Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48089, what estimate she has made of the number of small and medium-sized businesses which have signed up to the Cyber Essentials programme (a) since that Answer and (b) in 2017.

As of the end of May 2017, the estimated number of Cyber Essentials certificates awarded to enterprises is 6,363, which for micro, small and medium enterprises amounts to:

1. 2,360 certificates since end September 2016; and
2. 1,673 certificates from January to May 2017.

Note that the methodology for recording these figures has changed, so these figures cannot be compared to historical data given. With reference to my previous answer, cited by the Honourable Member, the revised estimated total number of certificates awarded at the end of September 2016 stands at 3308, of which 2427 were awarded to micro, small and medium enterprises.