Question
11. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of powers available to councils to stop the opening of vape and barber shops on high streets.
Answer
We are giving local leaders and communities more control over their high street mix of shops and their high streets through the “Hope on the High Street” strategy, which the Secretary of State just referred to. We are also consulting on requiring planning permission for new vape shops and a new licensing regime for vape shops and tobacco retailers. The Budget confirmed that we will remove business rates relief from vape shops and adult gaming centres to better target that relief on businesses that support thriving high streets. Furthermore, we are investing £30 million per year in funding for agencies such as trading standards to tackle these dodgy shops.
Verdict: AMBER (55/100)
The reply sets out concrete government action on vape shops, including a consultation on a licensing regime, removal of business rates relief for vape shops, and funding for trading standards enforcement. It does not address barber shops, which the question also raised, and it does not state whether the department considers councils' existing powers adequate. A member of the public would have useful specifics on vape shops but would likely need to ask again about barber shops and the adequacy of council powers.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department's assessment or view of the adequacy of the powers available to councils to stop the opening of vape shops and barber shops on high streets. | Addressed | Direct | The item asks about the department's view of council powers over vape and barber shops on high streets. The reply describes the relevant policy response: strengthened local control over high street mix (statement 1), consultation on planning permission and a licensing regime for vape shops (statement 2), removal of business rates relief from vape shops (statement 3), and funding for trading standards enforcement (statement 4). It does not explicitly judge whether the existing powers are adequate, and barber shops are not mentioned, so the reply is not a complete answer. |