asked Her Majesty's Government:How many shops, stores or other enterprises co-located with post offices they estimate will close due to the closures of the co-located post offices planned by Post Office Limited.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many shops, stores or other enterprises co-located with post offices they estimate will close due to the closures of the co-located post offices planned by Post Office Limited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) village shops and (b) post offices in Cornish villages with a population of less than (i) 1,000, (ii) 2,000 and (iii) 5,000 inhabitants which have closed in...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) village shops and (b) post offices in Cornish villages with a population of less than (i) 1,000, (ii) 2,000 and (iii) 5,000 inhabitants which have closed in...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if his Department will take steps to safeguard the role played in local communities by independent locally-run shops.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if his Department will take steps to safeguard the role played in local communities by independent locally-run shops.

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I regard it as a privilege to be able to move the Second Reading of this Bill, which was taken through another place with such determination and skill by my honourable friend Nick Hurd. I...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I regard it as a privilege to be able to move the Second Reading of this Bill, which was taken through another place with such determination and skill by my honourable friend Nick Hurd. I...

My Lords, I do not think that he can, because they are questions for the Government. If I cannot ask the Government my questions, I will assume that they have been answered. That seems to be a sensible way to leave it. I hope that the Minister will accept the...

My Lords, I do not think that he can, because they are questions for the Government. If I cannot ask the Government my questions, I will assume that they have been answered. That seems to be a sensible way to leave it. I hope that the Minister will accept the...

My Lords, I am sorry; there seems to be a worry on the other side.

My Lords, I am sorry; there seems to be a worry on the other side.

My Lords, I, too, congratulate my noble friend Lord Marlesford on the clarity with which he presented the Bill in his excellent and comprehensive introduction. The Bill is remarkable in many ways since, as we understand it, it now has all-party support, which is unusual in any dimension. One other...

My Lords, I, too, congratulate my noble friend Lord Marlesford on the clarity with which he presented the Bill in his excellent and comprehensive introduction. The Bill is remarkable in many ways since, as we understand it, it now has all-party support, which is unusual in any dimension. One other...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, and Mr Nick Hurd for his work in another place. It is quite an achievement to get a Private Member’s Bill through both Houses. I managed to do it with the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Bill and I know...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, and Mr Nick Hurd for his work in another place. It is quite an achievement to get a Private Member’s Bill through both Houses. I managed to do it with the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Bill and I know...

My Lords, first, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, and those in another place, who have brought the Bill forward. Having said that, in many ways I am dismayed that the Bill is necessary. That is a reflection of the imbalance of power in England between an increasingly centralised...

My Lords, first, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, and those in another place, who have brought the Bill forward. Having said that, in many ways I am dismayed that the Bill is necessary. That is a reflection of the imbalance of power in England between an increasingly centralised...

My Lords, as I rise to speak in support of the Bill, I must first declare an interest as chairman of the Somerset Strategic Partnership, which I hope will continue to play its part in reinvigorating the communities of Somerset. It will come as no surprise to noble Lords to...

My Lords, as I rise to speak in support of the Bill, I must first declare an interest as chairman of the Somerset Strategic Partnership, which I hope will continue to play its part in reinvigorating the communities of Somerset. It will come as no surprise to noble Lords to...

My Lords, I join in thanking my noble friend Lord Marlesford and congratulating him on carrying the Bill into this House and submitting it to your Lordships. I declare a personal interest which has a tincture of family pride. I know that there are other families—at least two—who can boast,...

My Lords, I join in thanking my noble friend Lord Marlesford and congratulating him on carrying the Bill into this House and submitting it to your Lordships. I declare a personal interest which has a tincture of family pride. I know that there are other families—at least two—who can boast,...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, on bringing forward the Bill for consideration today, and I am pleased that the debate on this important legislation is being kicked off by two Peers from the beautiful county of Suffolk, which has the sort of communities that would benefit...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, on bringing forward the Bill for consideration today, and I am pleased that the debate on this important legislation is being kicked off by two Peers from the beautiful county of Suffolk, which has the sort of communities that would benefit...

My Lords, my honourable friend Nick Hurd and all those who have campaigned for this Bill must be as delighted as I am that it has had such widespread support—indeed, complete support in this House. As we all know, and I think people outside this House are beginning to realise,...

My Lords, my honourable friend Nick Hurd and all those who have campaigned for this Bill must be as delighted as I am that it has had such widespread support—indeed, complete support in this House. As we all know, and I think people outside this House are beginning to realise,...

My Lords, I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Government to support the Sustainable Communities Bill. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, on bringing forward the Bill, and I add my congratulations to those of the noble Lord, Lord Hurd of Westwell, to the honourable Member for...

My Lords, I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Government to support the Sustainable Communities Bill. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, on bringing forward the Bill, and I add my congratulations to those of the noble Lord, Lord Hurd of Westwell, to the honourable Member for...

Sustainable Communities Bill. Lords second reading. Agreed to on question and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Sustainable Communities Bill. Lords second reading. Agreed to on question and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the current exercise in identifying post offices for closure will take account of those branches where the post office is part of the only village shop.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the current exercise in identifying post offices for closure will take account of those branches where the post office is part of the only village shop.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many rural post offices are part of (a) the village shop; or (b) some other village enterprise.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many rural post offices are part of (a) the village shop; or (b) some other village enterprise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to require planning permission for the merger of ground floor shop units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to require planning permission for the merger of ground floor shop units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to require planning permission for conversion of class A1 shops into coffee shops or internet cafés.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to require planning permission for conversion of class A1 shops into coffee shops or internet cafés.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend the General Permitted Development Order to require planning permission for change of use of small shop units into large ones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend the General Permitted Development Order to require planning permission for change of use of small shop units into large ones.