Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Dinenage Excerpts

Wednesday 12th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con)]

6. What steps she is taking to support women in enterprise.

[Dame Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)]

9. What steps she is taking to support women in enterprise.

[The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch)]

The Government continue to support women in enterprise by implementing the recommendations of the Rose review. Our start-up loans company has advanced more than 35,000 loans to women since 2012, worth nearly £300 million, and that represents 40% of all loans.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dame Caroline Dinenage]

Covid particularly impacts on women in business, and the sectors in which they are predominant need to be protected by the Government. What more can we do?

[Kemi Badenoch]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Some of the sectors most impacted by covid, such as the arts and hospitality, include a high proportion of women-led businesses. She will be aware of the targeted measures to help these sectors that were announced just last month by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, including one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for the hospitality sector and £30 million through the culture recovery fund. That support will help female entrepreneurs to keep trading through the current difficulties and make the most of future opportunities as they look forward to the end of the pandemic.