REGULATION OF ACCOMMODATION ADDRESSES

That this House expresses grave concern at the criminal exploitation of accommodation addresses and mail forwarding services by individuals and organisations involved in activities such as terrorism, serious organised crime, identity theft, mail scams, tax evasion, financial swindles and benefit fraud; shares the concerns voiced by organisations such as the police, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Trading Standards Insitutute, Office of Fair Trading and Government departments and agencies regarding the need for regulation of these services; notes that legislation will soon be operating in the capital under the London Local Authorities Act 2007 that requires those running accommodation and mail forwarding services to register their businesses, keep records and to exercise due care in confirming the identities and contact details of those who use their services; and calls upon the Government to extend this legislation to the rest of the country.