date of birth on the public register, section 96 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 requires the Registrar of Companies to suppress the “day” element of a director’s date of birth.

This strikes an appropriate balance between ensuring that the information on the public register is of real practical use and reducing the risk that the information becomes a tool for abuse by exposing individuals to the risk of identity theft or fraud.