Written questions by Snowden.

What responsibilities remain on liquidators of housing developers for resolving (a) legal title and (b) infrastructure issues impacting homeowners.

A liquidators’ statutory functions when winding up a company are to secure and realise any assets, distribute any funds generated to those entitled to them and generally act in the interests of the company’s creditors. In carrying out their statutory functions, liquidators are also obliged to have regard to their regulatory standards and code of ethics. This may extend to resolving legal title and infrastructure issues affecting homeowners if doing so is in creditors’ interests.

Communities and Local Government, what protections are in place for homeowners facing (a) legal and (b) financial hardship due to the insolvency of housing developers.

Most new build homes are issued with a 10-year new-build warranty which may protect homeowners against builder insolvency leading to failure in completing the build. Some warranties cover the buyer’s deposit in the event the buyer has exchanged contracts off-plan, and the developer becomes insolvent before completing the build.Where developers face financial difficulties before development is completed, we would expect local authorities to work with administrators to help unblock sites and restart housing delivery to complete the development. As part of their responsibilities local authorities should consider how to mitigate risks around infrastructure delivery including looking at the timing of infrastructure completion on site and considering whether it is appropriate to require developers to set aside bonds which can be used to complete infrastructure should the developer be unable to do so.Land may become ‘ownerless’ where a developer has become insolvent and then liquidates. The Law Commission announced on 4 September 2025 that they will undertake a project on ownerless land as part of their 14th Programme of Law Reform, which will aim to clarify the law in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 74887 on Retail Trade: Health and Safety, whether his Department has received representations from (a) trade unions, (b) retail employers and (c) lone workers on concerns about safety (i) at the Co-op and (ii) in other retail environments.

The Health and Safety Executive have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade or received any representations from trade unions concerning Project Lunar. Project Lunar is an internal policy that the Co-op is introducing, so it is not a matter for HSE or the government to be involved in.Under health and safety law it is the employer (Co-op) who is responsible for protecting its employees and others from harm. The employer must identify the risks and take action to eliminate them, or if this is not possible, to control the risk. An employer must manage any health and safety risks before people can work alone.HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) work together as co-regulatory partners to enforce health and safety law, with LAs being responsible for regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. Both HSE and LAs provide advice and guidance on the management of risk and what the law requires, conduct inspections and investigations, and take enforcement action where appropriate.Any correspondence received by HSE raising workplace health and safety concerns is fully assessed, and subsequent actions can include, providing advice or guidance, further investigation or referral to another regulator where appropriate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 74887 on Retail Trade: Health and Safety, whether (a) he and (b) the Health and Safety Executive has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on Co-op's Project Lunar.

The Health and Safety Executive have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade or received any representations from trade unions concerning Project Lunar. Project Lunar is an internal policy that the Co-op is introducing, so it is not a matter for HSE or the government to be involved in.Under health and safety law it is the employer (Co-op) who is responsible for protecting its employees and others from harm. The employer must identify the risks and take action to eliminate them, or if this is not possible, to control the risk. An employer must manage any health and safety risks before people can work alone.HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) work together as co-regulatory partners to enforce health and safety law, with LAs being responsible for regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. Both HSE and LAs provide advice and guidance on the management of risk and what the law requires, conduct inspections and investigations, and take enforcement action where appropriate.Any correspondence received by HSE raising workplace health and safety concerns is fully assessed, and subsequent actions can include, providing advice or guidance, further investigation or referral to another regulator where appropriate.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has received representations on inconsistencies in legal requirements for indemnity insurance on similar properties within the same estate; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of those practices on sellers’ (a) costs and (b) conveyancing outcomes.

The Department has not received representations on the specific issue in question. On 9 February 2025, the government announced action to improve the availability of property information through digitalisation. This will help transactions run more smoothly by ensuring all parties are able to access the information they need at the right time. We continue to work with stakeholders across industry as we consider next steps.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the processes for adoption of (a) roads and (b) common areas on estates where the developer has become insolvent.

