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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for prioritising the digitalisation of small and medium enterprises to support the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government recognises the importance of digitalisation amongst small and medium enterprises, and has a number of programmes which support this. Within BEIS, the Small Business Leadership Programme and Peer-to-Peer networks promote the acquisition of digital skills, whilst the Business Basics programme has provided valuable insights and evidence as to both the practical barriers and opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. The Made Smarter pilot scheme in the North West has supported manufacturing companies to adopt new Industry 4.0 technologies, both through matched grant funding and independent, expert advice.

Further initiatives focussed on digitalisation are led or supported by other government departments. These include Digital Boost, a platform which matches organisations with digital experts offering free advice, supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In addition, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced £20m in July 2020 to help small and medium-sized businesses acquire new technology and seek advice on digital adoption in order to continue or diversify their business activities in light of the pandemic. This is provided through grants of between £1000 and £5000, and is fully funded by the Government with no obligation for businesses themselves to contribute financially.