Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to improve the (a) regulation and (b) monitoring of locksmiths to help prevent exploitative practices in that industry.

There is a robust framework of consumer protection law that all traders, including locksmiths, must comply with which requires that services are delivered to a high standard and consumers have means of redress when they are not.

Consumers are encouraged to use service providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a robust licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.

We are further strengthening the enforcement of this framework in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. Therefore, the Government has no plans to further regulate the locksmith sector.