Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of jobs lost in the retail sector as a result of high street store closures; and what proportion of those losses they attribute to recent increases in employer National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage.

The Department recognises the pressures facing high streets and the implications for employment in the retail sector. Our Plan for Small and Medium Sized Businesses places high streets at the centre of economic renewal, supporting SMEs through improved finance access, reduced regulatory burdens and enhanced business support through the Business Growth Service.

The Government has not undertaken any modelling to evaluate the relationship between retail job losses and recent adjustments to employer National Insurance contributions or increases in the National Living Wage.