Backbench Business debate on the future of town centres and high streets
18 January 2012
The Backbench Business Committee scheduled a general debate on 17 January on the future of town centres and high streets following representations to the committee by Mr Marcus Jones, Mr Philip Hollobone, Sir Bob Russell, Justin Tomlinson and Chris White
The committee heard that many backbench Members wished to debate the findings of the review by Mary Portas on the future of the high street published in December. This follows a well-attended meeting of the All-party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres to discuss the issues raised by her review.
Watch the debate and read a transcript
The debate took place on Tuesday 17 January 2012 in the House of Commons. Watch the debate on Parliament TV and read the views expressed by MPs in Commons Hansard:
- Parliament TV: General debate on the future of town centres and high streets
- Commons Hansard: Future of town centres and high streets
How the subject was selected
The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business committee following a representation by Mr Marcus Jones, Mr Philip Hollobone, Sir Bob Russell, Justin Tomlinson and Chris White, at a public meeting of the committee on 10 January 2012.
- Parliament TV: Backbench Business Committee 10 January 2012
- Uncorrected transcript of representations made on 10 January 2012
The review by Mary Portas on the future of the high street was published in December 2011, read the review on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website.
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: High Street Review
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee meets every week to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject.
The committee then has to decide how to allocate the very limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal; demand always outstrips supply. The committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.