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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support business growth in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England.

Support for those seeking to start and grow a business is available online at Gov.uk or from the National Business Support Helpline which provides signposting, diagnostic support and advice on a range of issues. The service can be accessed by telephone on 0300 456 3565 or via webchat, email, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. There are 39 Growth Hubs across England which join up local and national business support for businesses in their area. Northamptonshire businesses have access to the Northamptonshire Growth Hub and South East Midland’s Velocity. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund, due to be launched in 2017 (subject to final funding arrangements), is expected to provide over £250m of support to the region’s 460,000 smaller businesses. The British Business Bank and Innovate UK also provide assistance to support business growth.