Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of hospitality business closures on high streets and town centres, particularly in regions with above-average closure rates.

Hospitality businesses play a vital role in the economic health of high streets and town centres, supporting jobs, footfall and local supply chains.

The Government monitors developments affecting businesses on the high street and is taking action to support retail, hospitality and leisure businesses through measures such as licensing changes, business rates reform and wider plans to reinvigorate high streets and support local growth across all regions. This includes working with the hospitality sector to develop a High Streets Strategy that is due to be published later in the year.