Recommendations & Conclusions
8 items
3
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government conduct a full lessons learned review that specifically examines the impact of the handling of the pandemic at central and local government level on the short- and long-term health of high streets and town centres. The Government may wish to consider high streets in its …
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We recommend that the Government conduct a full lessons learned review that specifically examines the impact of the handling of the pandemic at central and local government level on the short- and long-term health of high streets and town centres. The Government may wish to consider high streets in its independent inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic, but given the pressing challenges facing the high street it should conduct a separate review immediately. The review should consider the various schemes on an individual basis as well as differential impacts by sector and by geography. It should consider the value for money of schemes that supported the high street, including how taxpayer money lost to fraud and error could have been prevented. The review should also consider how well high street businesses have been supported to implement covid-19 public health measures, such as the Test and Trace system, social distancing, and guidance on wearing face coverings. As well as considering lessons learned, the review should consider opportunities arising from the covid-19 pandemic for future policy development to support high streets and help them evolve in a post-pandemic world.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of learning lessons, states it has continually monitored economic impacts, and highlights an external evaluation commissioned by BEIS on the effectiveness of the Business Support Grant programme. However, it does not commit to the full, separate lessons learned review …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
17
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We urge the Government to publish measurable outcomes frameworks for each of the Towns Fund, Levelling Up Fund, Community Ownership Fund, UK Community Renewal Fund, and UK Shared Prosperity Fund. These frameworks should set out how the funds achieve the goal of levelling up high streets and town centres, taking …
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We urge the Government to publish measurable outcomes frameworks for each of the Towns Fund, Levelling Up Fund, Community Ownership Fund, UK Community Renewal Fund, and UK Shared Prosperity Fund. These frameworks should set out how the funds achieve the goal of levelling up high streets and town centres, taking into account areas that have not received funding. The frameworks should measure impacts on people and ensure that they do not simply count outputs such as the number of buildings that have been repurposed. The frameworks should have social value as well as economic growth embedded within them.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's request and states that further information regarding the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies for the Towns Fund and Community Renewal Fund has recently been published, partially addressing the recommendation for outcome frameworks across all listed funds.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
19
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
For each competitive fund available for high streets, the Government should publish the full list of local authorities whose bids were unsuccessful in each round. For future rounds of bidding for these funds, the Government should consider requiring local authorities to state how much it cost them to put the …
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For each competitive fund available for high streets, the Government should publish the full list of local authorities whose bids were unsuccessful in each round. For future rounds of bidding for these funds, the Government should consider requiring local authorities to state how much it cost them to put the bid together—whether using their own resources or capacity funding provided by the Government—and publish these amounts, to provide greater transparency about value for money. The Government should undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the bidding process to identify which local authorities do not have the resources to draft bids. This analysis should show the geographical applications and success of bids.
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Government response AI summary
The government already publishes details of successful bids and requires Levelling Up Fund applicants to provide bid development costs, partially addressing the recommendation. They did not commit to publishing unsuccessful bids or undertaking a broad cost-benefit analysis of the bidding process.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
21
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
The Government should explain why such a high proportion of applications to the Community Ownership Fund were disqualified. For future rounds, the Government should ensure that the eligibility requirements are clear and well understood. The Government should also set out its justification for requiring communities applying to the fund to …
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The Government should explain why such a high proportion of applications to the Community Ownership Fund were disqualified. For future rounds, the Government should ensure that the eligibility requirements are clear and well understood. The Government should also set out its justification for requiring communities applying to the fund to be able to provide half of the capital funding for their proposals, and should consider removing this requirement for future rounds of the fund.
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Government response AI summary
The government justified the 50% capital funding requirement but did not commit to removing it. They are reviewing the prospectus to clarify eligibility criteria for future rounds and have commissioned an external evaluation of the fund to capture lessons learned.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
32
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We are concerned that the Government’s Build Back Better High Streets strategy does not mention Company Voluntary Arrangements. We recommend that the Government consults stakeholders to determine whether a review of Company Voluntary Arrangements is needed. (Paragraph 138) Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 73
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We are concerned that the Government’s Build Back Better High Streets strategy does not mention Company Voluntary Arrangements. We recommend that the Government consults stakeholders to determine whether a review of Company Voluntary Arrangements is needed. (Paragraph 138) Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 73
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Government response AI summary
The government has tendered for research to determine if commercial landlords are unfairly treated in Company Voluntary Arrangements, the findings of which will inform if a further review is needed.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
33
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We welcome the Government’s decision to review the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Part II, as recommended by our predecessor Committee. The Government should consider, whether separately or as part of the review, how to make commercial property ownership more transparent and property owners more easily contactable, such as through …
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We welcome the Government’s decision to review the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Part II, as recommended by our predecessor Committee. The Government should consider, whether separately or as part of the review, how to make commercial property ownership more transparent and property owners more easily contactable, such as through a national register of landlords. (Paragraph 141) Skills and transport
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Government response AI summary
The government has accepted in part by committing to establish a new beneficial ownership register of overseas entities that own UK property under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022. The broader review of landlord and tenant legislation, which may consider wider property ownership …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
34
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We are concerned that the Government lacks a joined-up approach for generating jobs on the high street and ensuring that those working on the high street have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills. The Government should set out its targets for high street employment and how they relate to its …
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We are concerned that the Government lacks a joined-up approach for generating jobs on the high street and ensuring that those working on the high street have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills. The Government should set out its targets for high street employment and how they relate to its plans for skills and jobs. We also reiterate our recommendation from our report on devolution in England that the devolution of the adult education budget should be included in the devolution framework. This will help areas target their adult education initiatives towards skills gaps in their town centres.
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to devolving adult education functions and the associated core AEB to new areas, building on the 60% already devolved, but did not set out specific targets for high street employment.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
36
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre…
Accepted in Part
We welcome significant government funding for public transport, though we urge the Government to clarify how much of its £3 billion for buses is for covid-19 recovery and how much is for investing in improvements. The Government should embed the accessibility of high streets by public transport—by people of all …
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We welcome significant government funding for public transport, though we urge the Government to clarify how much of its £3 billion for buses is for covid-19 recovery and how much is for investing in improvements. The Government should embed the accessibility of high streets by public transport—by people of all characteristics and from all backgrounds—in transport policy by: • including accessibility of high streets in the criteria for funding for local transport networks; • including within new guidance on Local Transport Plans a requirement that high streets are adequately served by public transport and that these transport links are affordable and inclusive; and a requirement that Local Transport Plans are integrated with Local Plans; • requiring funding for Bus Service Improvement Plans to be contingent on providing adequate, affordable and inclusive access to high streets; and • including advice on ensuring that high streets are adequately accessible by bus within guidance, promised in the National Bus Strategy, on the provision of economic and socially necessary bus services. • We also reiterate our recommendation from our report on devolution that the Government should consider the case for extending powers for Transport for London-style oversight of local buses to all transport authorities. (Paragraph 154) 74 Supporting our high streets after COVID-19
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Government response AI summary
The government provided overall bus funding figures and committed to publishing new guidance for Local Transport Plans, but did not fully clarify the precise split of £3 billion for COVID-19 recovery versus improvements or explicitly confirm all requested high street accessibility criteria in funding.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government