Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government intends to issue guidance under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 requiring enhanced due diligence for Hong Kong-linked transactions.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), regulated firms and businesses must establish policies, controls and procedures to mitigate the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, considering relevant risk factors relating to customers, transactions and the countries and geographical areas in which they operate. Regulated firms and businesses take a risk-based approach to these obligations, and must apply enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures when a customer or transaction is identified as high risk.
The MLRs require EDD in certain high risk circumstances, including for business relationships or transactions with countries identified as high risk countries subject to a call to action by the Financial Action Task Force. Hong Kong is not currently on that list.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the regulations to be made under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 will include provisions to prevent the sale of unsafe batteries, chargers and conversion kits through online marketplaces.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Under existing UK legislation, businesses must only place safe batteries, chargers and conversion kits on the market, including where sold online. Despite this we recognise that too many unsafe products remain available to consumers online.
My department has recently consulted on reforms to the product safety legislative framework, including risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes; proposals for clear duties on online marketplaces to take proactive steps to identify, prevent and remove unsafe products from their marketplaces; and considerations for additional requirements in relation to high-risk products. We are considering feedback and will set out our response in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the government will expand access to the Private Sector Rental Database and allow trusted partner status for estate agents to sync and share information.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 13906 on 20 July 2026.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made considerations to the establishment of Nightingale style Courts to deal with the courts backlogs, in property and Tier One tribunals.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the additional workload housing reforms will generate. This includes developing a new Digital Possession Service.
No consideration has been given to the establishment of Nightingale style courts. There is no national backlog for possession cases at this time. Possession cases are dealt with in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that standard possession claims should have their first hearing between four and eight weeks from issue of the claim. The most recent quarterly data (January to March 2026) from Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics - Mortgage and landlord possession statistics - GOV.UK show that the national median timeliness from possession claim to order is eight weeks.
In relation to the First tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which deals with most residential property matters outside of possession, the Government has recruited additional administrative staff, established a centralised operational hub and updated operational processes to improve efficiency. We have also ensured the availability of suitable estates capacity for hearings and enhanced technology systems. The most recent publication of Tribunal Statistics Quarterly provides statistics on outcomes in the Property Chamber and covers the period up to March 2026.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to expand property courts.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the additional workload housing reforms will generate. This includes developing a new Digital Possession Service.
No consideration has been given to the establishment of Nightingale style courts. There is no national backlog for possession cases at this time. Possession cases are dealt with in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that standard possession claims should have their first hearing between four and eight weeks from issue of the claim. The most recent quarterly data (January to March 2026) from Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics - Mortgage and landlord possession statistics - GOV.UK show that the national median timeliness from possession claim to order is eight weeks.
In relation to the First tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which deals with most residential property matters outside of possession, the Government has recruited additional administrative staff, established a centralised operational hub and updated operational processes to improve efficiency. We have also ensured the availability of suitable estates capacity for hearings and enhanced technology systems. The most recent publication of Tribunal Statistics Quarterly provides statistics on outcomes in the Property Chamber and covers the period up to March 2026.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using any of the savings from abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners to help fund Community Safety Partnerships.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) is expected to save the taxpayer around £100m in this Parliament. Savings from cancelling future PCC elections will be retained by the Exchequer with the remainder reinvested back into policing.
Funding for Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) is provided locally by partners. We are working closely with other government departments to consider how existing partnership arrangements, including CSPs, should operate within the new police governance system.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the total monetary value of taxpayer-funded COVID-19 support payments, specifically the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, that were deducted by insurance companies from business interruption insurance payouts.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government has not made an assessment of the total monetary value of insurance company deductions from business interruption insurance payouts.
The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.
The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.
The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulatory consistency of allowing insurers to deduct Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme payments from business interruption claims, whilst prohibiting the deduction of Local Authority Grants.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government has not made an assessment of the total monetary value of insurance company deductions from business interruption insurance payouts.
The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.
The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.
The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations her department has had with delivery companies to reduce harm from rapid alcohol deliveries.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.
Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.
This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable last month on this issue, jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will be taking to protect vulnerable people from rapid alcohol deliveries, and if she can provide a timeline for these steps.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.
Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.
This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable last month on this issue, jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.