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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Companies House is tackling the setting up of fraudulent companies; and whether he has plans to bring forward corporate transparency and registry changes to Companies House's procedures.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in September and is currently in Commons Committee stage. It contains measures to bear down on the use of UK companies and other corporate structures as vehicles for economic crime, including fraud.

The Bill will, among other things, introduce identity verification for people who manage and control companies registered at Companies House. It will also give Companies House new powers to check, challenge and decline dubious information on the Register – ensuring that any fraudulent appointments or addresses can be struck off more easily