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 introducing the Scottish system of house purchase whereby there is a binding contract between buyer and seller after exchanging missives.

The government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England and Wales is slow, costly and stressful for both consumers and professionals.

On 9 February 2025, the government announced action to improve the availability of property information through digitalisation. This will help transactions run more smoothly by ensuring all parties are able to access the information they need at the right time.

We continue to review evidence from other jurisdictions, including in respect of protections such as reservation agreements, as we consider further measures to improve the home buying and selling process.