To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to encourage retail park businesses to have a presence on the high street.

Last year, the Government published the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy, where we committed to continue working with the retail sector, and the Retail Sector Council, to set out our long-term plan to support the evolution of high streets into thriving places to work, visit and live.

We have gone further to set out our ambition for our towns and high streets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, published last month, through High Street Rental Auctions which will grant a permissive power to local authorities to tackle the problem of persistently vacant property on high streets and in town centres.