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1683019

registered interest
date	17/01/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department is providing to local authorities on the distribution of funding for high streets.
tabling member constituency	South Staffordshire
tabling member printed	Sir Gavin Williamson
uin	10112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>There is a range of support options available to encourage regeneration of high streets and we advise local authorities on how to make the best use of these. This support includes provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act for High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) which give local authorities new powers to force landlords to rent out vacant units in high streets, as well as the High Street Accelerator pilot programme and the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns to drive ambitious plans for regeneration.</p><p>Long-term investment also includes £2.35 billion of Town Deals and over £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England.</p> answering member constituency Redcar answering member printed Jacob Young grouped question UIN 10111 question first answered 23/01/2024 11:33:55 answering member 4825 label Biography information for Jacob Young
tabling member	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson

1681645

registered interest
date	11/01/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support the long-term viability of high streets.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Dehenna Davison
uin	9294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2024 answer text <p>This Government is fully committed to supporting our high-street businesses and communities.</p><p>Thanks to my Hon friend’s hard work, provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act for High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) give local authorities new powers to force landlords to rent out vacant units in high streets. HSRAs will be backed by £2 million funding announced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, to help communities and local businesses take control of empty properties, covering the cost of refurbishing properties, the auction process and council fees.</p><p>The High Street Accelerator pilot programme will incentivise and empower local people to work together to develop ambitious plans to tackle vacancy and anti-social behaviour, and work on long-term regeneration plans to future proof their high streets.</p><p>The Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns has identified 55 towns to develop the first wave of Town Partnerships, backed by £1.1 billion overall, to drive ambitious plans to regenerate local towns across the UK over the next decade.</p><p>Long-term investment also includes £2.35 billion of Town Deals and over £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England.</p><p>At the last autumn statement, the Chancellor announced a business rates support package worth £4.3 billion over the next five years, freezing the small business multiplier and extending the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure scheme.</p><p>I want to thank my Hon friend for her work, and I look forward to continuing to work with her on levelling up projects in Bishop Auckland and our Long-Term Plan for Towns in Spennymoor.</p> answering member constituency Redcar answering member printed Jacob Young question first answered 18/01/2024 17:53:32 answering member 4825 label Biography information for Jacob Young
tabling member	4737 label Biography information for Dehenna Davison

1667596

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help support traditional high street retailers to expand into e-commerce.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Dehenna Davison
uin	476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>The Digital Exporting Programme provides support for UK companies looking to sell their products to international consumers through digital channels such as ecommerce. Digital Trade and Ecommerce Advisers provide one-to-one support and can help with everything from developing a digital commerce strategy to making websites more attractive to international audiences. UK Export Academy provides sector-specific webinars, masterclasses and virtual missions, helping businesses grow by finding new customers and increasing sales.</p><p>Help to Grow: Management is an intensive national training programme helping thousands of SME businesses to improve their productivity and grow their businesses, including through upskilling them in digital adoption.</p><p>The Retail Sector Council recently published a paper on the challenges facing the sector and is encouraging a dialogue with business to work with government to identify measures that both business and government should consider.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 15/11/2023 09:47:27 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4737 label Biography information for Dehenna Davison

1520489

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage high street shopping.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	60966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government recognises that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial challenges to many consumers, reducing their spending power and impacting retail sales. Retailers have been working to help households cope with the cost of living crisis, including supporting the Cost of Living Business Tsar and Government is providing over £15 billion in Cost of Living support, bringing the total support measures announced to £37 billion this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Retail Sector Council continues to work on the strategic issues facing the sector and has identified the importance of high streets and place as a priority area.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 19/10/2022 17:09:46 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1506018

registered interest
date	07/09/2022
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy on the future viability of high streets.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	49194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2022 answer text <p>In the Build Back Better High Streets strategy we set out Government’s long-term plan to support the evolution of high streets into thriving places to work, visit and live.</p><p>Following on from this, on Wednesday 11 May we introduced the Levelling Up &amp; Regeneration Bill, (LURB). This new legislation will play an important role in reviving our high streets by introducing High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs). HSRAs will empower places to tackle decline by bringing vacant units back into use and will seek to increase cooperation between landlords and local authorities, and to make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants, including SMEs, local businesses and community groups.</p><p>Similarly, local authorities will be given new tools and powers to support compulsory purchase orders and build-out to aid regeneration and delivery, which will result in better outcomes for high streets and towns centres. Other measures such as changes to the advertising regime, pavement licensing rules and permitted construction hours will also support businesses to grow, helping overall economic output.</p><p>These new measures build on the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy and will help create attractive and lively high streets, with increased footfall and activity, which attracts people and businesses, increases pride in place and avoids the long-term presence of vacancies, ensuring high streets remain viable now and in the future.</p> answering member constituency Bishop Auckland answering member printed Dehenna Davison question first answered 22/09/2022 09:58:00 answering member 4737 label Biography information for Dehenna Davison
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1488086

registered interest
date	11/07/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to (a) engage with and (b) support retail park businesses which are seeking to move to the high street.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	33853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2022 answer text <p>I chair regular retail roundtables to understand retailer’s needs and issues, including trading conditions and represent these across Government.</p><p> </p><p>Last year, Government published our vision for the future of high streets in the Build Back Better High Streets strategy. This document set out the Government's long-term plan to support the evolution of high streets into thriving places to work, visit and live.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this, the Government is providing new temporary business rates relief worth almost £1.7 billion for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses.</p> answering member constituency Loughborough answering member printed Jane Hunt question first answered 18/07/2022 08:10:55 answering member 4839 label Biography information for Jane Hunt
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1488087

registered interest
date	11/07/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to encourage retail park businesses to have a presence on the high street.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	33854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2022 answer text <p>Last year, the Government published the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy, where we committed to continue working with the retail sector, and the Retail Sector Council, to set out our long-term plan to support the evolution of high streets into thriving places to work, visit and live.</p><p> </p><p>We have gone further to set out our ambition for our towns and high streets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, published last month, through High Street Rental Auctions which will grant a permissive power to local authorities to tackle the problem of persistently vacant property on high streets and in town centres.</p> answering member constituency Loughborough answering member printed Jane Hunt question first answered 18/07/2022 08:10:00 answering member 4839 label Biography information for Jane Hunt
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1471332

registered interest
date	17/06/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the availability of labour on high street businesses.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	20214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2022 answer text <p>We are aware of elevated levels of vacancies affecting high street businesses.</p><p> </p><p>Both the Retail Sector Council and Hospitality Sector Council continue to work on the strategic issues facing businesses, including jobs and skills. The Retail Sector Council has identified skills and lifelong learning as a key priority and the Hospitality Strategy focuses on jobs and skills as a way to build resilience across the sector.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 23/06/2022 16:03:31 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1441336

registered interest
date	15/03/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he plans to take to (a) support the future of independent shops on high streets and (b) encourage more local businesses to set up high street stores.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	140558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2022 answer text <p>In July 2021, the Prime Minister launched a strategy for the high street to transform town centres into vibrant places to live, work, and visit, and confirmed 15 Town Deals worth £335 million to revitalise towns across England.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this funding, the Government is providing a new temporary relief worth almost £1.7 billion for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses, resulting in over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses receiving at least a 50 per cent reduction in their business rates bills in 2022-23, when taken together with Small Business Rates Relief.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/03/2022 17:32:06 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1404812

registered interest
date	20/01/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth and sustainability of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants on high streets.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	108624
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2022 answer text <p>In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy, including working with the sector to make hospitality a career option of choice and looking at the labour and skills shortages.</p><p> </p><p>In order to help address the immediate challenges of labour shortages in the hospitality sector, the Department for Work and Pensions is working hard to fill ongoing vacancies by using work coaches to help find local talent, and Plans for Jobs programmes, such as Kickstart and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education has also added hospitality and catering qualifications to the Free Courses for Jobs, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Additionally, we are increasing employer-led apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, extending the £3,000 incentive payment for every apprentice a business hires up until 31 January 2022, and improving the apprenticeship system for employers.</p><p> </p><p>On 15 July, we published the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy, where we committed to continue working with the retail sector, and the Retail Sector Council in particular, on its long-term strategic needs to ensure that businesses are profitable, resilient, innovative and support local economies in socially and environmentally responsible ways.</p><p> </p><p>On 20 January, BEIS and HMT jointly launched Help to Grow Digital, a UK wide Government scheme offering eligible small and medium sized businesses access to digital technology to supercharge their business growth and help drive our recovery from coronavirus.</p><p>On 18 August, the Retail Sector Council launched a national online initiative to help small independent retailers (SMEs) cut their carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly<strong>.</strong> <a href="https://greenstreet.org.uk/" target="_blank">Green Street</a> is an informative and accessible Hub, built by retailers for retailers to encourage planet friendly shopping.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 27/01/2022 11:39:43 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson