Oral Answers to Questions

Jo White Excerpts

Tuesday 27th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Jo White (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

5. What assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing Government-backed loans for SMEs.

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)]

The Government provide a wide range of loan support for SMEs through the British Business Bank. This includes the start up loans programme and the growth guarantee scheme, the latter of which recently supported over 4,000 businesses and over 65,000 jobs right across the country.

[Jo White]

I recently met Matthew Pendleton, who owns Apawtiser, a high-quality dog treat company. The company grew legs because processed dog food had made his pet dog violently ill. Matthew now needs the finances so that he can continue to expand, employ more staff and get Apawtiser on the national pet food map. I want to see businesses such as these succeed in my area, and Matthew’s small ask is: will the Government step in with the offer of an underwritten loan?

[Lucy Rigby]

My hon. Friend is a tireless champion of businesses in Bassetlaw, and I wish her a happy birthday for yesterday. In the recent spending review, the Government extended the growth guarantee scheme, enabling £5 billion-worth of loans over the next four years. This will support businesses like the one she mentioned, and I would be more than happy to meet her to talk about how her constituent might access that support.