Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on taking steps to improve accessibility to entrepreneurship and business ownership for people with protected characteristics in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is fully committed to supporting businesses and creating the best conditions for enterprise so that everyone, whatever their background, has the means and know-how to start and grow a business.
We are supporting early-stage entrepreneurs from all backgrounds through the Start-Up Loans Company which provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs.
Since 2012, 40% of Start Up Loans have gone to women, worth over £344m and 20% of loans worth 187m have gone to Black, Asian, and Ethnic-minority businesses. 102 SMEs in Lancaster and Fleetwood have received Start Up Loans to the value of £866,495 as of November 2022.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) the Minister for Women and Equalities and (b) Cabinet colleagues on improving (i) access to entrepreneurial career pathways and (ii) business ownership for people with protected characteristics in Wirral South.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is fully committed to supporting businesses and creating the best conditions for enterprise so that everyone, whatever their background, has the means and know-how to start and grow a business.
We are supporting early-stage entrepreneurs from all backgrounds through the Start-Up Loans Company which provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012, 40% of Start Up Loans have gone to women, worth over £341m and 20% of loans worth 183m have gone to Black, Asian, and Ethnic-minority business. (as at October 2022). 106 SMEs in Wirral South have received loans to the value of £1,014,500 as of October 2022.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on taking steps to improve accessibility to entrepreneurship and business ownership for people with protected characteristics in Sefton Central constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is fully committed to supporting businesses and creating the best conditions for enterprise so that everyone, whatever their background, has the means and know-how to start and grow a business.
We are supporting early-stage entrepreneurs from all backgrounds through the Start-Up Loans Company which provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012, 40% of Start Up Loans have gone to women, worth over £341m and 20% of loans worth 183m have gone to Black, Asian, and Ethnic-minority business (as at October 2022). One hundred and sixty SMEs in Sefton Central have received loans to the value of £1,688,512 as of October 2022.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to support female entrepreneurs.
Answered by Katherine Fletcher
We are committed to harnessing the skills, innovation and talents of female entrepreneurs. That’s why this Government launched a Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce in May 2022, led by Anne Boden of Starling Bank and with a membership of some of this country’s most successful female entrepreneurs.
It will use its convening power to influence high-growth investors, raise the aspirations of the next generation and work to stimulate regional funding opportunities.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of ending the New Enterprise Allowance programme on the number of women in receipt of benefits starting their own business.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Between April 2011 and December 2020 approximately 99,000 women (41% of all participants) started on the NEA and 59,000 (42%) of these progressed to set up a business. The NEA programme was however, only one form of support and The Department for Work and Pensions does not collect data on the total number of businesses which are started by all benefit recipients.
Alternative support such as the Small Business Helpline in England, Business Wales, Fair Start Scotland and the Start Up Loans Schemes remain available. Support for the self-employed is also built into Universal Credit. Self-employed claimants on Universal Credit receive financial support to supplement their earnings, and during a start-up period, regular support from self-employment work coaches. This includes signposting claimants to tools and resources to develop the skills and experience they need. DWP also partners with local and national organisations so that claimants can access tailored, all-round support.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of the people who made starts on the New Enterprise Allowance were (a) disabled, (b) aged 50 or over, (c) women and (d) from an ethnic minority background.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available statistics, detailing the period up to December 2020, were published in May 2021 and can be accessed here. Updated statistics are being prepared and we aim to publish these in March 2022.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on potential entrepreneurs of ending the New Enterprise Allowance.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
The contract for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) was extended by nine months to support claimants through the unprecedented challenges that arose due to the pandemic. While new referrals to the NEA ended on 31 December 2021, participants on the programme will receive support until October 2023.
The NEA was just one form of provision available to the self-employed. Those self-employed or those wishing to become self-employed can access support from the Small Business Helpline in England, Business Wales and Fair Start Scotland. Additionally, the Start Up Loans scheme, run by the British Business Bank, delivers support to many people that may have otherwise struggled to obtain support through a commercial bank loan. The scheme provides mentoring to those starting their business, and offers support to women entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds and individuals who were previously unemployed.
Support for the self-employed is built into Universal Credit. Self-employed claimants on Universal Credit receive financial support to supplement their earnings, and during a start-up period, regular support from self-employment Work Coaches. This includes signposting claimants to tools and resources to develop the skills and experience they need. Claimants on legacy benefits who become self-employed may migrate to Universal Credit and receive a start-up period of up to one year, which includes 1-2-1 Work Coach support to develop their business. DWP also partners with local and national organisations so that claimants can access tailored, all-round support.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government is making on encouraging more girls into STEM careers.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The department recognises the demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills is growing, which is why ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, can pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this government.
