Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure consumers have access to redress where firms fail to comply with decisions of the Financial Ombudsman Service by (a) creating a compensation fund and (b) strengthening enforcement powers.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Businesses that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required by its rules to co-operate with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), including by complying with any determination that it may make, if that determination is accepted by the complainant. If a regulated firm fails to comply with a FOS determination, the FOS may refer the firm to the FCA. This may result in the FCA taking further action against firms who fail to comply with the FCA’s rules.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 provides the FCA with a range of powers to ensure relevant firms comply with its rules, and to act where firms fail to comply. The government is content that this legislative framework is appropriate and that the FCA has the right tools available to enable it to take action when firms do not comply with regulations.
The FOS does not have powers to directly enforce its determinations through legal proceedings, as its role is to act as an alternative to the courts. However, once the FOS’s determination is accepted by the complainant, it becomes binding on the firm. If a firm fails to comply with a determination, a complainant can enforce it through the courts. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court.
In cases where a firm fails to comply with a decision due to it failing, affected complainants may be eligible to claim compensation through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Financial Conduct Authority’s powers to sanction regulated firms that fail to comply with decisions of the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Businesses that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required by its rules to co-operate with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), including by complying with any determination that it may make, if that determination is accepted by the complainant. If a regulated firm fails to comply with a FOS determination, the FOS may refer the firm to the FCA. This may result in the FCA taking further action against firms who fail to comply with the FCA’s rules.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 provides the FCA with a range of powers to ensure relevant firms comply with its rules, and to act where firms fail to comply. The government is content that this legislative framework is appropriate and that the FCA has the right tools available to enable it to take action when firms do not comply with regulations.
The FOS does not have powers to directly enforce its determinations through legal proceedings, as its role is to act as an alternative to the courts. However, once the FOS’s determination is accepted by the complainant, it becomes binding on the firm. If a firm fails to comply with a determination, a complainant can enforce it through the courts. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court.
In cases where a firm fails to comply with a decision due to it failing, affected complainants may be eligible to claim compensation through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in (a) England, (b) Warwickshire and (c) the Stratford-on-Avon District Council area sold their homes to pay for care costs in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold data on the number of individuals who have sold their homes to pay for care costs.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether customer account closures made while complaints remain unresolved by the Financial Ombudsman Service must be reported to (a) the Financial Conduct Authority, (b) the Financial Ombudsman Service and (c) any other regulatory body.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
In June 2025, the Government legislated to introduce stronger protections for customers in cases of bank account closure.
The measures we have introduced extend the minimum notice period of termination from two months to 90 days and place a new requirement on banks and other providers to give a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation to the customer so they understand why their service is being terminated, subject to certain exceptions. Where providers give a notice of termination to a customer, they must advise the customer on how they can make a complaint and of any right they may have to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). These changes will take effect for relevant new contracts from 28 April 2026. Guidance on implementing requirements would be a matter for the relevant regulators.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’. A number of factors may affect the time it takes for the FOS to resolve complaints that are referred to it. In 2023-2024, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance her Department has issued for banks on reporting customer account closures while complaints remain unresolved by the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
In June 2025, the Government legislated to introduce stronger protections for customers in cases of bank account closure.
The measures we have introduced extend the minimum notice period of termination from two months to 90 days and place a new requirement on banks and other providers to give a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation to the customer so they understand why their service is being terminated, subject to certain exceptions. Where providers give a notice of termination to a customer, they must advise the customer on how they can make a complaint and of any right they may have to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). These changes will take effect for relevant new contracts from 28 April 2026. Guidance on implementing requirements would be a matter for the relevant regulators.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’. A number of factors may affect the time it takes for the FOS to resolve complaints that are referred to it. In 2023-2024, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that health professionals are able to refer patients directly to a mental health unit.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The intensive support provided by an inpatient admission is an important part of the mental health pathway. However, a decision to admit a patient needs to be made by mental health professionals who can assess the needs and preferences of an individual alongside their knowledge of which local provision, either within community or within hospital, will best meet them.
Substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages, and more people are accessing community mental health services than ever before. We are committed to building on this, so that people can access timely, high-quality community support, closer to home. This also aligns with our commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to shift more care into the community.
NHS England is currently piloting new models of neighbourhood mental health care through six neighbourhood mental health centres. These are designed to enhance continuity of care by providing accessible, round-the-clock mental health support in local communities.
Access to inpatient services will remain available for those who require more intensive support. When a health professional thinks that an individual needs urgent admission as they are posing a risk to themselves or others, they can refer them for an assessment under the Mental Health Act.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend the Children's Hospice Grant.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding arrangements for children and young people’s hospices for 2026/27 will be confirmed in due course. The Government wants a society where every child receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.
Whilst most palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the important contribution that children and young people’s hospices make to care and support for babies, children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, as well as to their families.
NHS England has provided £26 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26, through what was, until recently, known as the Children and Young people’s Hospice Grant. Additionally, we are also supporting both the child and adult hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for 2024/25 and 2025/26, to ensure that eligible hospices throughout England have the best physical environment for care.
I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, including services provided at, or closer to, home, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan. It is our intention to work together with stakeholders to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, in the right place, at the right time, at the end of life.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients over 25 in (a) Coventry and Warwickshire and (b) Stratford-on-Avon constituency are on waiting lists for ADHD (i) assessment and (ii) treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.
On 29 May, NHS England published management information on ADHD waiting lists at a national level for the first time, as part of its ADHD data improvement plan.
NHS England has released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waiting list data and publishing more localised data in future, and has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services. This information is being used to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
NHS England also established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is she taking to ensure that ECP assessment reports include the full list of recommendations.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The recommendations included within an EPC are generated automatically by the software used, based on the information collected during an assessment. The department sets out a number of requirements to ensure that EPCs are accurate and therefore contain appropriate recommendations for the building which has been assessed. We require accreditation schemes to verify that any prospective members have met the competency criteria for the strand applied for (by way of a qualification or through Approved Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)) before they are accredited as an energy assessor. Assessors are also required to undertake ongoing continuing professional development to maintain their competency.
We also require accreditation schemes to audit a sample of assessments to ensure they are accurate and have been undertaken as per agreed requirements.
Additionally, any software used for undertaking an energy assessment must be validated to ensure that it is operating in line with the relevant approved calculation methodology.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure developers complete (a) roads and (b) pavements on new housing developments in a timely manner.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities.
Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preferences, we expect to see them built out as quickly as possible.
Local planning authorities have powers to issue a completion notice to require a developer to complete their development if it is stalled. If they fail to do so, the planning permission for the development will lapse.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes policies designed to support increased build out rates, including the promotion of mixed tenure development.
On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.
On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use where development has not taken place in accordance with the planning permission given. It is for authorities to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case.