Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the timescale for resolving outstanding cases involving individuals subject to the Loan Charge that will be settled following the conclusions of the independent review led by Ray McCann.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

This Government recognised that concerns were raised about the Loan Charge under the previous government and that some felt strongly that it had not been handled appropriately.

The Government therefore commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those who had not settled and paid their loan charge liabilities. The Government accepted the review’s conclusion that the loan charge was an extraordinary piece of Government policy which necessitated an exceptional response, and is now legislating to give HMRC the power to administer a new settlement opportunity.

To encourage more people to settle, the Government will write off the first £5,000 of liabilities in addition to the proposals put forward by Ray McCann. As a result, most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely.

HMRC began contacting taxpayers to notify them of their eligibility for the new settlement opportunity from January 2026. HMRC will begin contacting them again, from Spring, to explain the settlement opportunity in more detail. HMRC will contact taxpayers in stages and all taxpayers in scope will be invited to settle by the end of the 2027-28 tax year.

HMRC will encourage taxpayers who want to settle to contact their named HMRC caseworker proactively, and not to wait for a letter. Taxpayers that contact HMRC will be prioritised for settlement.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on taking safety action where land is ownerless due to escheat and poses a risk to highways or public safety.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities have powers provided by section 78 of the Building Act 1984 to take emergency measures when dealing with dangerous structures. If a structure, or part of it, appears dangerous and requires immediate action to remove the danger, the local authority may take steps as necessary for that purpose.

While the Ministry does not issue guidance in relation to ownerless land and highways, the Law Commission in its 14th Programme of Law Reform will look to address the problems that may arise when land ceases to have an owner and transfers to the Crown. The project will carry out a review of bona vacantia and escheat with the aim of clarifying the law.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of risk assessments undertaken in relation to house purchases that consider climate change, in particular with regard to the disclosure of flood risk.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Flood risk assessments used in property transactions are typically drawn from environmental searches obtained through commercial search organisations. The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) is the leading trade association for search organisations. Members are required to adhere to a code of practice which sets standards across the search industry.

Conveyancers share search results with clients in line with their duty to act in the client’s best interests. Where clients have concerns, the Law Society recommends conveyancers should advise seeking further input from environmental experts.

On 6 October, my department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. These contained proposals to ensure buyers receive comprehensive upfront property information, including information on flood risk. The consultations can be found on gov.uk here and here.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of sewage treatment infrastructure capacity when planning authorities consider new housing developments in areas where sewage treatment works have recorded frequent storm overflow discharges.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation included policies that will support the development and operation of energy and water infrastructure that meets the needs of existing and future development.

These policies emphasise the need for early engagement between relevant plan-making authorities, utility providers, regulators, and network operators. This will ensure that development plans align with the capacity and future requirements of water infrastructure, and support the delivery of water supply, drainage, and wastewater infrastructure. The consultation seeking views on a revised version of the NPPF closed on 10 March. Following analysis of the responses received, we will publish the final version in summer 2026.

Shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse will be key to reducing sewage discharges from storm overflows.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to water companies and planning authorities on determining when sewage treatment works have sufficient capacity to accommodate additional development.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of statutory Water Resources Management Plans, and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). The decision on whether to approve a development lies with the relevant Local Planning Authority, in line with guidance such as the National Planning Policy Framework. Sewerage undertakers must ensure that they have planned infrastructure need to meet both existing demand, and planned levels of household and non-household growth, as informed by local development plans and relevant modelling. In May 2025, Defra published guidance for the next round of DWMPs instructing sewerage undertakers on how they should prepare their statutory plans, setting out how they intend to manage and develop their infrastructure to meet current and future demand.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to help ensure that development is not approved where wastewater infrastructure capacity is insufficient.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of statutory Water Resources Management Plans, and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). The decision on whether to approve a development lies with the relevant Local Planning Authority, in line with guidance such as the National Planning Policy Framework. Sewerage undertakers must ensure that they have planned infrastructure need to meet both existing demand, and planned levels of household and non-household growth, as informed by local development plans and relevant modelling. In May 2025, Defra published guidance for the next round of DWMPs instructing sewerage undertakers on how they should prepare their statutory plans, setting out how they intend to manage and develop their infrastructure to meet current and future demand.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of international geopolitical events on the wholesale and retail price of domestic heating oil in the UK; and whether he has considered introducing monitoring or safeguards to prevent disproportionate price increases for off-grid households.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Unlike gas and electricity markets, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short‑term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise is a significant concern for those reliant on it.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing.

Following discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority, we welcome its comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry.

We are working closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protections in this sector, including potential regulatory measures.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of recent increases in the retail price of domestic heating oil in rural areas; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that households reliant on kerosene heating are protected from excessive or unjustified price rises.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Unlike gas and electricity markets, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short‑term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise is a significant concern for those reliant on it.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing.

Following discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority, we welcome its comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry.

We are working closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protections in this sector, including potential regulatory measures.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has assessed whether recent increases in the retail price of domestic heating oil constitute unfair pricing or profiteering; and whether the Competition and Markets Authority has been asked to review pricing practices in the domestic heating oil market.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Unlike gas and electricity markets, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short‑term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise is a significant concern for those reliant on it.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing.

Following discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority, we welcome its comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry.

We are working closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protections in this sector, including potential regulatory measures.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to pensioners and low-income households who rely on heating oil in rural areas; and whether he plans to introduce targeted assistance comparable to schemes available to households connected to the gas grid.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off‑gas‑grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. We continue to monitor heating oil supply chains to ensure households can access fuel when needed.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor has announced £53m for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. This funding will also be available to the Northern Ireland Executive, Wales, and Scotland. More information can be found here: Over £50 million to help families struggling with soaring heating oil costs - GOV.UK

The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will commit to seeking prior parliamentary approval before permitting foreign military operations to be launched from UK air bases, including RAF Fairford.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As the Prime Minister shared on 1 March 2026, the US requested permission to use British bases for specific and limited defensive purposes. The request was accepted to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region.

Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has received a request from the United States Government to use RAF Fairford to conduct air strikes against Iran.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As the Prime Minister shared on 1 March 2026, the US requested permission to use British bases for specific and limited defensive purposes. The request was accepted to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region.

Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to managing agents and freeholders of retirement housing developments on the fire alarm upgrades in buildings under 11 metres; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that leaseholders are not required to fund unnecessary fire safety upgrades through service charges.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Responsible Person for any residential building (regardless of height) is the person or entity responsible for keeping residents safe from the risk of fire. Decisions on how to keep residents safe and what actions are required should be made based on advice from a Competent Person following a Fire Risk Assessment. MHCLG has no direct role in deciding whether interim measures such as a common fire alarm should be implemented. Sector-led Simultaneous Evacuation Guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council supports Responsible Persons to meet their existing duties and guides them towards a consistent, standardised approach to a change in evacuation strategy and implementation of interim measures where this is necessary.

By law, variable service charges must be reasonable, and leaseholders have the right to challenge unreasonable charges at the appropriate tribunal. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures to increase transparency over service charges and remove barriers for leaseholders to challenge costs, helping them better understand what they are being asked to pay for. The Building Safety Act’s leaseholder protections also place caps on how much can be charged for remediation of historical life-critical fire safety defects in most 11-metre-plus buildings.

Leasehold reform (No. 3)

Found: 11 (72.7%) Martin Rhodes (Labour, Glasgow North) (added 28 Oct 2024) 46 of 53 (86.8%) Dr Roz Savage