Communities and local government questions

A minister has hailed a "pop-up store" initiative to help entrepreneurs, telling MPs it should be "an exemplar for others" across the UK.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has opened a store inside its headquarters near Victoria station in London, offering low-cost retail floor space for start-up businesses to showcase their products.

The move is part of the government's efforts to regenerate high streets and encourage entrepreneurs.

During departmental questions in the Commons on 17 December 2012, Housing Minister Mark Prisk said the government wanted local government leaders and landlords to help roll out the idea across the country.

"We want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start up and that is why today we have opened a new shop in the department in Victoria Street for six businesses to trade, rotating every fortnight.

"Now working with PopUp Britain, we want this shop to be an exemplar for others right across the country," he told MPs.

Mr Prisk said he hoped Labour would "follow our lead" on the issue.

He was responding to a question from Conservative MP David Rutley on what the government is doing to help more small businesses start up on the country's high streets.