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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the 50 per cent reduction in funding for business support teams in Local Enterprise Partnerships on (a) start-ups and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government provided additional funding to Growth Hubs over the last two years to support businesses through EU Exit Transition and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The funding settlement for 2022/23 represents a return to a level closer to that of previous years.

The core offer of Growth Hub functions and services has the flexibility for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to choose how they deliver services, including any enhancements according to local business needs.