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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to improve productivity in the retail sector; and if he will make a statement.

Retail is a vital sector for the UK economy, spreading wealth across the whole of the country, creating jobs, and injecting billions of pounds into our economy. We are working closely with retailers to address productivity issues, and would welcome their proposals as part of Industrial Strategy. Support for retailers is also available from Local Growth Hubs and Local Enterprise Partnerships.