Companies House GDS Saga continues

 You really couldn't make this up!

Companies House "system" to check the on-line identity of  Directors and persons of significant control relies on Gov.uk to perform that validation.  When you attempt to use this system you end up with web pages marked as "Beta" version. In the systems development world Beta version software is that which you think mostly works, but you might find bugs where we haven't tested/fixed fully.  It is not production quality software.

When you send an email to the GDS (GOV.UK) support team you get a response within a day, but it says you may have to wait up to 15 days to get a response from them! 15 Days when all they'll say is "try again".  It sounds like an IT system in serious trouble.  

The Minister responsible for the GOV.UK should get his sleeves rolled up and get things fixed.  The UK Government Minister responsible for GOV.UK is the Minister for the Cabinet Office, as GOV.UK is managed by the Government Digital Service (GDS), which sits within the Cabinet Office. The current Minister for the Cabinet Office, as of the latest available information, is Pat McFadden MP (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster).

For Companies House the ultimate responsible Minister is the current Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility) at the Department for Business and Trade, with responsibility for Companies House, is Justin Madders. He was appointed to this role on 9 July 2024.