Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support heritage public houses in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Heritage pubs are protected through the planning and listed building consent regimes.

The new Community Right to Buy will give communities the first opportunity to purchase Assets of Community Value that are important to them. While many heritage pubs are already listed as Assets of Community Value, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act expanded the definition so that assets which historically furthered the community's interest are in scope of being listed.