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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to help businesses expand through the use of digital platforms.

We want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Government is taking action to support businesses to take advantages of the opportunities to expand through digital platforms in several ways:

As businesses and consumers increasingly use digital platforms, it is important that competition works well in these markets. That is why the Government commissioned Professor Jason Furman to identify how to unlock competition in digital markets. The Government is considering his proposals and will respond in due course.

Government’s Exporting is GREAT campaign supports UK businesses with free expert e-commerce export support. DIT’s E-Exporting Programme’s Selling Online Overseas Tool, that sits on great.gov.uk, is a free to use online service that helps UK companies identify and sell on global marketplaces.

We are acting to support SMEs to adopt basic digital technology, including using e-commerce software. For example, we recently announced the third wave of funding through our Business Basics Programme to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to adopt basic technologies. This round of funding will include up to £1m focusing the adoption of payment technology, including ecommerce technologies.

The Digital Skills Partnership (DSP), announced in the UK Digital Strategy 2017, aims to improve digital skills across the skills spectrum and the Digital Enterprise Delivery Group, led by Lloyds Banking Group, is working to increase the digital capabilities of SMEs. The group is now working with partners on a programme aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity through greater tech adoption among SMEs.