Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many fines have been levied against Scottish limited partnerships for failing to register a person of significant control.

No Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) have been fined since the People with Significant Control register came into force.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 2nd July 2018 to Question 157783. Compliance is Companies House’s primary aim, rather than prosecution. It is taking action to ensure that all SLPs report their PSC information. Companies House is actively engaged with SLPs and their representatives to make them aware of their responsibilities, and in addition, it has issued reminder letters to all SLPs who have failed to file PSC information. Failure to comply with the requirement to report PSC information does not incur a civil penalty but it is an offence and may lead to a fine or imprisonment upon prosecution. Companies House is not a prosecuting body and will refer cases to a relevant prosecutor when all other avenues have been exhausted and an SLP has not complied with their obligations.

In April the Government consulted on a package of reforms which would limit the misuse of limited partnerships, including in their Scottish form. I anticipate that the Government’s response will be published in due course.