VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Empty Property

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 20 July 2026UIN 18025

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) information his Department has and (b) what research his Department has commissioned on the amount of retail, hospitality and leisure hereditaments or business space which are empty or vacant.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

The Department does not collect such data and has not commissioned research to quantify vacancies nationally. It sometimes purchases commercial property market data, including vacancy information, from external providers to support internal policy development. The government continues to engage regularly with local authorities on high street regeneration and related issues.

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