Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Monday 17th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Johnson (Dartford) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to support local high streets.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

6. What steps his Department is taking to support local high streets.

[The Minister for Housing (Mr Mark Prisk)]

In response to the Portas review, the Government are taking positive action to help our high streets. That includes strengthening local civic leadership through town team partners and business improvement districts, revitalising local markets and backing small businesses.

[Mr Prisk]

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend that strong civic and local business leadership is vital. That is why we are enabling more than 300 towns to form town team partners. I hope right hon. and hon. Members will support their local town team partners so we can ensure that our high streets can compete in future.

[Peter Aldous]

The Lowestoft town team are getting to work on implementing the plans set out in their successful Portas pilot bid. The town centre was enhanced in the summer by Lowestoft college’s short-term lease of an empty shop. Does the Minister plan to encourage landlords to carry out more lettings of that nature?

[Mr Prisk]

Absolutely; we need to encourage that kind of innovation, and I commend what has happened in respect of Lowestoft college. That is why we have a £10 million high street innovation fund to help those with the highest vacancy rates. We need to get those empty shops back into use, whether as pop-up shops or as in my hon. Friend’s example. It is very important to tackle that aspect of the problem.