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.

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.