High streets are a crucial part of our communities. The Government is determined to see our high streets thriving, both now and in the future. We want to see vibrant hubs where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.<\/p>
This is why we have announced that the Department will launch a call for evidence over the summer looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing an expert panel of industry leaders to draw on their experience and expertise to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.<\/p>
In the last 12 months, 51,504 businesses on UK high street closed. Over the same period, 42,166 new business units opened. This is based on Local Data Company Data, which looks at openings and closures of individual units rather than businesses. We do not currently hold data on business closures.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4060", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jake Berry"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rossendale and Darwen"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jake Berry"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T14:39:17.847Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Retail Trade: Urban Areas"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses on UK high streets that have closed in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"} ], "uin" : "168077"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947277", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947277/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There are nearly 1,000 multi-employer schemes. The legislation requiring employers to pay debts applies to all. This legislation helps ensure employees receive the pension they have been promised and worked for.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Green Paper \u201cProtecting Defined Benefit Pensions\u201d specifically discussed Multi Employer Schemes. The government looked closely at evidence submitted from employers and representatives from the Plumbing & Mechanical Services (UK) Industry Pension Scheme regarding this legislation. After careful consideration the government concluded that it cannot consider amending an important area of legislation further, which would disadvantage scheme members, just to address one particular scheme\u2019s problems.<\/p>
Summaries of the responses to the Green Paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/defined-benefit-pension-schemes-security-and-sustainability<\/a><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-05T14:25:21.733Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pensions: Plumbing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the effect of section 75 rules on debt calculations for multi-Employer Pension Schemes on directors of plumbing companies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "168080"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946908", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946908/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The majority of businesses saw no change or a fall in their business rates liability following the 2017 revaluation. In addition to the £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme to support those facing increases, the Government has introduced a range of business rates reforms and measures worth over £10 billion to 2023 to support all businesses, including the retail sector.<\/p> High streets are a crucial part of our communities, and the Government recognises the sector faces challenges. That\u2019s why we recently announced a call for evidence looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing a panel of industry leaders to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T14:59:02.2Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Retail Trade: Closures"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the level of business rates on the number retail businesses closing.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "167405"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946919", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946919/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Independent Case Examiner\u2019s Office can only accept a complaint for examination once the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaint process has been exhausted. Final complaint responses from DWP signpost complainants to the ICE Office if they remain dissatisfied with the response to their complaint and tell them they have six months in which to do so.<\/p> <\/p> In response to: (a) we do not collect information about the average time taken by complainants to escalate their complaint to the Independent Case Examiner\u2019s Office, following receipt of DWPs final complaint response; (b) to date, the average time take to allocate complaints about the equalisation of state pension age to an investigation case manager is 47 weeks; and (c) following allocation to an investigation case manager the average time taken to conclude an investigation into this group of complaints is 9 weeks (against a target of 20 weeks).<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T11:15:41.44Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "State Retirement Pensions: Females"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2018 to Question 146980 on State Retirement Pensions: Females, what the average length of time taken was for a complaint in relation to the equalisation of the state pension age to be (a) received and referred to be Independent Case Examiners Office, (b) allocated to a case manager and (c) investigated by the case manager and a response issued to the complainant.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "167406"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946920", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946920/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The decision to equalise the State Pension age for men and women dates back to 1995 and has been supported by Coalition, Labour and Conservative governments since then.<\/p> The Office for National Statistics publishes annual mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries. These detail persons by single year of age and sex. The most recent data is for mid-2017 and was released in June 2018. It can be found at the below link:<\/p>