Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether Companies House is taking steps to protect directors from penalties due to the gap between statutory written options and digital-only guidance.

There is no divergence in the standard of identity verification that must be achieved via the digital, non-digital and hybrid routes. Secondary legislation, Registrar's Rules and published guidance set out identity verification requirements and empower the Registrar of Companies to establish the mechanisms through which this standard can be achieved.

The level of confidence that must be met to provide assurance that a person is who they claim to be is consistent across all routes to verification. The acceptable forms of documentation for each option have been clearly set out in Registrar's Rules and supporting guidance.