Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many business mentors in each region are currently available through the Government's national network of mentors and the mentorsme portal; and what plans he has to join up those programmes with (i) the Business Growth Service, (ii) Growth Hubs and (iii) local enterprise partnerships.

The information about mentors in each region is unavailable.

The Government has simplified national business support into three clear offers (advice, finance, exports), with local business support being brought together through the growth hubs which Local Enterprise Partnerships and their partners are establishing. Both the Business Growth Service and growth hubs will connect businesses to mentors where businesses would benefit from this support.