Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what was the average duration of an unplanned power outage in each Distribution Network Operator area in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has a highly resilient energy network, and industry works to continuously minimise the risk and impacts of unplanned outages.
All DNOs are regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, and must report their performance against annual targets to Ofgem each year. The outcomes of these reports are published on Ofgem’s website: RIIO-2 Electricity Distribution: annual report 2024 to 2025 | Ofgem
Ofgem’s most recent RIIO-2 Electricity Distribution report found that most companies improved their customer disruption scores between 2024 and 2025.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many unplanned power outages occurred in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has a highly resilient energy network, and industry works to continuously minimise the risk and impacts of unplanned outages.
All DNOs are regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, and must report their performance against annual targets to Ofgem each year. The outcomes of these reports are published on Ofgem’s website: RIIO-2 Electricity Distribution: annual report 2024 to 2025 | Ofgem
Ofgem’s most recent RIIO-2 Electricity Distribution report found that most companies improved their customer disruption scores between 2024 and 2025.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the consultation on the Marriage Act 1949 reforms will be launched.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has announced its intention to reform weddings law when parliamentary time allows.
The reforms reflect a commitment to making marriage law fairer, simpler, and more modern, whilst also protecting the solemnity and dignity of marriage. The current aim is that the consultation on the reform of weddings law in England and Wales will be launched before the summer recess, which commences on 16 July 2026.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many freight forwarders and customs agents have received demands from HMRC for unpaid import VAT or customs duty in respect of declarations submitted on behalf of importers who were subsequently found to be (a) not genuinely established in the United Kingdom, (b) registered for VAT using a fraudulent or virtual address, or (c) dissolved or struck off at the time of the relevant declaration.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC systems do not record, in a readily extractable format, the number of freight forwarders or customs agents issued demands for unpaid import VAT or duty linked to importers who are not UK established, use fraudulent or virtual VAT registrations, or are dissolved/struck off.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered extending the Lancaster House Treaties to include a formal mechanism for Franco-British cooperation on Arctic and High North security.
Answered by Al Carns
NATO provides the formal mechanism for Franco-British cooperation on Arctic and High North security. The UK and France work closely together on NATO's Arctic Sentry mission which is a critical and proportionate step to bolster security in the Arctic and High North.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered inviting French forces to participate in Arctic cold-weather training at Camp Viking in Norway under the framework of the Lancaster House Treaties.
Answered by Al Carns
The UK, France and other Allies already engage in cold weather training together in Norway through exercise COLD RESPONSE.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Companies House address verification procedures in preventing overseas entities from registering UK companies at virtual office addresses, residential properties, or addresses used by large numbers of unconnected companies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Companies House is continuously improving its ability to detect and prevent the misuse of addresses on the companies register.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 enhanced the Registrar’s powers to query and challenge addresses before they are registered and streamlined and strengthened powers to change and remove inappropriate addresses from the register.
Reports on this activity are provided to Parliament each year. The latest report is available here:
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 came into force, how many companies have been (a) investigated by Companies House for filing dormant accounts whilst conducting active trading, (b) referred by Companies House to HMRC for suspected VAT non-compliance, and (c) referred by Companies House to the Insolvency Service for suspected fraudulent trading.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Companies House does not hold data that matches the specified categories requested. However, since the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, intelligence led targeted activity has been used to identify companies filing dormant accounts where indicators suggest active trading.
Furthermore, Companies House also works closely with HMRC and the Insolvency Service to enable effective intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement action. Referrals to HMRC span multiple tax regimes, including VAT non-compliance, while referrals to the Insolvency Service typically focus on more serious misconduct, such as false filings, which supports disqualification and wider enforcement outcomes.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration has been given to adding (a) a company registration number field to the HMRC VAT number checker service and (b) a VAT registration number field to the Companies House public register, so that the two identifiers can be cross-referenced by members of the public, online marketplaces, and customs agents.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Companies House (CH) are committed to preventing fraud and tax evasion by identifying and holding accountable corporate entities that attempt to evade their responsibilities and tax liabilities. The departments have strong relations, further strengthened by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023) and have developed a collective Programme of activities to facilitate closer cooperation on company registrations and de-registrations, accounting and filing, and sharing risk intelligence and data.
There are no plans in place to add a Company Number field to the UK VAT Registration checker service, or a VAT Registration Number field to the Companies House online register. However, HMRC and CH will continue to work together to develop and implement further improvements to the way that businesses register as a company and register for corporation tax and VAT to reduce tax evasion and corporate fraud.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 28 April 2026 to question 128431, whether her Department verifies claims by major communication providers that no existing PSTN customers will be left without landline alternatives.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Landlines are not being removed. The technology underpinning the landline network, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is being upgraded to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
As per the response to Question 128431 on 28 April, I can reiterate that major communications providers have assured the Government that no existing PSTN customer will be left without a landline or an option to move to a communication provider that can provide a landline. This include transitional products, such as Pre-Digital Phone Lines (PDPL), for customers who cannot yet be upgraded to VoIP.