We are pleased to see that since 2010, there has been a 26% proportional increase in the number of STEM A level entries from girls in England. In 2020, girls made up just over half of science A level entries (in biology, chemistry and physics), and there was an increase in the number of female students taking both mathematics and further mathematics, by 4.2% and 4.8% respectively. We recognise, however, that there is still some way to go to address the gender gap in physics and the mathematical subjects.
In order to address this, and encourage more young people into STEM subjects and careers, the government is funding informal learning programmes to inspire young people in schools. For example, the STEM Ambassadors scheme is a nationwide network of over 37,000 volunteers representing over 7,000 employers, who provide engaging extracurricular activities for young people to increase their interest in STEM subjects and to raise awareness of the range of careers that STEM qualifications offer. STEM Ambassadors are relatable role models - 57% are under 35, 45% are female and 15% are from UK minority ethnic backgrounds.
Secondary schools are expected to provide pupils with at least one meaningful interaction with employers per pupil per year, with a particular focus on STEM employers. These interactions open young people’s eyes to a range of different career possibilities and challenge stereotypes, as well as helping to prepare them for the workplace. Furthermore, the Careers and Enterprise Company, working with STEM Learning, have launched a series of STEM toolkits to support teachers to link careers to the STEM curriculum.
In September 2020, we began the phased rollout of T Levels - new technical courses for 16-19 year olds which are equivalent to three A levels. A number of T Level subjects now being taught are related to STEM, such as Construction, Digital, Healthcare and Science. T Levels in Engineering and Manufacturing will be taught from September 2022. The content of these courses is designed by relevant employers and other industry experts, ensuring that students leave their course with the skills most needed by STEM employers. We want as many students as possible to be able to take advantage of T Levels – and to challenge any stereotypes which may hold young people back from applying. Our T Level ambassadors showcase a wide range of voices.
Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to receive high quality training and begin a successful career in STEM. There are over 340 employer-designed apprenticeship standards in STEM, including Cyber Security Technician at level 3 and Civil Engineer (degree) at level 6. In the 2020/21 academic year 24% of all apprenticeship starts were in STEM and it is encouraging to see that female representation in STEM apprenticeships is increasing. We are continuing to promote apprenticeships in schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and working with our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network of influential employers to promote best practices in encouraging and retaining more women in STEM apprenticeships.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to ensure that gender equality remains a strategic priority for her Department.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Fundamentally, our new foreign and development policy is about freedom, the freedom for men and women alike to live and thrive around the world, empowered by education and enterprise. Throughout this year's UK's G7 Presidency, we have prioritised action on gender equality guided by the 3E's: 'Educating Girls, Empowering Women and Ending Violence against women and girls' which continues to reflect FCDO priorities. Last week I announced how women and girls will be at the centre of our foreign policy priorities, with more than £20 million of new funding to help stop violence against women and girls around the world, exploring options to strengthen the international response to sexual violence in conflict, including exploring a new Convention and plans for an international conference in 2022.
We will be refreshing FCDO's Strategic Vision for Gender Equality in the new year, which will look to 2030 and show how FCDO will continue to prioritise women and girls. In addition, our latest Spending Review showed, we will increase aid funding for our highest priorities, including support for women and girls, focusing on giving more girls a quality education; ending the extremely harmful practice of female genital mutilation and supporting girls' health.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department has decided to end the New Enterprise Allowance scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The contract for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) was due to end in March 2021, but was extended by nine months to support claimants through the unprecedented challenges that arose due to the pandemic. As the economy opens up, it is right that we focus our resources on getting jobseekers into work and progressing with support underpinned by our Plan For Jobs. Furthermore, while referrals to the NEA end on 31 December 2021, participants on the programme will receive support until October 2023.
The NEA is just one form of provision available to the self-employed. Those self-employed or those wishing to become self-employed can access support from the Small Business Helpline in England, Business Wales and Fair Start Scotland. Additionally, the Start Up Loans scheme, run by the British Business Bank, delivers support to many people that may have otherwise struggled to obtain it through a commercial bank loan. The scheme provides mentoring to those starting their business, and offers support to women entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds and the previously unemployed. Where Jobcentres identify claimants with additional support requirements not met elsewhere, they may use Flexible Support Fund to commission additional localised support.
Support for the self-employed is built into Universal Credit, so claimants can receive financial support to supplement their earnings and they can receive regular support from Self-Employment Work Coaches, who will signpost entrepreneurs to tools and resources to develop the skills and experience they need. Claimants on legacy benefits who become self-employed may migrate to Universal Credit and receive a start-up period of up to one year, which includes 1-2-1 Work Coach support to develop their business.