Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring the increase to the collective enfranchisement threshold for mixed use premises from 25% commercial to 50% into force.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government’s intention is to commence Section 29 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act alongside other enfranchisement provisions contained within it.
To commence the Act’s enfranchisement provisions, we need to rectify via primary legislation a small number of specific but serious flaws that prevent certain provisions from operating as intended.
The King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 confirmed that we will do so through the forthcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on strengthening cooperation on anti money laundering, as part of preparations for the next EU-UK summit.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government remains committed to strengthening UK-EU cooperation on tackling money-laundering. The UK works closely with the EU and its Member States through a range of established fora, including through the Financial Action Task Force.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Paymaster General on including the topic of cooperation on anti money laundering in the agenda for the next EU-UK summit.
Answered by Rachel Blake - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Paymaster General regularly meet to discuss a range of topics, including cooperation with the European Union.
The UK works closely with the EU and its Member States through a range of established fora, including the EU‑UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement structures and the Joint EU‑UK Financial Regulatory Forum, where anti‑money laundering issues are discussed.
In addition, the UK and European Commission are members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which sets international standards on counter illicit finance. The FATF meets three times a year and provides an opportunity to discuss anti-money laundering issues with the Commission and EU member states.
The Government remains committed to strengthening UK‑EU cooperation on tackling money laundering.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on strengthening cooperation on anti money laundering, as part of preparations for the next EU-UK summit.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government remains committed to strengthening UK-EU cooperation on tackling money-laundering. The UK works closely with the EU and its Member States through a range of established fora, including through the Financial Action Task Force.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure parity for same-sex couples with other couples in pension inheritance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to ensuring equal treatment for same-sex couples in pension inheritance.
Following a Supreme Court judgment, occupational pension schemes must provide survivor benefits for same-sex spouses and civil partners on the same basis as for mixed-sex spouses and civil partners. Those protections are firmly in place and are protected by law.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle rogue company directors.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I commend the Honourable Member for his relentless work on this issue, and I share his concern, because communities like Portobello Road and Notting Hill Gate should be places where legitimate businesses thrive, not where rogue traders and repeat directors play the system.
Since Budget 2025, action against rogue directors and abusive phoenixism has been stepped up.
£25 million over five years has been allocated to the Insolvency Service to establish a new Abusive Phoenixixm Taskforce, alongside changes to the Company Directors Disqualification Act to widen the circumstances in which directors who break the law can be disqualified.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when Cumulative Impact Assessments for gambling licensing will be introduced.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has now tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill with the intention of introducing Gambling Impact Assessment (GIAs), formerly referred to as Cumulative Impact Assessments. The implementation date will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he expects to respond to the home buying and selling reform consultation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.
Both consultations closed on 29 December. We are now reviewing the feedback received.
Subject to the outcomes of the analysis being undertaken, we will publish a roadmap setting out further details of our reforms later this year.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on preventing (a) mass atrocities and (b) genocide of the violence perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces against civilians in (i) El Fasher and (ii) elsewhere in Darfur.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.
Asked by: Joe Powell (Labour - Kensington and Bayswater)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to protect communities vulnerable to flooding.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
After 14 years of Conservative Government, we inherited England’s flood defences in their worst state on record.
That is why this Government has announced the largest flooding programme in history to protect homes and businesses across the country.
We will invest £7.9 billion over 10 years protecting 840,000 properties.