What is Companies House and what is its five year plan to ‘crack down on crime’?
Government agency says it wants to be a 'more active gatekeeper' over economic crime
Companies House has announced a five-year plan to become a “more active gatekeeper” over its data and “crack down on economic crime”.
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The government agency’s online records are much-referenced by the public seeking data about business situations, with Michelle Mone’s PPE firm MedPro one currently under the microscope.
This week Companies House published its 2025-2030 strategy to make it a “more active gatekeeper over its data and take further steps to crack down on economic crime”.
Its plan for the next five years includes steps to:
- Improve data quality and accuracy by using new powers to query, remove and annotate register information,
- Introduce compulsory identity verification for people setting up, owning, and running companies,
- Expand intelligence and enforcement capabilities to detect and prevent misuse of registers for fraud, money laundering, and other economic crimes through partnerships with law enforcement and other agencies,
- Modernise technology infrastructure by moving to cloud platforms, introducing AI and automation, and removing outdated systems to improve security, efficiency and customer experience,
- Enhance customer service through digital channels, self-service options including AI, and streamlined processes to make it easier for legitimate businesses to comply with requirements,
- Increase transparency by making more verified information about company ownership and control publicly available, while protecting individuals at personal risk.
Andy King, Companies House chief executive, said: “This strategy positions Companies House to play a broader role in promoting economic growth and in disrupting economic crime.
“Companies House data is used every day by businesses and citizens to inform decisions. We will be innovative in how we enable use of our data, in partnership with key stakeholders, to unlock opportunities and support business growth.
“I look forward to leading this organisation as we embark on this journey together.”
What is Companies House?
As an executive agency, Companies House works on behalf of the government but is not directly controlled by them.
Based in Cardiff, since its inception 1844 it has acted as the chief record keeper for British businesses and companies. It can also dissolve companies and holds records of more than 5 million businesses.
It is public facing and presents all its records online - making it a hotbed for anyone looking for gossip about news stories of brands, or, recently, bands, with Arctic Monkeys being found to have started a record imprint.