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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to help protect historic farmers markets from closure.

The Department engages regularly at official level with the retail markets industry on a range of joint issues affecting markets through the Retail Markets Forum. The Farm Retail Association, which represents farm shops and farmers' markets, is a member of the Forum.

The Government has made permanent the permitted development right, initially introduced as a time-limited right as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, that enables markets to be held by or on behalf of local authorities for an unlimited number of days. The right will help local authorities to encourage economic activity, thereby creating employment and improving the vitality and viability of high streets and town centres.

The Government has provided a comprehensive package of around £400 billion of direct support to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK. This package includes business grants, the coronavirus loan schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as deferral of income tax payments. Market traders have been able to benefit from this support package for businesses.

Our £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will be used to restore local pride across the UK by focusing investment on improving communities and place, people and skills, and supporting local business. Local leaders will be empowered to direct funding towards their own, locally identified priorities, whether that be promoting new outdoor markets, reducing litter, graffiti and anti-social behaviour, reviving high streets, supporting local businesses or introducing skills provision to match local labour market need and support those furthest from the labour market.

Ultimately we believe it is for local authorities, not central Government, to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas.