Written question asked by Olivia Blake (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 April 2026. It was answered by Lucy Rigby (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Treasury.

Shareholders: Digital Technology

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration has the Government made of the potential impact of shareholder digitisation on a) cooperatives, b) small businesses and c) social enterprises.

Answer: The Digitisation Taskforce, chaired by Sir Douglas Flint, published a report in July 2025 with its recommendations on how to modernise the UK’s shareholding framework, including removing paper shares. The report focused on companies whose securities are traded publicly, and did not cover private, unlisted companies or other entities. The government has accepted his recommendations. The Dematerialisation Market Action Taskforce (DEMAT), chaired by Mark Austin, is now taking forward work to implement the recommendations from the report.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 128429
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Cooperatives Digital technology Small businesses Shareholders Social enterprises
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk