The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, with a range of enforcement powers. The Department holds the CQC to account regularly for its overall performance and delivery of its regulatory functions.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the CQC has civil and criminal enforcement powers enabling it to protect the public and hold registered providers and managers to account where fundamental standards are not met, or regulated activities are provided without CQC registration. Civil powers focus on reducing risks to people using services, while criminal powers enable the CQC to take action in response to serious failures. In some cases, the CQC may use both types of enforcement action.

Decisions on enforcement action are a matter for the CQC, exercised in line with its statutory remit and published enforcement policy.

The Secretary of State has not had recent direct discussions with local authorities in Slough or Berkshire on fly-tipping enforcement.

Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of interested parties such as local councils, the Environment Agency, National Farmers Union and National Police Chiefs Council, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping.

We continue to encourage and support councils to make good use of their enforcement powers. For example, we are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to consistently, appropriately and effectively exercise these existing powers.

Additionally, following a review of council powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, we have issued best practice guidance on the website on the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group. This will support councils to make better use of their power to seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers and action that could lead to selling or destroying the vehicle.

On 8 January 2026, I announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out what the government plans to do to tackle pavement parking. In the first instance we plan to give local authorities powers in 2026 to issue Penalty Charge Notices for vehicles parked in a way that unnecessarily obstructs the pavement.

I have hosted two stakeholder roundtables on pavement parking policy. One of the roundtables was attended by representatives from several Mayoral Combined Authorities. I have also corresponded with various Local Authorities, and my officials have held engagement sessions with Local Authorities on our pavement parking policy approach.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizure. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles, including privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Enforcement of road traffic legislation is an operational matter for Chief Officers of local forces to decide how best to use their powers depending on the specific circumstances.

Only e-bikes that comply in full with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 can be legally used on public roads.

Where an e-bike does not comply with these Regulations, it counts as an e-moped or motorbike and must therefore be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must wear a safety helmet and hold the appropriate driving licence. Enforcement is a matter for the police.

The DSIT Secretary of State and officials regularly meet with Ofcom to discuss the Online Safety Act and enforcement.

The Online Safety Act gives platforms new duties to proactively tackle the most harmful content on their services. This includes intimate image abuse, which is a priority harm under the regulations. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to sanction companies who do not comply with these new duties. It can require companies to take measures to return to compliance, impose substantial fines, or apply to the courts for business disruption measures.

The managed service companies legislation tackles specific tax avoidance arrangements that disguise employment in order to not pay the right tax. Ordinary tax advisory and accountancy services do not come within scope of these rules.

In November 2024, HMRC published Spotlight 67 explaining how the legislation works and what activities fall outside its scope.

Border Force’s number one priority is to keep our borders safe and secure, and we will never compromise on this. Border Force officers work tirelessly, working closely with law enforcement agencies to share intelligence.

Border Force has extensive powers to examine and control traffic for a wide variety of purposes, and through its work at the border is able to examine vehicles and freight and ensure detections of illegal imports are referred to the most relevant authority or enforcement agency for action.

If live animals are detected, Border Force is responsible for the detention of the animals and vehicle, and then referring to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at the appropriate border control post for further enforcement action.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.

Defra regularly engages with stakeholders, including local authorities, on a range of animal welfare issues, including the smuggling of pets into the UK and the cropping of dogs’ ears.

HMRC is responsible for enforcing export controls on strategic goods and sanctions and investigating potential breaches of those controls. There are extensive trade measures in place and the UK Government monitors the effectiveness of all its sanctions, including those made through the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

We are committed to tackling sanctions circumvention, ensuring that sanctions are robustly enforced; potential breaches are investigated, and appropriate action taken. Departments from across HMG are working together, and with UK companies, to ensure that sanctions are enforced.

Internationally, we are working closely with our US and EU sanctions coordinators to raise circumvention with several countries to highlight these risks and support them to enforce sanctions effectively.

