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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides to people in the Leeds City Region who wish to start their own business.

The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Service connects entrepreneurs and businesses to the right help for their needs. It works with public and private sector partners – for example, chambers of commerce, universities, the national Business Support Helpline and banks – to refer businesses to the appropriate expert advice and support, including Start Up loans and the Start and Grow programme. The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Service is one of 39 growth hubs across the country that receives funding from my Department.

58,000 businesses were newly registered for VAT or PAYE in the Leeds City Region during 2010 to 2014.