Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to improve access to affordable finance for established small businesses experiencing temporary financial pressures.

The government is committed to helping viable smaller businesses access the finance they need, including through the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS). GGS helps smaller businesses access finance where they may otherwise struggle to do so through the commercial market. In July, the government announced a significant increase to the capacity of GGS, unlocking a further £6.5 billion of lending over the next four years. This is expected to support around 33,000 businesses across all nations and regions of the UK, including viable businesses managing temporary financial pressures.