Wendy Morton

It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate on high street businesses, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton West (Matt Vickers) again for securing it. He clearly demonstrates what a local champion he is for his constituency. I have visited Stockton on many occasions, and I have even been to Billingham and been on the ice rink—more than one or two years ago. High streets are the beating heart of our communities. They provide jobs, essential services and a vital sense of place, but all too often small businesses feel that they are fighting an uphill battle—grappling with rising costs, declining footfall, an ever-changing retail landscape and, of course, Government policy. Many of those challenges are not new, but they have been fuelled by covid, the cost of living crisis and rising inflation. I increasingly hear from businesses in my constituency that more needs to be done. In Aldridge-Brownhills, we are fortunate to have a vibrant network of independent businesses, many of them family-run shops and essential services that our residents rely on every day. One of these is The Plaice to Eat, which is the most fantastic local fish and chip shop in Brownhills. If hon. Members are passing, I recommend its battered chips, with are a local Black Country speciality.