Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to amend planning regulations for pubs through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.

This Government recognises that British pubs lie at the heart of our communities and will often be a much-valued community asset, which is why through the community ownership fund, we have protected 33 pubs with £8 million of funding from the UK Government.

High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), contained within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, will be a permissive power for local authorities, which they can use alongside other regeneration tools at their discretion. The Government has recently consulted on several areas of HSRA policy.

The consultation sought, in part, views on the introduction of two new permitted development rights that would facilitate the change of a premises' planning use in certain circumstances. The consultation closed on 7 July, and we are currently analysing responses. As such it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the consultation.