For information, on 22 May 2023, HMRC and DBT issued a Notice to Exporters outlining trade sanctions circumvention - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-exporters-202308-russia-sanctions-trade-sanctions-circumvention

The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

While there are no specific rules covering information on the suitability of food for vegetarians or vegans, the requirement that food information must not mislead consumers applies to such labels as for other voluntary labels.

Food labelling rules are enforced by local authorities. The Food Standards Agency has agreements and protocols in place to support local authorities in their work and gives guidance to explain the regulations and how they can be applied to food businesses. When assessing foodstuffs for non-compliance, Trading Standards officers adhere to an established hierarchy of enforcement actions, ranging from improvements notices to criminal charges resulting in custodial sentences and unlimited fines.

Food labelling rules are enforced independently by local authorities. When assessing food stuffs for non- compliance, Trading standards officers adhere to an established hierarchy of enforcement actions, ranging from improvements notices to criminal charges resulting in custodial sentences and unlimited fines. There are no current plans to review penalties on general food information law, and these rules, as is standard procedure, are subject to periodic post implementation review.

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the regulatory authority for the postal sector. However, as an independent regulator, it is for Ofcom to decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations.

Ofcom publishes the decisions of its investigations into Royal Mail’s performance against its quality of service targets on its website: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/bulletins/enforcement-bulletin/all-closed-cases. The regulator fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23.

A licensing regime for the sale of fireworks already exists, with retailers needing a licence to supply fireworks outside of the traditional firework periods. Retailers may still need a licence in the selling periods, depending on the quantity they wish to store and sell. We have no current plans to introduce further restrictions.

Local Authorities and the Police have a wide range of powers available to them to tackle the misuse of fireworks. The Government has not undertaken an assessment of their effectiveness but considers these powers to be proportionate and effective in protecting the public from undue harm.

During COVID-19 pandemic the CMS ability to recover arrears via enforcement activity was affected as Enforcement Agents and the Courts were operating at a reduced capacity. Temporary changes were made to the Child Maintenance Service to ensure it could continue to deliver its priorities supporting separated parents.

The CMS worked with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to establish alternatives to face to face court hearings by setting up video / phone hearings where outcomes were received digitally.

The CMS has now reinstated a full service and is committed to making sure that over time everyone pays or receives the right amount of child maintenance.

In 2021-22 we made more referrals to enforcement agents than in any other year and the number of liability orders applied for each year is back to pre-pandemic levels.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to take rigorous action to collect maintenance, combining robust negotiation activity with the highly effective use of its extensive range of Enforcement Powers. This approach is driven by the Payment Compliance strategy increasing CMS compliance influencing activities to tackle non-paying cases and challenge non-compliant behaviours. CMS applies a Continuous Improvement focus to Enforcement strategy and processes.

The UK went into its first lockdown on the 23rd March 2020, its second on the 5th November 2020 and its third on the 6th January 2021. The Child Maintenance Service was affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the resultant changes to the Department’s operational priorities and staffing resources. CMS have worked in partnership with Courts and Enforcement Agents following the restrictions on Enforcement activity during this period to quickly return to normal operating practice and pursue non-compliant parents.

Total child maintenance collected using Enforcement Actions amounted to £36.1 million in the quarter to September 2022 compared with £33.8 in September 2021 and £28.4 in September 2020. This rise in collections is linked directly to increased collections through Deductions from Earnings Orders, lump sum and regular deductions taken directly from paying parents’ bank accounts, Liability Order and Bailiff actions and making full use of all available sanctions.

(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 7.1 ‘Enforcement Actions’, April 2015 to September 2022).

As a result of a focussed effort to increase enforcement activity £49.4 million was paid through the Collect & Pay service in the quarter to June 2022 compared to the quarter ending December 2019 where £44.1 million was paid before the impact of the pandemic took effect.

(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 5 ‘Money Due and Paid each quarter’ January 2015 to September 2022).

There has been a consistent downward trend in the proportion of unpaid maintenance as a proportion of maintenance arranged since 2017, falling from 12.5% in 2017 to 8.2% in September 2022.

(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables - table 6 ‘ how much maintenance CMS has arranged March 2015 to September 2022).