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Written Question
Business: Urban Areas
Tuesday 4th September 2018

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses on UK high streets that have closed in the last 12 months.

Answered by Jake Berry

High streets are a crucial part of our communities. The Government is determined to see our high streets thriving, both now and in the future. We want to see vibrant hubs where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.

This is why we have announced that the Department will launch a call for evidence over the summer looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing an expert panel of industry leaders to draw on their experience and expertise to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.

In the last 12 months, 51,504 businesses on UK high street closed. Over the same period, 42,166 new business units opened. This is based on Local Data Company Data, which looks at openings and closures of individual units rather than businesses. We do not currently hold data on business closures.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Closures
Tuesday 4th September 2018

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the level of business rates on the number retail businesses closing.

Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union

The majority of businesses saw no change or a fall in their business rates liability following the 2017 revaluation. In addition to the £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme to support those facing increases, the Government has introduced a range of business rates reforms and measures worth over £10 billion to 2023 to support all businesses, including the retail sector.

High streets are a crucial part of our communities, and the Government recognises the sector faces challenges. That’s why we recently announced a call for evidence looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing a panel of industry leaders to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Urban Areas
Tuesday 4th September 2018

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses on UK high streets that have closed in the last 12 months.

Answered by Jake Berry

High streets are a crucial part of our communities. The Government is determined to see our high streets thriving, both now and in the future. We want to see vibrant hubs where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.

This is why we have announced that the Department will launch a call for evidence over the summer looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing an expert panel of industry leaders to draw on their experience and expertise to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.

In the last 12 months, 51,504 businesses on UK high street closed. Over the same period, 42,166 new business units opened. This is based on Local Data Company Data, which looks at openings and closures of individual units rather than businesses. We do not currently hold data on business closures.


Written Question
Public Health Funerals
Monday 2nd July 2018

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of Public Health Funerals arranged by local authorities or local hospitals in every year since 2005.

Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government does not collect the information requested. Figures on local authority expenditure on, and income from, the provision of cemetery, cremation and mortuary services, including closed churchyards and post-mortem services within mortuaries, are collected on the Revenue Outturn (RO) form available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data-outturn