Oral Answers to Questions

Wendy Morton Excerpts
Monday 2nd September 2024

(5 days ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Mel Stride. Sorry; he is not here.

Wendy Morton Portrait Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)
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Our high streets are undoubtedly changing. Conservative-led Walsall Council is working hard to secure positive change in areas such as Brownhills and the regeneration of Ravenscourt, and we have a new civic square. What additional resources will the Minister make available to councils? The regeneration of our high streets, both residential and commercial, is an excellent way of helping to protect green-belt land by also regenerating important town centres.

Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris
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The right hon. Lady is exactly right. The future of the high street is not about returning to how things were. There must be a place for leisure, a place, of course, for retail and a place for residential properties, and councils of all political persuasions throughout the country are trying to find that perfect alchemy. We have inherited an extremely difficult funding situation, but we are working our way through it, and future funding decisions will be made in the Budget on 30 October.