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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make it easier for female entrepreneurs to secure capital.

This Government is committed to ensuring that all businesses and business owners have the right support. There are now approximately 1.2 million women-led small and medium-sized businesses in the UK.

The Government-backed British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans provide funding and support to new entrepreneurs, of which 39% have been issued to women. The British Business Bank is also conducting research to identify ways to overcome the specific barriers faced by female-led businesses in accessing venture capital. In collaboration with the Enterprise Research Centre they are gathering data from over 50 VC firms, and are now commissioning behavioural research in this area.