Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, whether the £11 billion lending commitment represents new lending or includes existing lending facilities repackaged under this agreement.

The lending commitment facility is not time limited.

We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to export is not restricted to this lending package.

The £11 billion commitment represents new lending, and does not included facilities extended before the announcement

Businesses can apply for a lending facility directly with the participant banks. They can start by speaking to their high street lender or their local Export Finance Manager (EFM). The EFMs are UKEF’s regional representatives who provide local points of contact for exporters and businesses with export potential. Contact details for the EFMs around the whole of the UK can be found at: Find an Export Finance Manager - GOV.UK.

Repayment of the loans will be managed by the respective banks, applying their regular criteria and processes. UKEF has robust legal agreements in place which set requirements regarding monitoring of potential defaults and making relevant recoveries.