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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban local authorities from voting in any ballot which takes place under the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 (SI2004/2443).

The government is committed to supporting Business Improvement Districts, as they have been a key tool in providing business-led improvements to local areas since 2004, and they remain an important part of our high streets and town centre agenda.

The government does not have any specific proposals for amending the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 with respect to Business Improvement Districts at the present time, including any plans to prevent local authorities from voting in Business Improvement Districts ballots or introduce a statutory minimum ballot turnout.

The government keeps the statutory framework for Business Improvement Districts under constant review.