Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) women and (b) people from ethnic minorities to found start-up companies.

Start-up companies, including those founded by women and people from ethnic minorities, are essential to our economic success.

All businesses can access support through the Business Support Service, the gov.uk website, their local Growth Hub, and Help to Grow.

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the government backed British Business Bank, provides loans and mentoring to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012, over 69,000 loans have been made to women and founders from an ethnic minority background.