Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support research and development by small and medium-sized companies.

Innovate UK supports research and development by SMEs through a diverse range of programmes including the Catapult Network, Launchpads, Investor Partnerships and Business Growth. Over the last 2 years, Innovate UK has awarded £5.2 billion funding to more than 7000 businesses, of which 86% were SMEs.

The Regulatory Innovation Office has been established to update regulation and speed up approvals, allowing SMEs to bring products and services to market faster.

The government also grants R&D tax reliefs rates. Companies doing qualifying R&D continue to receive a cash value of between £15 to £27 for every £100 spent on R&D.