Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to support business activities which (a) improve the climate, (b) reduce poverty and (c) reduce inequality.

The government provides extensive support to all types of UK businesses, including those with activities focused on improving the climate and reducing poverty and inequality, through our Business Support Helpline, 38 Growth Hubs, Start Up Loans programme and Recovery Loan Scheme.

The Department for Business and Trade has dedicated teams in the UK and overseas that support clean growth technologies, such as renewable energy, to secure investment, grow in the UK and find export opportunities. We undertake a range of promotional activities working with businesses across the supply chain on an ongoing basis, including investment project support, targeted export campaigns and a network of UK and overseas based trade advisors to provide advice and support.

Internationally, the UK is committed to growing free and fair trade with developing countries, boosting economies, reducing poverty and supporting jobs in those countries as well as in ours. We achieve this by improving UK market access for businesses in developing countries through our Economic Partnership Agreements and the new Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which will come into force on 19 June. UK trade preferences reduce import costs for businesses by over £750m per year.