Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Quesiton 48089, what progress has been made in signing up small and medium-sized businesses to the cyber essentials programme; and what estimate she has made of the number of such businesses to be signed up in 2017.

At the end of November 2016, 4,792 Cyber Essentials certificates had been awarded, of which it is estimated 3,682 have been awarded to small and medium sized businesses, 77% of the total. The number of certificates issued to enterprises in each category is estimated at: micro 1,237; small 1,350; medium 1,095; and large 1,110.

The Government, including the National Cyber Security Centre, is working on a range of measures to drive further and faster adoption of the scheme, including strengthening the existing requirement for Government suppliers which handle sensitive data or provide certain ICT products and services to hold a Cyber Essentials certificate. As such, we expect the rate of adoption to increase significantly throughout the coming year.