Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84634 on Personal Care Services: Fraud, on what statutory basis Companies House undertakes enhanced check; and how many fake barber shops have been identified.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 provided Companies House with enhanced powers to query, reject and share information proactively with law enforcement partners. These powers support the promotion of statutory objectives to ensure that required information is delivered, is accurate, is complete, is not false or misleading. Companies House aims to prevent companies and others from carrying out or facilitating unlawful activities.

The National Crime Agency’s National Economic Crime Centre supported action in October 2025 visited 2734 business. 376 were barbershops. 251 other businesses visited were designated as ‘beauty related businesses’ which may include barbershop type services.