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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage investment in high streets in (a) London and (b) Ilford South constituency.

The government is fully committed to revitalising our high streets and supporting businesses to make our towns, including those in London and Ilford South constituency, successful.

We recognise the important role Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) provide, such as Ilford BID, that attract investment and improve trade in local town centres. We have introduced High Street Rental Auctions, which give local authorities the power to auction off the lease of persistently vacant commercial premises, to make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants.

Through our UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the London Borough of Redbridge is providing support for local businesses and has invested in improvements to Ilford town centre public realm. The Small Business Strategy Command Paper, to be published in 2025, will set out this Government’s plans to improve access to finance and inward investment to foster thriving high streets.