THE Government department in charge of Companies House is coming under increasing pressure from Tatton MP Esther McVey to change how it validates the listings – after she says her details were fraudulently used.

Ms McVey has now been removed as secretary of the Loyal Scots Company Limited, and the matter is being investigated by police in Scotland.

But Ms McVey believes more needs to be done to protect people and regulate how companies are listed.

She said: “For £14 you can register a company but is seems there is a lack of checks on the veracity of what is being submitted.

“It is all well having a register, but it seems there is no compliance activity so what confidence can the public have in what appears on the register?

“My details have been removed and the matter is being investigated, but I am not the only person this has happened to and there seems to be no protection for people.

“Being able to list a company without any checks surely can lead to many cases of fraud or bigger online fraud?

“We need checks to be made and a not just electronic check as clearly whatever email address Loyal Scots listed for me was not my email address.”

Ms McVey has submitted a series of Parliamentary Written Questions to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asking why no checks are carried out and if there are plans to overhaul the system.

She has also written to Business Secretary Greg Clark suggesting necessary changes, including demanding a phone number for all people listed which could act as a fraud deterrent as there would be the chance spot checks could be carried out.

Ms McVey added: “I look forward to getting the responses back from BEIS as the status quo is not acceptable.

“I also know that a Freedom of Information request was submitted to Companies House asking how many cases of fraud they have had in the last few years following my name being listed, and the response was that they did not class it as fraud, which is not only extraordinary but extremely concerning.

“This issue is all part of ensuring proper oversight of the web and online activity.”