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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that engineering biology companies receive appropriate access to investment through the British Business Bank’s £4 billion Industrial Strategy Growth Capital initiative.

The Industrial Strategy Growth Capital programme invests in a portfolio approach across the Industrial Strategy sectors where the UK has technology strengths, including in engineering biology. The British Business Bank invests both directly into engineering biology companies, such as their investment into Cytospire Therapeutics, and through specialist funds with Engineering Biology coverage, such as Advent Life Sciences Growth Fund. Government is working on improving the join-up between its Public Finance Institutions including strengthening the pipeline of support from InnovateUK through to the British Business Bank.