Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 5 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 March 2012. It was answered by Mark Prisk (Conservative) on Wednesday, 14 March 2012 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Shops: Empty Property

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) recent steps he has taken and (b) steps he plans to take to encourage small businesses to take over unoccupied high street shops.

Answer: [holding answer 12 March 2012]: Mary Portas' independent review of the high street considered a wide range of issues and town centres. She made 28 recommendations including on the issue of unoccupied shops. The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), will be responding on behalf of the Government to her report in the spring.Further recent initiatives include the launch of the High Street Pilot Scheme, a competition to find 12 areas to pilot a strategy for improving the economic vitality of England's high streets. Following the publication of the growth report the Government extended the current small business rate relief holiday for one year from 1 October 2011.

Secondary information