You can be a registered business without having a company or vat number.
As Granny says, you only get a company number if you say you're a ltd company. Sole traders or partnerships do not have a company number. As vat registration is based on turnover then not all businesses have to be vat registered either.
Please can someone let me know if you were to use a ltd company no, or vat number to exempt from vat which had previously been used for an account on which selling was indefinitely suspended would this flag up?
@richardb123 - that is correct. You cannot claim VAT back that has been paid in Luxemburg, all you can do is claim exemption but in order to do that you need to provide a valid VAT number. Be advised they WILL check if the number is valid and issued and they WILL advise UK C&E that exemption has been claimed