Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage business investment to (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

This Department is committed to supporting business investment across Bournemouth East and the South West. The Government provided over £3bn in business covid grants to the South West alone and continues to support Bournemouth-based businesses through the investment of £231,000 in the Dorset Gateway which provides fully funded business support including helping businesses look at inward investment opportunities. The Government is also investing £375,000 in Dorset’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in 2022/23 to support and incentivise local businesses in Bournemouth and across Dorset.