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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the assets of community value scheme in protecting community pubs in (a) Sheffield and (b) England.

The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in protecting community pubs in Sheffield or in England, although my officials are undertaking a review of the implementation of the policy in relation to all assets across the country. They are engaging a broad range of stakeholders - local authorities, community groups, property owners - to listen to their reflections and experiences concerning the policy and any evidence on how the Community Right to Bid is working in practice. The Community Right to Bid is seen by many stakeholders as a powerful way for local people to send a clear signal to their local authorities and to owners of assets that they are keen to have say on the future of buildings which are central to their lives.