Conservative frontbencher Marcus Jones said proposals about how to develop more starter homes in town centres are under consideration.

He told MPs the aim was to rejuvenate and regenerate high streets with new investment so they offer something which online shopping and out-of-town retail parks fail to deliver.

Mr Jones said: "We need to make sure that the high street is fit for the 21st century.

"The Future High Street Forum, which I jointly chair, is currently looking at how we restructure our high streets and bring new investment in - particularly around how we bring more starter homes into our town centres - so that we can start to really rejuvenate and regenerate places which offer something that out-of-town and shopping on the internet cannot compete with."