Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase the recruitment of magistrates from (a) younger age groups and (b) ethnic minority communities.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is committed to building a strong and sustainable magistracy that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Marketing materials are specifically designed to attract younger and more ethnically diverse candidates, and the Department keeps the recruitment process under review to ensure it supports applications from diverse applicants. In 2024-25, ethnic minority individuals constituted 23% of all magistrate appointments; and 41% of magistrate appointments were aged under 50.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to strengthen the collective rights of (a) leaseholders and (b) residents’ associations to (i) access information, (ii) influence management decisions, and (iii) protect shared funds.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here.
For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780).
The consultation closed on 26 September and we are analysing responses.
The government is committed to enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to the leasehold Right to Manage.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the cumulative impact of the rollout of digital street infrastructure on (a) public digital connectivity, (b) local amenity, and (c) compliance with telecommunications licensing conditions.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As a result of commercial market and publicly funded rollout, over 88% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, up from less than 10% in 2019. In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reported that as of January 2025, 5G coverage was available outside of 96% of premises across the UK from at least one operator, up from 69% in May 2022.
The impact of digital infrastructure on local amenity is assessed by local planning authorities on a case by case basis. Planning conditions in legislation ensure that operators minimise the visual impact of new network development on the surrounding area as much as possible.
It is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure operators comply with their telecommunications licensing conditions.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that leaseholders’ reserve funds are (a) legally protected, (b) transparently accounted for and (c) subject to independent oversight.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Landlords and managing agents are responsible for handling billions of pounds of service charge monies each year, including reserve fund monies. Service charge monies are legally protected since they must be held in trust and at a financial institution authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780). The consultation closed on 26 September, and we are analysing responses.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reducing and (b) abolishing the (i) £7 fee for obtaining title information and (ii) other leaseholder fees charged by HM Land Registry to leaseholders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with my letter of 4 February 2025 to the HM Land Registry (HMLR) Board Chair, which can be found on gov.uk here, I would like to see HMLR fees support government objectives for investing in the accessibility and value of data, increasing the ease of doing business in the property market and providing a simple and efficient customer experience.
In addition I would like HMLR to prioritise free access to data, in particular minimising the cost of information services wherever possible.
HMLR is reviewing how its fees can be made simpler, fairer and enable better access to data it holds.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of defined benefit pension schemes for public sector workers on the public purse; and whether she plans to review the balance between defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes across the (a) public and (b) private sectors.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In line with the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission’s report in 2011, the Government’s central measure of the affordability of public service pensions is long-term public service pension spending as a share of GDP. In its Fiscal Risk and Sustainability Report 2024, the OBR projects that this measure will fall from 1.9% in 2023-24 to 1.4% in 2073-74.
The Government has established a new Pensions Commission, to support a strong, sustainable and fair pension system that secures a financially secure retirement for millions of private sector pensioners into the middle of this century.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the average annual energy consumption of outdoor digital advertising screens installed in public spaces; and whether his Department has considered the potential merits of introducing (a) minimum energy efficiency standards and (b) restrictions on operational hours for such installations.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ecodesign regulations for electronic displays, including outdoor screens, came into force on 1 March 2021. These set minimum energy performance standards aimed at improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The Department has not estimated the average annual energy consumption of such installations. As the effects of the regulations are only now being realised, the government will keep their impacts under review. This could include assessing the merits of introducing further energy efficiency requirements or restrictions on operational hours, in line with broader efforts to reduce energy demand and support net zero objectives.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on (a) manufacturing jobs, (b) consumer prices, (c) business competitiveness and (d) costs to businesses.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. The UK was the first country to secure such an agreement that removes tariffs for civil aerospace goods, and we remain the only country to have secured a 10% tariff for automotives within quota – saving hundreds of millions of pounds on UK exports annually. In 2024, the UK aerospace and automotive industries directly accounted for 232,000 jobs.
We are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal to address specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increase digital trade, and unlock new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations.
The Prime Minister, Business Secretary, Ministers and officials across government have been engaging widely with business organisations and companies across the economy. We will continue our extensive engagement throughout the remaining negotiations.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 potential merits of requiring leasehold contracts to (a) include (i) a clear summary of the key terms and conditions and (ii) accessible web links to the full documentation, and (b) require leaseholders to sign to confirm they have read and understood those terms and conditions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not carried out an assessment on this specific issue.
It is essential that leaseholders understand their rights and responsibilities and are able to access information regarding their leasehold arrangements.
Leaseholders can view high level information on their lease on the title register or request an official copy of their lease from HM Land Registry (HMLR) using form OC2. A dataset of registered leases is also published by HMLR and can be accessed free of charge for personal use. It can be found on gov.uk here.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780). The consultation closed on 26 September, and we are analysing responses.
On 6 October 2025, the government published a consultation on proposals to improve to the home buying and selling process. It can be found on gov.uk here.
The consultation includes proposals to require sellers and estate agents to provide upfront property information. This might include information relating to leasehold terms, property condition, and purchasing chains.
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must already not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support small and medium-sized enterprises to prepare for new market access arising from free trade agreement negotiations with Turkey; and with how many businesses his Department has held discussions on these negotiations.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is too soon to presume on the final outcomes of FTA negotiations with Türkiye but we have held two successful rounds of negotiations during which amongst other things both sides committed to a Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) chapter.
During our Call for Input we received substantial interest, including over 130 submissions from businesses and over 200 responses in total. We continue to actively engage businesses and stakeholders throughout negotiations.