Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of (1) Liverpool City Council support for the Project Enterprise Village initiative, and (2) the Insolvency Service investigation and subsequent disqualification undertaking banning Shazan Qureshi from acting as a company director, whether they will issue guidance to local authorities to ensure that a local authority acting as an accountable body in any private company-led funding application undertakes full background and bankruptcy checks on all company directors.

All local authorities should act responsibly when entering into business with, or supporting, independent organisations or businesses. Local authorities are stewards of public assets, including taxpayers’ money, and should demonstrate due diligence and secure value for money for the taxpayer when using public funds.