Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the guidance by the Central Digital and Data Office entitled Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published on 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by her Department; and how many red-rated IT systems have been identified since 4 December 2023.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a framework to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain assets within the IT estate. Departments have committed to have remediation plans in place for these systems by next year (2025).
It is not appropriate to release sensitive information held about specific red-rated systems or more detailed plans for remediation within the Department for Business and Trade’s IT estate, as this information could indicate which systems are at risk, and may highlight potential security vulnerabilities.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral evidence taken before the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee on 17 May 2022, HC 207, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the eligibility for the Help to grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government closed the Help to Grow: Digital programme in February 2023.
An assessment of the eligibility criteria can be found in the Help to Grow: Digital scheme evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report
While we do not routinely publish advice, decisions were informed by evidence and the scheme design was kept under review. Eligibility changes were made in Summer 2022 which responded to oral evidence, which included widening the criteria to include businesses of 1+ employee(s).
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish the advice given to ministers that informed decisions on eligibility criteria for the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government closed the Help to Grow: Digital programme in February 2023.
An assessment of the eligibility criteria can be found in the Help to Grow: Digital scheme evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report
While we do not routinely publish advice, decisions were informed by evidence and the scheme design was kept under review. Eligibility changes were made in Summer 2022 which responded to oral evidence, which included widening the criteria to include businesses of 1+ employee(s).
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses to accelerate the adoption of digital tools to improve productivity, in the context of the closure of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since the closure of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme in 2023 we have been considering how best to help small businesses to adopt basic digital technologies. We know digital tools can improve firm-level productivity and a businesses’ ability to grow.
This is why in the Autumn Statement we announced that we would be setting up an industry-led taskforce to rapidly explore how best to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises with adoption of digital technology. We will be launching the taskforce shortly
The Government continues to support small businesses in other ways, such as through the Help to Grow: Management programme and the Government-backed British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans. These schemes help business leaders to start and grow their businesses.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the time of the closure of the scheme, 1,507 applications had been made for a discount voucher through the Help to Grow: Digital website.
A full assessment of the take up, regional breakdown and effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme was published and can be found in the evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the level of take up of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the time of the closure of the scheme, 1,507 applications had been made for a discount voucher through the Help to Grow: Digital website.
A full assessment of the take up, regional breakdown and effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme was published and can be found in the evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the annual cost to the public purse of her Department's expenditure on (a) IT infrastructure, (b) IT infrastructure purchased prior to 2013 and (c) legacy IT infrastructure for each year since 2010.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In 2022-23, the previous Department for International Trade spent £9.8m on IT infrastructure.
Information is not available on IT infrastructure purchased prior to 2013 as this predates the creation of the Department for International Trade in 2016.
Table 1 shows expenditure on legacy infrastructure from 2017/18, the first full year for which information is available.
Financial Year | Total |
2017-18 | £0.2m |
2018-19 | £1.2m |
2019-20 | £1.4m |
2020-21 | £1.4m |
2021-22 | £1.4m |
2022-23 | £1.4m |
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Central Digital & Data Office's guidance entitled, Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by her Department as of 21 November 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As of 21st November 2023, the Department for Business and Trade, as a Ministerial Department, has one red-rated legacy IT system as defined in the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework.