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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of online retailers on small high street businesses.

The Government does not collect data regarding the effect of online retailers on small high street businesses. The growing ‘convenience culture’, with 35% of online shoppers using click and collect, is boosting the traditional high streets revival, driving people back on to the high street.

This Government has also taken action: our high streets will benefit from the £6 billion Business Rates support package announced at the last Budget. Since 2010, the Government has helped create over 360 town teams, and given over £18 million to towns - funding successful initiatives such as “Love your Local Market” and the “Great British High Street”.

The Future High Street Forum commissioned a Digital report, Digital 2020, which was published in March 2015 which looked at what help our high street businesses need to adapt in the digital age. A digital pilot in Gloucestershire was launched earlier this year with the support of the Future High Street Forum and GFirst LEP to support SMEs to embrace digital.