Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's SME strategy on the economy.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and crucial for the delivery of our Growth Mission. We will publish a new SME strategy later this year that will complement our Industrial and Trade Strategies as part of our approach to driving economic growth. The strategy will set out how the Government is looking to support SMEs to start and grow. We will provide a further update, including relevant economic evidence and analysis, later this year.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of innovation in Glasgow.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government’s record £20.4 billion investment in R&D for 2025/26 will help people across the UK enjoy the benefits from an innovation-led economy.
My Hon Friend will be pleased to hear, as part of this, we are extending the Innovation Accelerators, including in the Glasgow City Region to grow its globally competitive innovation centre.
An example of one of the many innovative firms we are supporting in Glasgow is Spire Global who were recently awarded over £3.5 million for a unique weather forecasting data project.
The Government is investing £106 million in five new quantum hubs across the UK as part of the National Quantum Technologies Programme. One hub, the UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing (QEPNT), will be based in Glasgow, leveraging the city’s strengths in photonics and quantum.
These hubs aim to turn cutting-edge science into practical solutions, transforming sectors like healthcare and security, while fostering innovation and driving economic growth, including in Glasgow.