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 and encourage small businesses in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

The Department supports small businesses in the South-West through Help to Grow: Management, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs.

The Dorset Growth Hub supports small businesses in Bournemouth East through services such as bid-writing support and a business innovation programme.

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, is also supporting regional businesses. As of October 2023, 12 SMEs in Bournemouth East have received start up loans to the value of £150,200, and 493 SMEs in the South-West have received start up loans to the value of £6,270,084.