Munira Wilson

The income realised from bona vacantia, including from deceased people’s estates, is published in the Crown’s Nominee Accounts which are laid before Parliament annually.

The Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list was temporarily removed from GOV.UK on 7 July 2025. At this time, the number of estates published on the list was 5,770.

The future publication of the list is currently under review.

Estates administered as bona vacantia continue to be published in The Gazette.

The Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list was temporarily removed from GOV.UK on 7 July 2025. At this time, the number of estates published on the list was 5,770.

The future publication of the list is currently under review.

Estates administered as bona vacantia continue to be published in The Gazette.

With apologies to the hon. Member, a response has now been issued.

The Cabinet Office is currently working to update the Government Property Strategy. The existing strategy will remain in place until a new strategy is published.

Information on the disposal of surplus assets by public bodies is not held centrally.

Government organisations including the Government Property Agency must follow the provisions for the disposal of surplus government property established in guidance issued by HM Treasury, specifically that disposal decisions should take account of wider social costs and benefits and should form part of any appraisal, and when appropriate it may be justifiable to choose an option that does not generate the highest Exchequer receipt, for example to support a wider government policy objective such as regeneration.

HMT guidance sets out the method for calculating wider social, economic and environmental benefits in policy and project appraisal, and how to treat disposals at less than market value.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) publishes updated figures every month.

As of 14 March, IBCA had invited 255 people to start their compensation claim, and 214 of those had started the claim process. 63 offers of compensation had been made, totalling over £73 million, and so far 40 people had accepted their offers with more than £44 million paid in compensation.

Government will be publishing a new High Streets Strategy later this year. Government is working closely with businesses, local authorities and other partners to develop this strategy, this includes input from Post Office Ltd.

The anchoring role of post offices plays a vital role on high streets across the country. In July 2025, the Department for Business and Trade published a green paper outlining the government’s vision for the Post Office. This included an objective for the Post Office network to support high streets, acting as a stimulant and visible sign of incremental economic activity. We published our response to public consultation on this green paper in February: Government response: Future of the Post Office - GOV.UK

The UK’s framework for occupational regulation upholds public protection, while ensuring regulatory burdens on industry are proportionate. Although the locksmithing profession is not subject to statutory regulation, several self-regulating trade associations and accreditation schemes exist within the industry and provide training, conduct criminal record checks, and inspect their members.

The government keeps the occupational regulation regime under review and continues to monitor any concerns raised by the public or the industry, including those related to locksmithing.

The UK’s framework for occupational regulation upholds public protection, while ensuring regulatory burdens on industry are proportionate. Although the locksmithing profession is not subject to statutory regulation, several self-regulating trade associations and accreditation schemes exist within the industry and provide training, conduct criminal record checks, and inspect their members.

The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a Police Crime Prevention-approved licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

Ofcom is investigating Royal Mail’s performance in the 2024-25 financial year for failing to meet its regulated targets. The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.

The government recognises that small businesses are critical to our communities and essential to our economic success. We are committed to hardwiring the voice of small business into everything we do and collaborating with businesses and workers to kickstart and rebuild our economy.

The universal postal service ensures that SMEs have access to an affordable service, both in the UK and internationally.

Ofcom, as independent regulator for the postal sector, is responsible for securing the provision of a universal postal service. In its 2023-24 Post Monitoring Report, Ofcom found that overall three-quarters (74%) of SMEs were satisfied with the quality of service they receive from Royal Mail, while overall satisfaction with other providers stood at 81%.

Following last year’s Supreme Court ruling, we published in June supplementary guidance to ensure the full environmental impact of extraction is considered as part of consenting decisions for offshore oil and gas projects.

We have received further information from the Rosebank project developer, which is currently open to public consultation until 20 November to allow stakeholders to make representations. The further information and any representations received will be thoroughly reviewed. A robust decision-making process will be followed, as with onshore planning, which has similarities.

It would be inappropriate to comment on specific aspects of individual cases.

The sixth carbon budget will include the UK’s share of international aviation and shipping (IAS) emissions for the first time, in line with the previous administration’s announcement in April 2021. The sixth carbon budget has already been set at 965 MtCO2e in the Carbon Budget Order 2021, which reflects that this will include IAS.

Including IAS in the carbon budget from a legal perspective means making regulations under s.30 of the Climate Change Act 2008. This Government intends to legislate for IAS inclusion at the earliest possible opportunity, subject to Parliamentary scheduling.

The £610m Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, supports mission-led academic research on battery recycling technologies through the Faraday Institution’s (FI’s) ReLiB project. ReLiB researchers at the University of Leicester have recently demonstrated algae-derived water miscible anode blinders that can be fully recovered at the end of the batteries life, and are looking to demonstrate an “all” water-soluble binder system that will simplifying battery recycling by the Summer 2025.

ReLiB researchers at the University of Birmingham have also been collaborating with a leading supplier of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) binder on the use of “green” solvents for binder recovery from used batteries. They have also recently demonstrated a new process to recover and reuse PVDF binders in new cells.

The Government is actively coordinating its efforts to ensure a just transition, enabling workers to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from our shift to net zero. To support this, it has established the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, which aims to assist workers and communities at risk of economic displacement by focusing on skill development and training in the clean energy and net zero sectors. The Government’s primary goal is to create quality jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands, ensuring a fair transition for industries based in the North Sea.

This Government is committed to restoring the UK’s global leadership on climate and nature. We are honouring the existing commitment on our pledge to spend £11.6bn in International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026 including at least £3bn on nature, from which £1.5bn will be dedicated to protecting and restoring forests. In doing so, we can encourage member states at COP29 to follow our example. Public finance will continue to be key, but we cannot act alone. A concerted and sustained global effort to boost finance from all sources is necessary.