Missing companies

Some recent companies appear to be missing from all databases at UKCH. For example, company number 10002943 does not exist, even in WebCheck. Based on the two numbers above and below it, it would have been incorporated on 12-Feb-2016. Across the numeric range, I have made the following count of missing companies:

7000000-7999999: 2178
8000000-8999999: 3803
9000000-9999999: 562
10000000-10699999: 630

Did these companies ever exist, and if so, what has happened to them?

There are gaps in company numbers but there should not be man.
Missing numbers have been internally erased which only happens in exceptional circumstances.
Someone is looking at this and we will get back to you.

Missing company numbers are company incorporations that have been rejected by an examiner (or a company incorporation that had some sort of technical issue during processing)
Company incorporations go through a number of validation steps to minimise rejection, but at the last step get allocated a number which will be discarded if that final step fails.
These company numbers therefore never existed in the first place.

That “last step” must involve something else besides allocating the number! I suggest the process be amended so that allocating the number really does come last, after the creation of the company has obtained all approvals. For reference, in Hong Kong we have only 2 missing company numbers (out of over 2.5 million) since the sequence begins in year 1865, and that is probably because those 2 companies (very early numbers, 32 and 1867) were converted into companies incorporated by ordinance. The history is here if you are interested:
https://webb-site.com/dbpub/incHKannual.asp

Thank you, but there are no plans to change this process.

Is there a process for considering suggestions from the public? A Process Review Committee, perhaps? All I ask is that the powers-that-be consider the issue.

Yes we do have focus group meetings with our larger customers and we listen to customer feedback from roadshows and various seminars and courses we run.
However, gaps in company numbers is not considered an issue and there are no plans to change the incorporation process.