Companies: Registration
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that new business identity verification rules prevent the creation of businesses at people's addresses without their consent.
Answered by Blair McDougall
The purpose of identity verification is to understand who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK.
Identity verification will enhance the wider powers already available to query or reject inaccurate or suspicious information and addresses. These powers have enabled the Registrar to act more swiftly and decisively to the misuse of addresses. For example, up to 31 July 2025, Companies House has struck off 88,900 companies for failing to have an appropriate registered office address.
Companies House is continually iterating and developing their processes and systems, to proactively block the unauthorised use of addresses by companies.
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