Decisions on whether or not to adopt roads is a matter for the relevant local highway authority. Land may become ‘ownerless’ where a developer has become insolvent. The Law Commission announced on 4 September 2025 that they will undertake a project on ownerless land as part of their 14th Programme of Law Reform, which will aim to clarify the law in this area. As part of their 14th Programme, the Law Commission are also undertaking a project on the management of freehold housing estates. Details of both projects can be found on the Law Commission website here. The government is determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS2440).

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help support homeowners who face delays in property sales due to unresolved title restrictions related to developers in liquidation.

Most new build homes are issued with a 10-year new-build warranty which may protect homeowners against builder insolvency leading to failure in completing the build. Some warranties cover the buyer’s deposit in the event the buyer has exchanged contracts off-plan, and the developer becomes insolvent before completing the build.Where developers face financial difficulties before development is completed, we would expect local authorities to work with administrators to help unblock sites and restart housing delivery to complete the development. As part of their responsibilities local authorities should consider how to mitigate risks around infrastructure delivery including looking at the timing of infrastructure completion on site and considering whether it is appropriate to require developers to set aside bonds which can be used to complete infrastructure should the developer be unable to do so.Land may become ‘ownerless’ where a developer has become insolvent and then liquidates. The Law Commission announced on 4 September 2025 that they will undertake a project on ownerless land as part of their 14th Programme of Law Reform, which will aim to clarify the law in this area.

Communities and Local Government, if he will commission an inquiry into the (a) (i) conduct and (ii) accountability of housebuilders who go into administration and (b) impact of that administration on homeowners left without adequate (A) legal, (B) title and (C) infrastructure protections.

Most new build homes are issued with a 10-year new-build warranty which may protect homeowners against builder insolvency leading to failure in completing the build. Some warranties cover the buyer’s deposit in the event the buyer has exchanged contracts off-plan, and the developer becomes insolvent before completing the build.Where developers face financial difficulties before development is completed, we would expect local authorities to work with administrators to help unblock sites and restart housing delivery to complete the development. As part of their responsibilities local authorities should consider how to mitigate risks around infrastructure delivery including looking at the timing of infrastructure completion on site and considering whether it is appropriate to require developers to set aside bonds which can be used to complete infrastructure should the developer be unable to do so.Land may become ‘ownerless’ where a developer has become insolvent and then liquidates. The Law Commission announced on 4 September 2025 that they will undertake a project on ownerless land as part of their 14th Programme of Law Reform, which will aim to clarify the law in this area.

With reference to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Fylde of 4 September 2025, Official Report, column 435, in which areas the pilot schemes of weekly listing meetings are being run; and if he will make it his policy to publish the outcomes of those schemes.

This Government is working hard to reduce the court backlog through record number of sitting days in courts and record investment as part of the Spending Review.The following Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Areas have regular meetings with Police Witness Care Units and court centres: East Midlands, North West, South East, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside, East of England, London South, Mersey-Cheshire, North East, Thames and Chiltern and SEOCID International, London and South East Division.These meetings are informal and provide opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of trials.The CPS is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and HM Courts & Tribunals Service to identify and potentially scale up best practice and has recently conducted a survey in collaboration with both with the aim of creating a national operating model in the future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 74887 on Retail Trade: Health and Safety, how his Department assesses whether (a) employers and (b) local authorities are effectively managing risks for lone workers in these environments.

The Health and Safety Executive have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade or received any representations from trade unions concerning Project Lunar. Project Lunar is an internal policy that the Co-op is introducing, so it is not a matter for HSE or the government to be involved in.Under health and safety law it is the employer (Co-op) who is responsible for protecting its employees and others from harm. The employer must identify the risks and take action to eliminate them, or if this is not possible, to control the risk. An employer must manage any health and safety risks before people can work alone.HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) work together as co-regulatory partners to enforce health and safety law, with LAs being responsible for regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. Both HSE and LAs provide advice and guidance on the management of risk and what the law requires, conduct inspections and investigations, and take enforcement action where appropriate.Any correspondence received by HSE raising workplace health and safety concerns is fully assessed, and subsequent actions can include, providing advice or guidance, further investigation or referral to another regulator where appropriate.

