Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that enforcement operations against organised crime on the high street are coordinated with local authority regeneration programmes to support the return of affected premises to legitimate commercial use.

The Home Office fully recognises the importance of closure powers in tackling high street illegality and is already taking steps to strengthen the regime through doubling the duration of closures orders to a maximum of 12 months. We are aware of the risk of displacement and criminals’ ability to adapt and move their activity elsewhere. The High Street Organised Crime Unit is therefore working closely with all relevant departments and agencies to maximise existing tools and continues to explore options for additional measures to further clamp down on these criminals and protect our high streets.

Tackling organised crime and supporting the regeneration of town centres are complementary objectives and the Home Office is working closely with MHCLG and local partners as part of the Government's wider ambitions for thriving high streets, which will be set out further in our High Streets Strategy.