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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day on 27 June.

Our business environment is amongst the best in the world and Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are the backbone of our economy, playing a key role in helping the UK remain the best place to start and grow a small business.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly, recognising the importance of these enterprises, has declared 27 June the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day which we support through the ongoing work of our modern Industrial Strategy. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are doing even more to ensure the UK remains the best place in the world to start and grow a business – whether that is through creating the right environment for business; investing in research; creating a workforce skilled for the future or taking hold of the opportunities EU exit presents for trade.

Through programmes operated by the Government-owned British Business Bank they are currently supporting over £5.5bn of finance to over 78,000 SMEs; and since its launch in 2012, the Start-Up Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, has delivered more than 59,000 loans, totalling over £450m.