Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if the Department will review the effectiveness of the insolvency practitioner complaints system in cases where disciplinary action cannot provide compensation or resolve the underlying legal dispute.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway plays an important role in maintaining confidence in the insolvency regulatory framework. The complaints system provides a means of investigating concerns about the professional conduct of insolvency practitioners and, where appropriate, taking disciplinary action.
The regulatory process is distinct from determining legal disputes or providing financial redress. Where action is taken by an insolvency practitioner on behalf of an insolvent estate, it is for the courts to determine the outcome of legal disputes and whether financial redress is appropriate.
The Department has no plans to change the frameworks for financial redress where losses have been incurred as a result of misconduct by an insolvency practitioner.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what routes to financial redress are available to people who incur losses as a result of misconduct by an insolvency practitioner; and whether the Department has assessed the affordability of accessing those routes.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway plays an important role in maintaining confidence in the insolvency regulatory framework. The complaints system provides a means of investigating concerns about the professional conduct of insolvency practitioners and, where appropriate, taking disciplinary action.
The regulatory process is distinct from determining legal disputes or providing financial redress. Where action is taken by an insolvency practitioner on behalf of an insolvent estate, it is for the courts to determine the outcome of legal disputes and whether financial redress is appropriate.
The Department has no plans to change the frameworks for financial redress where losses have been incurred as a result of misconduct by an insolvency practitioner.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions the Department has had with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council on tackling antisocial behaviour associated with the management of exempt accommodation in Birmingham; and what additional support will be provided for that work.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
MHCLG are working with Birmingham City Council in collaboration with West Midlands police on the issues related to supported exempt accommodation in the city.
Where exempt accommodation is provided by a registered provider of social housing, social landlords are expected to take effective action to prevent and address anti-social behaviour (ASB).
The Regulator of Social Housing’s Neighbourhood and Community Standard requires registered providers to work with relevant partners to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where they provide social housing. Under the consumer regulation regime, the Regulator proactively seeks assurances that providers are meeting the outcomes set by the regulatory standards.
Providers are also required to collect and publish data on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, including tenants’ satisfaction with their landlord’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour, which ensures that tenants and other interested parties can hold registered providers to account for the services they provide.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects for people who settled loan charge liabilities before implementation of the Ray McCann review recommendations compared to people offered the the new settlement opportunity for those with outstanding loan charge liabilities following the recommendations.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to help bring the matter to a close for those who have not settled and paid the Loan Charge.
Individuals and employers who have already settled their loan charge liabilities and paid in full are not impacted by the new Loan Charge Settlement Scheme.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve how hate crime against Sikhs and Hindus is recorded.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Hate crime directed at Sikhs and Hindus is completely unacceptable. We expect the police to record and investigate these offences thoroughly and take appropriate action against those responsible.
Police record religious hate crime according to the religion perceived to have been targeted by the offender. This ensures that the motivation for the offence is captured, including where an offender incorrectly assumes a victim's religion. Hindu and Sikh are separately identifiable categories within the data collected from police forces.
We recognise the importance of ensuring that hate crime is accurately identified and reported. The Government continues to work with policing and community partners to understand barriers to reporting and gaps in the evidence base, including the experiences of different faith communities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what arrangements exist for urgent consideration of complaints about insolvency practitioners where the complainant is continuing to incur financial losses while the complaint is being considered.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway operated by the Insolvency Service does not have a separate expedited process where a complainant reports they are suffering ongoing financial loss. Complaints are assessed against published guidance and, where appropriate, are referred to the relevant Recognised Professional Body (RPB). RPBs may take urgent regulatory action where they consider this necessary to protect the public or address risks arising from the insolvency practitioner's conduct.
Commercial or legal disputes arising from insolvency proceedings are generally matters for the court and cannot be considered through the complaints process.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what guidance the Insolvency Service provides to former company directors on the distinction between the closure of a director conduct investigation without further action and separate civil claims brought by a liquidator.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Service’s standard correspondence explains that a decision not to take disqualification action does not prevent any other investigation, action or legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal.
This expressly includes separate action by an insolvency office-holder, such as a liquidator or administrator, acting under their own powers and responsibilities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what procedures the Insolvency Service uses to assess the risk of further harm where allegations about a director’s conduct are under investigation and that director continues to establish or manage companies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Service considers the nature, seriousness and immediacy of alleged harm, the available evidence, any pattern of repeat conduct and the director’s involvement in other companies. Information may be checked against intelligence held by the Insolvency Service and, where appropriate and lawful, shared with or referred to partner bodies.
A director whose conduct is under investigation may continue to establish or manage companies unless legally restricted; however, credible evidence of ongoing or further misconduct may be taken into account when determining the most appropriate civil, criminal or regulatory response.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what criteria the Insolvency Service applies when prioritising investigations into alleged director misconduct.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Insolvency Service assesses and prioritises alleged director misconduct by considering the nature, scale and persistence of harm; the likely protective, disruptive, remedial or deterrent impact of intervention; and alignment with its statutory functions, strategic objectives and identified threats.
It also considers the available evidence, legal risk, prospects of achieving the intended outcome and relevant timescales; the resources and specialist capability required; fairness, proportionality and the wider public interest; and whether another body is better placed to act or coordinated action would add value.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the number of regulatory enforcement actions for misconduct taken against a) administrators and b) insolvency practitioners in the 2025 and the first half year of 2026.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Recognised Professional Bodies (RPBs) are responsible for regulating the insolvency practitioners they authorise, including those acting as administrators.
The Insolvency Service monitors the effectiveness of the regulatory framework through its oversight of the RPBs. Data on regulatory and disciplinary activity undertaken by the RPBs is published in the Insolvency Service’s annual review of insolvency practitioner regulation.
The Insolvency Service has not made a separate assessment of the number of regulatory enforcement actions or investigations for misconduct taken against administrators or insolvency practitioners.