Jo Platt

It is a pleasure to speak under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for securing this important debate. This is an issue that communities such as Leigh and Atherton face every single day. Quite frankly, my constituents have had enough. Illegal and exploitative businesses are undermining public safety, damaging our high streets and eroding community pride. Whether it is vape shops, barber shops or mini-marts, people are fed up with outlets appearing overnight, often acting as fronts for organised crime, and residents having no say. Meanwhile, as we have heard, legitimate businesses that follow the rules and contribute to the local economy are struggling to survive. I have been working alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn) on a campaign to shut these dodgy shops down. That campaign now has support from over 50 Members—many of them are here today—and that shows just how widespread and serious the issue has become. Enforcement action such as Operation Machinize, which took place in Leigh and Atherton back in 2024 and led to numerous arrests, and the recent raids by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in London show what can be achieved. They also highlight a fundamental problem: the system does not stop these businesses opening in the first place, nor does it give the authorities the tools to keep them closed. I thank the Government because they have taken welcome steps and are listening. Those steps include new funding, a dedicated organised crime unit and stronger closure powers. I particularly welcome the extension of closure orders to up to 12 months, and I thank the Minister for working alongside us on that. However, we must be honest: this will not be enough on its own. Too often when one shop is shut, the same individuals reopen nearby within weeks. Residents see it and I see it. At the same time, the spread of these outlets continues, particularly in more deprived communities. Leigh and Atherton does not need any more of them. We need to go further. We need stronger enforcement powers and proper resourcing for trading standards and local authorities. Trading standards needs more teeth.