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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the British Business Bank lent through peer-to-peer lending platforms in each of the last two financial years; and whether the British Business Bank continues to provide loans to new borrowers through peer-to-peer platforms or whether loans are now confined to supporting previous borrowers sourced through peer-to-peer platforms.

The British Business Bank does not lend directly to SMEs. The Bank’s total exposure through peer-to-peer delivery partners was:

· £101.3m at 30 September 2019 (the latest data available), and

· £102.9m at 31 March 2019.

The Bank’s exposure contributes to loans to SMEs. In combination with other funders, the new loans it supported through peer-to-peer platforms were as follows:

· £268.7m of new finance to 2,738 SMEs in the six months to 30 September 2019 (the latest data available), and

· £705.4m of new finance to 7,794 SMEs in Financial Year 2018/19.

The Bank’s exposure to peer-to-peer delivery partners continues to provide finance to new SME borrowers.