Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department plan to visit Bournemouth in the next six months.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The ministerial team within the Department for Business and Trade do not have any visits currently scheduled to visit Bournemouth in the next 6 months. We are still planning a forward look for this period of time, however, so this is subject to change.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK business support for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
UK businesses mobilised quickly in support of Ukraine and have become an effective partner for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The Department for Business and Trade works in partnership with British Businesses and the Government of Ukraine on their reconstruction priorities in the immediate, medium and long term.
The UK has received repeated praise and thanks from the Government of Ukraine for its innovative approach, agility and commitment. Successful examples include the London Conference Framework on war risk insurance to underpin reconstruction and an energy partnership to provide long-term sustainable support to a critical sector in Ukraine.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to help support women in business.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has set an ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030, equivalent to 600,000 new entrepreneurs. The Government is delivering on this ambition through a range of initiatives working with the private sector, including the Investing in Women Code, Investing in Women Hub, and the Angel Investment Taskforce. In 2022, a record 150,000 women-led companies were started, representing 20% of new incorporations.
The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, has provided over 100,000 loans to entrepreneurs since the programme started in 2012. Of these, 40% have been to women.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support and encourage small businesses in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department supports small businesses in the South-West through Help to Grow: Management, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs.
The Dorset Growth Hub supports small businesses in Bournemouth East through services such as bid-writing support and a business innovation programme.
The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, is also supporting regional businesses. As of October 2023, 12 SMEs in Bournemouth East have received start up loans to the value of £150,200, and 493 SMEs in the South-West have received start up loans to the value of £6,270,084.