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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to regulate estate agents.

In our response to the call for evidence on improving the home buying and selling process, Government has committed to working with the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team to strengthen enforcement of the existing regulatory framework for estate agents with a focus on ensuring all agents comply with consumer protection regulations. We will also launch a consultation on creating a mandatory professional qualification for estate agents in due course.