Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of programmes funded under (1) the Levelling Up Fund, (2) the Towns Fund, and (3) the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in addressing regional socio-economic divides across the UK.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The UK Government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom. As part of a wide range of policies and interventions, we are investing over £15 billion in a suite of complementary Levelling Up projects across the UK to help grow the economy, create jobs, redevelop local amenities, improve transport, provide skills training, and support local businesses.
The department plans to complete process, impact, and value for money evaluations on these funds. These evaluations will help improve effectiveness and efficiency of local growth funding.
271 bids have been awarded funding from our multi-billion-pound Levelling Up Fund, investing in infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents across the UK. The published (attached) Levelling Up Fund Impact Evaluation Scoping Report sets out how the impact of the Fund will be estimated at the programme and project levels and at different geographies.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, worth £2.5 billion, is focused on overcoming deep-seated geographical inequalities, with investment in communities building pride in place, supporting high quality skills training, employment and productivity growth, and increasing life chances. Details of the UKSPF Evaluation Strategy (attached) are set out here: UK Shared Prosperity Fund: evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The department has also committed £2.35 billion worth of Town Deals and £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England via the Towns Fund. Projects are now in delivery, and the funding has already provided a much-needed boost for town centres and local high streets. Details of the Towns Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy (attached) are set out here: Towns Fund monitoring and evaluation strategy.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support high street businesses in Bournemouth.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Bournemouth is the recipient of a £21.7 million Town Deal which incorporates several projects that are indirectly supporting High Street businesses. Boscombe High Street is receiving £328,000 of investment via the Town Deal for local shop owners to improve their store frontage and breathe new life into the area by improving the appearance of buildings, public spaces and areas.
In 2023, Bournemouth received nearly £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund for seafront regeneration projects including the installation of digital communications along the promenade to encourage pop-up businesses in a key tourist area. Bournemouth has received over £4 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which £2.5 million will fund business support to businesses in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area including those in town and district centres.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support local markets.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and town centres successful. Markets can make a significant contribution to the vibrancy and diversity of our high streets and town centres.
It is for local authorities, not central Government, to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department is providing to local authorities on the distribution of funding for high streets.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
There is a range of support options available to encourage regeneration of high streets and we advise local authorities on how to make the best use of these. This support includes provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act for High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) which give local authorities new powers to force landlords to rent out vacant units in high streets, as well as the High Street Accelerator pilot programme and the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns to drive ambitious plans for regeneration.
Long-term investment also includes £2.35 billion of Town Deals and over £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Future High Streets Fund will be extended to smaller high streets.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
There is a range of support options available to encourage regeneration of high streets and we advise local authorities on how to make the best use of these. This support includes provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act for High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) which give local authorities new powers to force landlords to rent out vacant units in high streets, as well as the High Street Accelerator pilot programme and the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns to drive ambitious plans for regeneration.
Long-term investment also includes £2.35 billion of Town Deals and over £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support the long-term viability of high streets.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is fully committed to supporting our high-street businesses and communities.
Thanks to my Hon friend’s hard work, provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act for High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) give local authorities new powers to force landlords to rent out vacant units in high streets. HSRAs will be backed by £2 million funding announced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, to help communities and local businesses take control of empty properties, covering the cost of refurbishing properties, the auction process and council fees.
The High Street Accelerator pilot programme will incentivise and empower local people to work together to develop ambitious plans to tackle vacancy and anti-social behaviour, and work on long-term regeneration plans to future proof their high streets.
The Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns has identified 55 towns to develop the first wave of Town Partnerships, backed by £1.1 billion overall, to drive ambitious plans to regenerate local towns across the UK over the next decade.
Long-term investment also includes £2.35 billion of Town Deals and over £830 million of Future High Streets Funding across 170 high streets, town centres and local communities in England.
At the last autumn statement, the Chancellor announced a business rates support package worth £4.3 billion over the next five years, freezing the small business multiplier and extending the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure scheme.
I want to thank my Hon friend for her work, and I look forward to continuing to work with her on levelling up projects in Bishop Auckland and our Long-Term Plan for Towns in Spennymoor.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to increase the presence of police community support officers in town centres.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that violent and abusive behaviour towards any public-facing worker is never acceptable. We take this issue very seriously and recognise the implications on businesses as well as the victims.
The Government took a significant step and legislated to introduce a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This ensures the public facing nature of a victim’s role will be considered an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing for assault offences.
We keep all legislation under review. Under section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the shoplifting of goods of a value of £200 or less is a summary offence unless the defendant, if an adult, elects to be tried in the Crown Court. Where a summary offence is committed, the case can be handled as a police-led prosecution. There is a misconception this is used as a threshold by police forces, so that if the value of goods stolen is under £200, police will not respond. No police force has such a policy and this summary offence for shoplifting does not prevent police taking action against shoplifters.
The Government has recently made significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime. In October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. This builds on the commitment made by the NPCC in August 2023 that all police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are a valued part of the police workforce, as a key liaison point to help resolve local issues and foster good community relations.
Decisions around recruitment and retention of PCSOs and the powers and duties they have are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to support local authorities to maintain traditional markets in (a) Romford and (b) England.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Markets can make a significant contribution to the vibrancy and diversity of our high streets and town centres. They also have an important role as local employers and as business incubators. It is for local authorities, not central Government, to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help support economic growth in town centres in the context of increased competition from out of town retail sites.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government recognises the challenges our high streets and town centres are facing. We continue to support high streets and town centres with a range of powerful measures to provide the tools for local partners to transform their centres for their local communities.
In Northern Ireland, we look forward to working with a restored Executive to determine the approach to supporting towns there. We recently announced a new Long Term Plans for Towns Taskforce, which will be reporting directly to the Prime Minister, and will aid in the rejuvenation of high streets and town centres across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing further business rate reliefs to support (a) small businesses, (b) other businesses, (c) high streets and town centres and (d) local authorities.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
At Autumn Statement 2022, the Government announced a package of changes and tax cuts worth £13.6 billion over the next five years, including:
Decisions on future business rates support will be made in due course.