Dame Elizabeth Neville, DBE QPM is the Independent Adjudicator for Companies House. Dame Elizabeth will investigate complaints about delay, discourtesy and mistakes and the way in which these complaints have been handled at Companies House.

Dame Elizabeth retired as Chief Constable of Wiltshire Constabulary in 2004 and is currently the Independent Complaints Assessor for the agencies of the Driver and Vehicle Operator Group (DVO) which includes DVLA, Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency as well as being the independent Complaints Assessor for the Highways Agency.

She is the independent Complaints Adjudicator for the Assets Recovery Agency and sits on Police Appeals Tribunals.  She is a Non Executive Director of the Serious Fraud Office and a member of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority.

Dame Elizabeth will also review written appeals against the levying of late filing penalties, although as Parliament has laid down exactly what the Registrar of Companies can and cannot do, the scope for discretion is very limited. The late filing penalty process is clearly set out in the Companies House information on Late Filing Penalties – Appeals; please review this guidance before writing to Dame Elizabeth about a late filing penalty.

Dame Elizabeth cannot deal with the following :  

• Questions about company law
• The exercise of discretion by the Secretary of State
• Complaints being considered by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• Any case involving criminal proceedings
• Complaints more than six months old.

Companies House must have the opportunity to resolve any dispute, so before being referred to Dame Elizabeth, a complaint must have followed all the internal Companies House procedures and therefore must have been considered by the Director of Customer Delivery.

PLEASE DO NOT WRITE TO DAME ELIZABETH UNLESS THIS PROCEDURE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED.

After receiving an adjudication, if you are still unhappy you can contact your Member of  Parliament and ask that the complaint be referred to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Contact details:
Dame Elizabeth Neville DBE QPM
Companies House Independent Adjudicator
c/o Companies House
Crown Way
Cardiff
CF14 3UZ