Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with representatives of small businesses regarding the potential impact of online retail competition on town centre economies.

DBT maintains regular engagement with small business through a range of forums. The Small Business Growth Forum brings together SMEs and representative organisations to develop the department’s strategic approach to supporting small businesses.

The department also convenes a range of sector councils including the Retail Sector Council, an industry-led forum that enables retail leaders, including SMEs, to engage directly with government and identify priority issues and trends affecting the sector.

This year MHCLG will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy. We are working closely with businesses and representative bodies to inform this.