Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many companies have been reported to Companies House for using (a) names and addresses and (b) other personal information without consent when registering in the last year; and whether his Department has plans to require people seeking to register new companies to send Companies House proof of identity before (i) issuing a certificate of incorporation and (ii) publishing the company's details online.

To the year ending 30 September 2024, Companies House received 28,933 reports related to the unauthorised use of addresses. No figure is available for personal information.

In future, all directors (and equivalents), persons with significant control and those filing information with Companies House will be required to undergo identity verification checks and proposed directors will need to complete these checks before a company is incorporated. The phased introduction of compulsory identity verification is due to begin by Autumn 2025.