House purchase - how safe is bank draft made payable to solicitor

[Redshoes]

Is the bank draft that I give my solicitor before completion of a house purchase protected by the government/or insurance in the event that the solicitor goes bankrupt or just absconds, or has criminal intentions.
I ask, because I was listening to a horror story on BBC Radio 4 where a buyer transferred funds to a bogus solicitor (a gang of white collar criminals specialized in setting up bogus regional offices of well known chain solicitors). The money was gone and the buyer had no redress.
I moved from Norway recently. There the escrow account (usually managed by the estate agent) is backed by 100's of millions backed by the Norwegian government, so you know your money is safe.

 

[ryaner]

Solicitors have to keep their own funds and client funds in completely separate bank accounts, so short of the bank itself going under, there is no risk to the money from that side.

The criminals setting a fake office is a new one, and tbh, with the length of time it takes for sales over here and the way the banks operate, it is highly unlikely to happen unless you are paying cash?