Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on how many occasions and on what dates Ministers from his department met with representatives of the Baking Industry in a. 2024, b. 2025 and c. 2026.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of meetings held by Ministers of the Department for Business and Trade have been routinely published on the transparency pages of gov.uk since the department’s establishment in February 2023.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many companies registered in England and Wales have declared a legal entity registered abroad as a person with significant control.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In limited cases, a foreign company can be a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE) and can be legitimately recorded as a UK company's Person with Significant Control (PSC).
We identified 24,450 unique, non-dissolved companies on the England and Wales register that have at least one active RLE registered to an overseas country or territory as a PSC.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many companies registered in England and Wales have declared a trustee of a (a) trust and (b) legal arrangement as a person with significant control.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are currently 107,382 companies registered in England and Wales who have at least one person of significant control (PSC) currently appointed with a nature of control designating them a trustee of a trust.
Companies House does not have a separate classification to distinguish those PSCs who are trustees of a legal arrangement. Companies House are required to collect information prescribed by law and no stipulation exists in the relevant legislation which creates a separate category which is distinct from trustees of trusts.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Third progress report on the implementation and operation of Parts 1 to 3 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, what was the total value of the 401 penalty notices which were not reversed, waived or written off; what was the total value of the 144 penalty notices reversed, waived or written off; and what is the total value of penalty notices which have been paid to date.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since the commencement of the Register of Overseas Entities regime, up to 31 March 2026, financial penalties have been issued to 445 overseas entities. Of these, 245 penalties with a total value of £13.19 million have been reversed, waived or written off, while penalties with a total value of £9.87 million remain valid. The total value of financial penalties paid to date is £1.18 million as at 31 March 2026.
The 144 cases stated as reversed, waived or written off in the third progress report, included only those recorded during the 2025–26 financial year.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2026 to Question 9905 on Foreign Companies: Ownership, how many of those penalties were (a) financial sanctions, (b) disqualification and (c) criminal sanctions.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Of the 445 penalties issued to overseas entities for failure to register, as of 31 March 2026, all were financial sanctions in the form of civil penalties.
Failure to register is a criminal offence under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022. The Registrar has the power to issue financial penalties as a sanction, as they have done in all cases.
The Register of Overseas Entities framework does not provide for disqualification, as overseas entities are established and governed under the laws of their home jurisdictions, where responsibility for corporate governance and any disqualification measures rests.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the total number land titles bought after 1999 owned by overseas entities which do not have an owner registered on the Register of Overseas Entities.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of the latest published figures, over 33,000 overseas entities have registered on the Register of Overseas Entities, indicating strong overall compliance with the regime.
Companies House does not hold a definitive figure for the number of land titles bought after 1999 that are owned by overseas entities without a registered beneficial owner. This information is not captured within the scope of the register. Data on land titles will be held by the relevant Land Registry.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the number of of Overseas Entities who have (a) disclosed another entity as their beneficial owner; (b) declared that they do not have a beneficial owner and (c) declared a trust or trustee as their beneficial owner.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Over 33,000 overseas entities have registered on the Register of Overseas Entities, supporting transparency over beneficial ownership.
Companies House does not publish or verify figures for the number of overseas entities that have (a) disclosed another entity as their beneficial owner, (b) declared that they do not have a beneficial owner, or (c) declared a trust or trustee as their beneficial owner.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the total number of Overseas Entities who bought a land title in England and Wales after 1999, that have failed to register on the Register of Overseas Entities.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data on land titles is held by the relevant UK Land Registries. Based on the data available to Companies House, we are confident that 933 overseas entities are registered proprietors of titles within scope of the Register of Overseas Entities and have failed to register.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many overseas entities which did not comply with beneficial ownership were identified in 2026 to date; how many penalties for non compliance were issued; and how many of those penalties were a) financial sanctions, b) disqualification and c) criminal sanctions.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The legislation requires overseas entities to provide details of their managing officers to Companies House when they are unable to identify their beneficial owners. An entity is unable to register or file an update without disclosing this information.
Companies House has not issued any penalties for beneficial ownership non-compliance since the Register of Overseas Entities commenced.
Where an entity has failed in its statutory obligation to register, Companies House has taken enforcement action by issuing penalties for non‑compliance. As of 31 March 2026, 445 penalties have been issued.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing the £55 fee for requesting trust information on the Register of Overseas Entities.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In line with Managing Public Money (MPM) principles, Companies House sets its fees on a cost recovery basis. The £55 fee for providing access to trust information on the Register of Overseas Entities recovers the cost of delivering the service.
Companies House regularly reviews the level of its fees.