Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department plans to take to support small businesses no longer in receipt of funding from the European Regional Development Fund on their transition to Net Zero.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economy. Supporting them to seek specialist advice for both reducing energy use and accessing finance for improving energy efficiency is essential to achieving net zero. That is why the Government is working to deliver a full digital advice service on GOV.UK, which will address these barriers by providing tailored advice on how SMEs can reduce their energy usage and carbon emissions. Some local authorities have also set out in their investment plans for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund how they will support small businesses on net zero as part of wider regeneration and economic activity.