Written question asked by Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative) on Thursday, 2 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Blair McDougall (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Insolvency: Data Protection

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what are the powers of (a) the Secretary of State, (b) Insolvency Service and (c) Insolvency Practitioners to request that corporate electronic communications held by a company in administration are retained where there is a wider public interest that such communications are not lost.

Answer: Insolvency office-holders, including administrators, are responsible for securing a company's records upon their appointment. The Insolvency Service, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, may request relevant records are retained where it is conducting investigations or legal proceedings into the company and its directors, where this is in the public interest to do so. There is no general power under insolvency law to request retention of a company's electronic communications solely on wider public interest grounds.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 15574
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Data protection Insolvency Insolvency Service Insolvency Practitioners Association
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk