Companies House will act upon the receipt of a public complaint about a possible failure to comply with the Overseas Companies Regulations 2009 ("the Regulations"). It will carry out an initial investigation and then, if it considers that an offence may have been committed, it will refer the case to the Department’s solicitors to consider whether a prosecution is justified under the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The principal aim is to achieve compliance with the Regulations; therefore, prosecution action is considered a last resort. The Department has made one prosecution under the Overseas Companies Regulations 2009. The offence related to the failure to register the opening of a UK establishment.