Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of pubs in operation in England.

My Department supports the community ownership of pubs through the £3.62 million More Than A Pub Programme which is jointly funded with Power to Change, the independent trust supporting community businesses in England.

This programme provides bespoke advice and support plus grants and loans to community groups who wish to take ownership of a pub. Power to Change is currently considering an extension to the programme beyond March 2018. The Government has also created a community pubs loan fund, which will continue to be available to community pubs until 2025.

My Department does not collect or hold information on the number of pubs in operation in England.