Covid-19: Financial Support for High Street Retailers Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateEarl of Shrewsbury
Main Page: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Earl of Shrewsbury's debates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(4 years ago)
Lords ChamberAs I set out earlier, we will be announcing a review of the business rates system shortly but we have a number of other elements in place, which I outlined in answering the first questioner, to support the high street during this difficult time.
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the serious demise of the high street was evident long before Covid hit, through a combination of the success of out-of-town shopping centres and the trend for shopping online? We really should have been thinking about things of this nature many years ago. Does he also agree that it is vital that we rethink the role the high street must play post-Covid, especially in rural towns, where it has always been a major part of the social structure of those communities?
I agree with my noble friend that the retail sector has been undergoing a period of transition that well predates the pandemic. High streets play a crucial part in our rural communities, and through the £3.6 billion Towns Fund and the High Street Task Force we are providing support to local businesses and high streets.