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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Towns Fund and (b) other measures in revitalising high streets.

Through the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, we are working with 100 towns to agree proposals that will invest up to £25 million in each place. Partners from the private and public sector in each of the areas for the towns selected have already come together to develop a Town Deal Board that will be the vehicle through which the vision and strategy for the town is defined. The Government recognise the importance of putting in place robust monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure we can measure the effectiveness of these interventions and will publish further guidance in due course.

This Government has also brought forward a number of initiatives to support our high streets, including our £1 billion Future High Streets Fund, the new pilots being run by the High Streets Task Force, Great British High Street Awards, and increasing small business rates relief from one third to 50 per cent.