Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage business investment in (a) Sutton Coldfield constituency and (b) the West Midlands.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This department is taking significant steps to encourage business investment across the West Midlands, including Sutton Coldfield constituency. For 2025/26, we have committed £490,700 in core funding to Business Growth West Midlands through the West Midlands Combined Authority, providing tailored business support services including access to finance, export opportunities, and innovation support.
In addition, UK businesses, including those in the West Midlands, can also access DBT's export support via Great.gov.uk, including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, International Markets network, and International Trade Advisers, to support their business growth.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of Foreign Direct Investment projects in the West Midlands.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Office for Investment (OfI) collaborates with stakeholders across the West Midlands to promote strategic foreign investment opportunities and to drive high-quality jobs growth in the region. Through a strategic initiative, the OfI provides funding to enable stakeholders to offer direct support to foreign investors looking to establish and expand their operations in the West Midlands.
The Regional Investment Summit 2025, will be held in the Autumn in the West Midlands, reinforcing the government’s priorities to drive sustainable economic growth, unlocking opportunity, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting innovation, across the West Midlands and all regions of the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support self-employed people in the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Last year, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service, which will make it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses across the West Midlands to get support and advice to grow, export and thrive.
The West Midlands Growth Hub is where entrepreneurs and SMEs across the West Midlands can obtain specialist advice, including on scaling up and accessing new markets.
Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, the Export Support Service and financial help via the British Business Bank.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands, we continue to consider industry’s feedback on the key enablers for strategic investment which includes the need for industrial sites.
We have been working at pace to develop an Industrial Strategy based on businesses responses to the Invest 2035 Green Paper and ongoing engagement with businesses, with the advice and oversight of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council.
The Office for Investment is also expanding its capacity to better support and enable large scale investments, such as the recent investment secured in Bedford for a multi-billion pound Universal theme park.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small business growth in (a) Sutton Coldfield and (b) the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier for businesses in Sutton Coldfield, the West Midlands and across the UK, to get help, support and advice to grow and thrive.
The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium sized businesses in Sutton Coldfield and the West Midlands can benefit from specialist advice on how to scale up, access new markets and receive financial support through the British Business Bank.
Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) retail and (b) hospitality businesses in the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are delivering across government to create better conditions for retail and hospitality businesses to thrive.
This government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, which will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting and do more to protect retail workers from assault. We have introduced High Street Rental Auction powers for local authorities, which will make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for SMEs, local businesses and community groups. And we are delivering permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026-27.
Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the United Kingdom to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive. The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in the West Midlands can benefit from specialist business advice on how to grow, access new markets and receive government support.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the food and beverage sector in the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT offers extensive support for food and drink businesses in the West Midlands and across the UK. This includes educational programmes via the Export Academy, one-to-one advice from International Trade Advisors, and participation in global trade shows and missions. UK Export Finance provides financial assistance, with dedicated managers in the Midlands. Businesses can access support through the Business Support Service, Gov.UK, local Growth Hubs, Help to Grow Schemes, and the Small Business Council. This package reaffirms government’s commitment to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, particularly in the food and beverage sector.