Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for High Streets

Monday 9 June 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government understands the challenges facing Heswall and is driving power and funding out of Westminster to support coastal communities.
  • Noah Law has taken steps towards revitalising the high street in St Austell by resolving an impasse at a derelict site.
  • Michelle Welsh thanked the Minister for record funding in Ollerton, while expressing disappointment over unfulfilled promises in Hucknall from the previous government.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matthew Patrick Lab Wirral West
Economy Transport Local Government
Context

Heswall, part of Wirral West constituency, has seen the closure of beloved shops and faces decline. Matthew Patrick is seeking concrete steps to revive the high street.

Question

Heswall in my Wirral West constituency is a brilliant place to live and deserves a thriving high street, but unfortunately for too many years now beloved shops have closed and decline has felt inevitable. The people of Heswall deserve better. I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but will he go further in explaining exactly how my constituents can take back control of their high street, so that it can thrive once again and deliver growth and opportunities for them?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

This Government understand the unique challenges that Heswall faces, including as a coastal community. That is why we are driving power and funding out of Westminster to ensure that no community is left behind. Just last week my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced £1.6 billion in funding for the Liverpool city region, including £100 million to upgrade the bus network, which is vital for connectivity to my hon. Friend’s community. I understand that those upgrades will begin in the Wirral next year, and I encourage Wirral council, as I do all local authorities, to take advantage of the new powers the Government have introduced to reoccupy the empty shops that are such a blight on our high streets.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps for constituents to control their high street directly

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Q2 Noah Law Lab St Austell and Newquay
Economy Housing Local Government
Context

The high street in Noah Law's constituency, St Austell, is deteriorating. The MP has taken steps to revitalize the area but seeks significant resources from the government.

Question

I was elected to this place on the back of a pledge to revitalise the towns in my constituency. With the high street in St Austell in a sorry state, I am delighted to have been able to take the first steps towards revitalising it by ending the impasse at the site of the now derelict General Wolfe pub and moving my constituency office back into town at the other end of the street. However, the fact remains that the high street is on its knees, and many residents feel that our once great town could do much better. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that significant resources are available, beyond just the plan for neighbourhoods, to revitalise towns in constituencies like mine?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

I can say to my hon. Friend’s constituents that he is making good on that election commitment, because we have had this conversation on multiple occasions. Like all future funding, the Government will set out their long-term vision for local growth at the multi-year spending review; but in this year, the recently communicated UK shared prosperity fund announcement included more than £47 million for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly—a mixture of revenue and capital funding to ensure that places can get going and kick-start economic growth locally, bringing towns such as his into play.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or significant resources beyond the announced fund

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Q3 Michelle Welsh Lab Sherwood Forest
Economy Housing Local Government
Context

Hucknall, part of Sherwood Forest constituency, received funding from the previous government but has faced challenges. Michelle Welsh seeks support to restore its high street.

Question

In my Sherwood Forest constituency, high streets are the beating heart of towns such as Ollerton and Hucknall. Ollerton is set to receive record funding from this Labour Government, and I thank the Minister for that. However, Hucknall was badly let down by the previous Government, with false promises of funding that quite simply did not exist. Will he meet me to discuss how this Labour Government can support the future of Hucknall, enabling it to be the glorious high street it once was?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

I fully share my hon. Friend’s anger about the unfunded commitments to Hucknall from the previous Government. I know how disappointing that has been locally. I am pleased we have been able to reprioritise some funding within extremely tight budgets to give the support that she talks about. As she knows, I live only two tram stops from Hucknall, and of course I would be keen to pop on the tram and see her—and if we meet in the Plough, I would be doubly keen. Either way, I will be making sure I get to see her.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or funding for Hucknall's high street restoration beyond meeting intentions

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Q4 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Alex Norris
Economy Business & Trade
Context

Mr Norris references the long-term economic policies that have starved demand in local economies, leading to increased costs and challenges on high streets. He mentions specific impacts from Conservative fiscal events.

Question

The hon. Gentleman offers me two opportunities there. First, we talk about challenges on the high street, but I remind the House of the more than a decade of starved demand because the economic policies of the Conservatives and all the impacts that had, followed by—[Interruption.] The stag do on the Opposition Front Bench are making their rattle as usual, but they were all present during that disastrous fiscal event that led to the increased costs that we are still coping with now.

Answer from Mr Speaker

Every high street needs a Chorley market. That is the answer.

Not addressed: The question was critiquing specific government policies, but Mr Speaker's response did not address these issues and instead offered a general statement about high streets needing markets.

How: Deflection

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