Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to (a) entrepreneurs and (b) people who wish to expand their small businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has put measures in place to support businesses of all sizes and stages of growth.
The Start Up Loans Company is part of the Government-backed British Business Bank and offers support to start or grow new businesses and those in operation for up to 24 months. Loans of up to £25,000 are available to individuals aged 18 and over, repayable across 1 to 5 years at a competitive fixed rate of 6%. These loans include 12 months of free mentoring from an industry expert.
The Government’s new ‘Help to Grow’ scheme will help small businesses across the UK to learn new skills, reach new customers, and boost profits. Help to Grow: Management will provide intensive management skills support to 30,000 small businesses. Help to Grow: Digital could support 100,000 small businesses with online advice and a voucher for software costs.
The Business Support Helpline and the 38 Growth Hubs across England also offer tailored advice to businesses and entrepreneurs seeking financial support, as well as joining up national and local support.
The Government’s business advice pages on GOV.UK, including the business finance finder search tool, provide information and guidance relevant to starting, growing and maintaining a business, as well as statutory rights and obligations, and links to support provided by devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to work with representatives of the wedding industry on pilot schemes to facilitate the easing of social distancing restrictions on ceremonies and receptions.
Answered by Paul Scully
BEIS Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the sector-led UK Weddings Taskforce on a regular basis to discuss the challenges faced by the sector and how best to support it through the pandemic.
Information provided by the Weddings Taskforce is contributing to the Events Research Programme and helping us draw conclusions on how to bring about the return of larger weddings after Step 4.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support businesses not required to close by law during the covid-19 lockdown but that are significantly affected by restrictions on the retail, hospitality and leisure industry.
Answered by Paul Scully
Local Authorities have been provided with funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The ARG is a discretionary scheme aimed at supporting businesses including those that have not been mandated to close but which have had their trade adversely affected by the restrictions that have been put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Eligibility for the ARG is set locally, and guidance makes clear that Local Authorities may use this funding for grants or for other related business support as they see fit.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further £500m top up to ARG in January, in addition to £1.1bn already allocated in November 2020.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential merits of easing covid-19 restrictions on weddings through the use of (a) pilot schemes and (b) further consultation with the UK Weddings Taskforce.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is keen to allow larger wedding receptions and celebrations to take place as soon as it is safe. Weddings by their nature bring families and friends together in a single group for extended periods of time, are highly social, and particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19.
Through vaccination and testing we hope to increase the number of attendees when the scientific evidence shows that it is safe to do so.
I am planning to meet with the UK Weddings Taskforce early in the New Year.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support and information his Department has made available for small businesses which are considering establishing an online presence for the first time.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government provides a wide range of support and information for small businesses. The main source of information is the GOV.UK website, with support also available via the Business Support Helpline on FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098 and via the network of 38 local Growth Hubs in England.
In order to provide specific support for businesses considering establishing an online presence, the Government launched The Skills Toolkit on 28 April 2020. The online learning platform includes over 70 courses in digital, numeracy and employability/readiness to help people build their skills, progress in work and boost job prospects. These courses include Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, How to Create Great Online Content and Digital Skills: Social Media (for business).
Furthermore, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is supporting the Digital Boost platform, which provides much-needed digital support for small businesses and charities in the UK that have been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The platform is building a community of skilled digital expert volunteers, who are providing one-to-one support to small businesses and charities free of charge to help them improve their digital capability, build sustainable incomes through digital channels, reach more customers online, and stay competitive during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
The National Cyber Security Centre also published guidance on 20 May to support businesses moving from physical to digital delivery. The guidance was created specifically to support businesses who are relying more heavily on IT services to run their business. The support package includes guidance on home working, video teleconferencing and spotting Covid-19-related email scams.
We also provide grant funding to Be the Business, a business-led independent charity which aims to raise productivity at the firm level, through technology adoption and by promoting best practice management and leadership. Be the Business provides a tech adoption toolkit to help SMEs decide what kind of technology might benefit them, how to choose tech that best meets their needs, and how to implement it effectively into the business.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of a greener economy in Worcestershire.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Within the decade, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister is determined for the UK to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050. We have set out billions in support for our low-carbon economy including over £3 billion to transform energy efficiency in homes and public buildings.
The Government is determined to ensure that the benefits of the net zero transition are shared fairly in every region. BEIS has also funded a local energy hub in the Midlands, covering Worcestershire, to help local authorities and communities design and develop renewable energy projects. In the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership area, the hub is currently supporting 7 projects valued at over £15m.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of loans provided through the Bounce Back Loan scheme to applicants in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Bromsgrove District.
Answered by Paul Scully
A breakdown on the number of loans provided through the Bounce Back Loan scheme as of 7 August is in the table below.
Region | Loans offered | Value of Loans offered (£) |
Bromsgrove | 1743 | 54,503,426 |
Worcestershire (which includes Mid Worcestershire, Redditch, West Worcestershire, Worcester, Wyre Forest) | 7208 | 204,972,174 |
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the wedding industry sector on responding to the challenge of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Data for April-June will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the continued expansion of the Local Energy Programme.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Local Energy Programme was launched as part of the Clean Growth Strategy in 2017, with £4.7 million funding. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided further funding in subsequent years, bringing the total funding for the Local Energy Programme to almost £20 million to date. This funding has been used to support Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), local authorities and communities in England to play a leading role in decarbonisation and clean growth. The programme has funded the development of an energy strategy for every LEP in England and established five Local Energy Hubs across England, which provide LEPs and local authorities with access to expertise to help develop and secure investment in low carbon projects. It also includes the £10 million Rural Community Energy Fund, delivered through the Hubs, which offers grants to community organisations in rural areas to support the initial stages of development for renewable energy projects. BEIS continues to work with the Local Energy Hubs, LEPs and local authorities, to enable a joined-up approach to decarbonisation and clean growth.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of businesses and industry bodies representing nightclubs.
Answered by Paul Scully
Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. Details for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
The latest published data covers January to March 2020. Data for April to June 2020 will be published in due course.