What steps are being taken to ensure equal access to stoma care across all regions of the UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring patients across the United Kingdom have equitable access to high quality care, including those who need stoma surgery. As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.Demand for stoma care services will vary across regions. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and assessing the quality and availability of stoma care services at a regional level and in accordance with their local populations’ health needs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities and coastal agencies in ensuring public safety during periods of increased jellyfish activity along the coast of Fylde constituency.

Responsibility for safety on the beach sits with the local authority or beach owner. In conjunction with other services HM Coastguard provides safety advice and guidance about the coastal environment.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable regional distribution of defence investment under the new Defence Industrial Strategy.

The Defence Industrial Strategy contains a number of policy offerings designed to support and bolster the defence industrial base across the nations and regions of the UK. This includes the five Defence Growth Deals that were announced in Plymouth, South Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Defence Growth Deals are just one element of the commitment we have made to the nations and regions of the UK and the Defence Investment Plan which will be published this autumn, will work to ensure that defence is investing in the most appropriate way to support defence and defence-adjacent companies and deliver growth for the whole of the UK.

If she will have discussions with (a) police forces and (b) rural stakeholders on the potential benefits of a (a) digitised and (b) centralised firearms licensing system.

The Government has no plans to introduce the centralisation of the firearms licensing process.The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland.This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.

What criteria his Department used to select Plymouth and South Yorkshire as the initial locations for Defence Growth Deals.

The five Defence Growth Deals announced on 8 September 2025 by the Secretary of State for Defence covering Plymouth, South Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were assessed using a criteria that looked at the Defence Industrial Base and Ecosystem, the area’s strategic importance to defence, including strengths in specific D Industrial Strategy sub-sectors. It looked at Strategic Location and alignment with existing HMG regional growth initiatives. Finally it looked at Growth Potential such as measures to boost local productivity (e.g., training, R&D) and the overall labour market.

Whether she has received any recent representations from (a) individual and (b) organisations on the standard of maintenance of (i) tactile cones and (ii) other pedestrian crossing aids for blind and visually sighted people; and what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the maintenance of (A) tactile cones and (B) other pedestrian crossing aids for blind and visually sighted people.

The Department has not received any such representations. The provision and maintenance of tactile cones and other pedestrian crossing aids are matters for local authorities. Local authorities have a duty under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to provide for the safe movement of road users, including pedestrians. They also have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide accessible services. The Department has endorsed the code of practice ‘Management of Electronic Traffic Equipment’ which provides good practice advice for local authorities on maintaining assets including traffic signals and associated equipment. This is published by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Whether her Department has consulted police forces on their capacity to implement changes to shotgun licensing procedures.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to consult on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns.We will be undertaking a public consultation which will launch later this year. We will carefully consider the views put forward through this consultation in due course, which will include the possible impact of any changes on policing.

How many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for using (i) ghost and (ii) cloned licence plates in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide range of offences, including offences relating to motor vehicle licence, trade licence, registration mark, trade plate and registration book offences (except forgery and deception offences) (MOT) in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.However, it is not possible to identify specifically offences relating to ghost or clone licensing. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

What technologies are employed by law enforcement agencies to identify vehicles using (a) ghost and (b) cloned licence plates; and what plans her Department has to (i) improve and (ii) expand such capabilities.

Police and law enforcement agencies use the National Automated Numberplate Recognition (ANPR) Capability and associated technologies to detect and respond to criminal use of ghost and cloned licence plates.The Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation to tackle crime.

What role the Office of Defence Exports (ODE) will play in securing government-to-government defence export deals; and what targets have been set for the ODE in its first year.

As the Defence Industrial Strategy makes clear “The new Office of Defence Exports (ODE) means responsibility for defence exports has been unified under the control of the MOD. This creates a government-to-government exports offer which reflects what our allies and our industry need”. The ODE will, therefore, play a central role in securing Government-to-Government defence export deals, working closely with Other Government Departments. Design work for the Exports function is well underway. Initial stand up is expected no later than end October 2025 with full implementation – including the development of performance measures - continuing over the next 12 months.