Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to support small businesses in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire & Humber.

We are supporting small businesses in many ways and are committed to making sure the UK is the best place in Europe to start and grow a business. Businesses in West Yorkshire and the Yorkshire and Humber region are benefitting from Government support.

More than 900 Start Up Loans, worth over £5 million, have been issued across West Yorkshire. And more than 2,600 loans, worth over £14 million, have been issued in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Almost 900 West Yorkshire businesses have secured loans worth £87 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. And more than 2,000 businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber region have secured loans worth over £196 million.

There have been 48 Regional Growth Fund awards across the Yorkshire and Humber region totalling £268 million.

The Growth Deal programme is supporting growing businesses across the Yorkshire and Humber region, including £8m for growing SMEs across Leeds City Region. The Government is also funding the establishment of growth hubs which bring together local business support and advice into one place. The North Yorkshire & East Riding growth hub is now in place.

Ambitious, high growth businesses are also benefitting from the Business Growth Service: 369 in West Yorkshire and 900 in Yorkshire and Humber.