Economy: High Street Trade

Lord Grade of Yarmouth Excerpts

Tuesday 10th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bilimoria (CB)]

My Lords—

[Lord Grade of Yarmouth (Con)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Con)]

My Lords, there can be only one of us standing up at any one time. Thank you. We have not heard from the Cross Benches. After hearing from them I suggest that we go to my noble friend Lord Grade.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Lord is absolutely right that the digital age has in many cases been to the high street’s advantage. I have mentioned click and collect. Our local high street businesses have to compete in the digital era and we have recently announced a digital pilot programme across Gloucestershire working with partners in the private sector including Argos, IBM and Cisco. This work was developed in close collaboration with the BIS retail unit.

[Lord Grade of Yarmouth]

Does my noble friend think that there is any connection between the lack of customers in the high street and the tyrannical and punitive parking arrangements that are imposed in our streets that make it impossible to go to the high street and spend money?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My noble friend is absolutely right. The Government have recognised that some of the punitive practices on our high streets have prevented or discouraged people from going shopping on their local high streets and we have done something about it.