Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to promote the retail industry through the Government's Industrial Strategy.

At Autumn Budget 2018, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Future High Streets Fund, which aims to invest £675m in England to support local areas to develop and fund plans to make their high streets and town centres fit for the future. Autumn Budget also announced a cut in business rates by one third for the next two years for all retailers in England with a rateable value below £51,000, worth almost £1bn to retailers.

The industry-led Retail Sector Council has agreed its priority work areas for the next two years, focusing on: costs to business, skills and lifelong learning, employment protections, the circular economy, consumer protections, and retail and the Industrial Strategy.

A senior industry figure is leading each of these work groups and will bring proposals for action for both industry and government back to the Council for consideration. The Industrial Strategy workstream is led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and member of the Industrial Strategy Council, and will look at how the Industrial Strategy can work to the benefit of the retail sector.

As part of the Industrial Strategy, and following the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, the Government responded with the Good Work Plan, which will bring forward legislation to extend workers’ rights, including for people who work in the retail sector. This includes the introduction of new guidance to support the interpretation of holiday pay rules, as well as the biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage. An awareness campaign will be launched, targeted at both individuals and employers, to boost awareness and understanding to help ensure all workers are benefiting from their paid entitlement to leave. All these measures will improve the wages and working contracts of many of those working in the retail sector.