To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports of 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 857, how many staff in his Department have been allocated to the working on the development of the new business growth service; and at what the total staff cost is for the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years.

The Business Growth Service (BGS) and the broader plans for small business are a priority for the Department for Business and Trade. There is currently a flexible resourcing model in place to develop the Business Growth Service. As of March 2025, a small, full-time core team has been put in place dedicated to developing the BGS with a range of other teams supporting the programme in areas such as Digital, Communications, and Stakeholder Engagement. Final plans for 2025-26 are not yet available but, at launch, the BGS will encompass a much wider range of DBT staff delivering for businesses.