Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what checks Companies House carry out to ensure that businesses are not being registered fraudulently under incorrect addresses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Registrar carries out checks to ensure filings are complete, but at present, she has limited powers to verify or validate the information which is delivered to her. Provided a document appears to be properly delivered, the Registrar must register it.
The Registrar will be given broader powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act so that she can become a more active gatekeeper over company registrations. This will include powers to check, challenge and refuse to register any information which is inaccurate or false whilst also ensuring any fraudulent addresses can be removed more easily.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of hidden fees and charges on financial and digital transactions on (a) local economic activity, (b) national economic activity, (c) consumers and (d) household debt.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Consumer law requires that all charges and fees are clear up front (including those related to consumer credit) and not hidden. Consumers then know what they will be paying and can make choices based between competitive suppliers on that basis. These rules are not driven by an assessment of economic activity nationally or locally but enable consumers to compare prices as they shop. Separately the Office for National Statistics and the Office for Budget Responsibility provide data on economic activity and household indebtedness.