Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to page 15 of Growth is our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services, published in July 2013, how many Growth Vouchers have been (a) issued and (b) used since the launch of that scheme.

Since the programme was launched on 27th January 2014, 12,864 small businesses have been given advice on what support they should be seeking. Of those, (a) 9,610 have been issued with a voucher to help subsidise the cost of obtaining that advice from suppliers in the private sector and as of 28th January 2015, (b) 1,600 vouchers have been redeemed. There are currently 4,300 vouchers still in circulation with up to three months for businesses to use them.