I know how difficult it is for residents who are not in their homes. I can reassure my hon. Friend and his constituents that the MRA is carrying out daily investigations to get answers as swiftly as possible, and we are working with the council to provide support for residents. I can confirm that the Energy Minister is in touch with MSPs and will ensure that both my hon. Friend and his constituents are kept updated on the next steps.

Q4

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Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) (Lab):

Ninety-seven homes in Coalsnaughton have been evacuated due to ground movement—that is hundreds of people enduring severe emotional and financial distress. This is absolutely life-changing. The Mining Remediation Authority is now conducting an eight-week investigation into who will ultimately be held responsible. In the meantime, my constituents are looking to the UK Government for help. Will the Prime Minister commit to working with the Scottish Government and Clackmannanshire council to ensure that affected residents receive whatever support they need for a speedy and fair resolution?

Work to an existing home is considered a material alteration, and therefore falls within the definition of building work, if changes to the structural, fire safety, or accessibility features of that building are made as part of the work. Unless work is covered by a Competent Persons Scheme (CPS), all building work requires an application to local authority building control or a private sector Registered Building Control Approver. Local authorities have existing powers to prosecute those who breach the building regulations or carry out building work without authorisation and can require that work that breaches the regulations is altered or removed.

These powers were strengthened in the Building Safety Act 2022. Where work has been carried out without a building control application the person carrying out the work can also apply to the local authority to have the work regularised. The competence, conduct, and performance of the building control profession is regulated by the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Control Independent Panel is considering how building control is delivered and the performance of building control bodies; it will report in due course.

The UK takes allegations of neutrality violations seriously including any incidents related to UN installations. This is something we monitor closely in our annual assessment of UNRWA. When violations have been identified in the past, UNRWA has taken action including raising the issue with relevant parties.

We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. Their independent investigations include assessment of the policies and systems UNRWA has in place to ensure neutrality.

Chapter 4 of the Third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Technical Report assesses the climate-related risks and opportunities to infrastructure in the UK. Part 4.8 of that document considers the risks to subterranean and surface infrastructure from subsidence.

National Highways is responsible for the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the Strategic Road Network, funded by the Government in 5-year roads periods with objectives set out in Road Investment Strategies. The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-2025) includes action to enhance all-weather resilience of the strategic road network, to minimise the risk of incidents and their impact for road users. National Highways also reports under the adaptation reporting power of the Climate Change Act 2008 on what it is doing to check climate resilience against the latest Met Office Climate Projections and undertake actions to improve resilience across its network. The next round of adaptation reporting closes at the end of 2024.

In respect of local roads, the Department is providing over £5.5 billion of highways maintenance funding between 2020/21 – 2024/25 for eligible highway authorities outside London and those receiving City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). This funding is not ring-fenced, and authorities may choose to use it to maintain their network, including repairs to the highway following subsidence and actions to make networks more resilient to changing weather patterns. The Government has also announced that it will provide an additional £8.3 billion of reallocated HS2 funds over this year and the next decade to help authorities to transform their highway networks.

The Department for Transport does not provide grants to private landowners for repairing subsidence damage.

There is a general presumption against deforestation in England, and the vast majority of permitted felling of trees comes with restocking conditions attached. For this reason there are no official figures on the number of trees felled in England. Dangerous and nuisance trees are exempted from felling regulations.

We will be introducing the new Duty to Consult on street tree felling, as mandated in the Environment Act 2021, which will increase the awareness and transparency in decision making on street trees and create a space for the public to contribute to these decisions. We are currently developing appropriate guidance for the new Duty to Consult and will be seeking to commence the measure in 2023.

We will be introducing the new Duty to Consult on street tree felling, as mandated in the Environment Act 2021, which will increase the awareness and transparency in decision making on street trees and create a space for the public to contribute to these decisions. We are currently developing appropriate guidance for the new Duty to Consult and will be seeking to commence the measure in 2023.

We are also working to produce best practice guidance for local authorities to produce their own local tree and woodland strategies, supporting local authorities to expand, manage and protect local treescapes. The guidance will be in the form of a toolkit for Local Tree and Woodland Strategies and will be published by the Tree Council.

The irreplaceable nature of veteran trees and ancient woodlands is recognised in our 25 Year Environment Plan and further measures will be outlined in the Government's action plan on trees.

We have strengthened the protection of trees through the National Planning Policy Framework and guidance to planners. These outline that developments should be refused if they would lead to the loss or deterioration of ancient woodland and veteran trees, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and suitable compensation measures.

In addition, protection can be given to trees of particular significance by the local planning authority through a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). Placing a TPO on a tree or group of trees means the landowner would require local planning authority consent before working on or felling the protected trees.

The Government is committed to seeing more trees planted and has a general policy against permanent loss of woodland cover.

Currently there is no assessment on the number of trees felled each year as result of claims of subsidence damage to nearby buildings. This information is held by local authorities as most felling its often done by a case by case basis.

The Forestry Commission does monitor felling to ensure that it is compliant with the felling license regime and uses enforcement action against individuals who allow the felling of trees without the appropriate licence.

Responsibility for trees growing on private property lies with the property owner unless, for example the tree is endangering the public or subject to a Tree Preservation Order.

In our consultation on the England Tree Strategy, we welcome feedback on what changes need to be made to plant and protect more street trees.

Earlier this year the independent Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) commissioned a report from the British Geological Survey (BGS) to review the depth and location of historic coal mines in the East Midlands, which is a prospective area for shale gas development.

The OGA has commissioned a further report from the BGS which will include a review of historical seismicity which will be published in due course

These reports will inform the OGA’s consideration of any future applications for hydraulic fracturing operations in historic coal mining areas.

HS2 Ltd has not commissioned or used any satellite data analysis as current evidence does not suggest they are able to detect movements in rural areas with the accuracy required. HS2 Ltd are however investigating other analysis techniques and is reviewing the practicality of installing corner reflectors on the ground, in order to increase the accuracy of satellite data. Combined with other monitoring, this may enable subsequent and more modern satellite survey data to be analysed in sufficient detail.

HS2 Ltd has not commissioned any space-borne synthetic aperture radar surveys on the proposed route of High Speed 2 phase 2B in Eddisbury.

The Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991 and the Coal Industry Act 1994 set out the duties on the Coal Authority in relation to coal mining subsidence and includes provisions for purchase of properties and home loss payments. Principles relating to compensation reflect similar principles referred to in other codes of practice relating to compulsory purchase procedures instigated by other public bodies. However, the Coal Authority has no compulsory purchase rights relating to subsidence. There are, however, differences in the minimum and maximum degree of compensation paid.