Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Business Growth Service

Thursday 30 January 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jade Botterill asked about how the business growth service will assist microbusinesses and other smaller organizations in her constituency.
  • Gareth Thomas responded by highlighting the Government's aim to offer faster access to support like start-up loans, training, and export assistance through the business growth service.
  • Jim Shannon inquired about discussions between the Department for Business and Trade and the Northern Ireland Executive concerning the business growth policy's relevance to Northern Ireland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jade Botterill Lab Ossett and Denby Dale
Business & Trade
Context

Before Christmas, Jade Botterill met with microbusinesses in Ossett and Denby Dale that felt they had fallen through the cracks of government policy.

Question

Jade Botterill stated she was pleased to meet with microbusinesses in her constituency who previously felt ignored by government policies. She asked how the business growth service will assist these businesses, as well as other measures taken by the Government to help smaller organizations grow.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

Gareth Thomas commended Jade Botterill's work with her constituency businesses. He stated that the Government aims to provide quicker access to support such as start-up loans, training, management assistance, and export help through the business growth service.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify how microbusinesses in particular would benefit or provide a timeline for implementation of the service.

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Business & Trade
Context

In Strangford, small businesses are the backbone of the community. Many people work from home.

Question

Jim Shannon thanked Gareth Thomas for his positive response to the previous question and inquired about discussions between the Department for Business and Trade and the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the business growth policy's applicability to Northern Ireland.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

Gareth Thomas acknowledged Jim Shannon's work as a champion for small businesses. He stated that they want the business growth service to complement existing support provided by the Northern Ireland Executive, Welsh Government, and Scottish Government.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details on discussions or plans with Northern Ireland regarding implementation of the business growth service.

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