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Written question asked by Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru) on Monday, 7 September 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 September 2026. It was answered by Lord Leong (Labour) on Monday, 21 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

Business: Finance

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of businesses were assessed as being in critical financial distress in the second quarter of this year in (1) Wales, (2) England, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland; and how these figures compare with those recorded in each of the preceding four quarters.

Answer

Official data on business vulnerability is not published by the Department.

Growth is this government’s number one mission and our plan is to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, with a culture that supports entrepreneurship in every community and high street. The Small Business Plan was launched in July 2025 and contains 200 targeted actions which will make a real difference to the operations of small businesses and help them grow. With a £4bn finance boost to increase access to finance for entrepreneurs, the British Business Bank promotes the provision of better access-to-finance information for UK SMEs. The Growth Guarantee Scheme helps businesses access loans up to £2 million per business group to be used for any business purpose, including growth and investment or working capital.

On 14th July 2026, the Chancellor announced access-to-finance measures through supporting:

  • SMEs through the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)
  • Communities through Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs)
  • Building societies to lend more
  • SMEs looking to export
  • Lending to high-tech scale ups

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL3214
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Business Finance
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk