Written questions by Taylor.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) encourage investment in startups and (b) support entrepreneurs in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year with a clear ambition to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship, built around the new Business Growth Service.Existing support includes Help to Grow: Management - UK, providing practical ways to enhance small business productivity and growth, and the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Scotland. This commits £150 million to deliver loans and debt finance, ranging from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million, for new and growing businesses across rural, coastal and urban Scottish areas.Start Up Loans are also available in Scotland, helping new and early-stage businesses access affordable finance and mentoring support.

What recent steps his Department has taken to (a) encourage inward investment and (b) support job creation in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency.

Growth is the number one mission of this government. Our Industrial Strategy is central to that Mission - targeting key sectors to deliver high quality, well-paid jobs. My Honourable Friend's constituency is strong in sectors identified in our Green Paper, particularly Advanced Manufacturing and Life Sciences including being home to the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre. We are working closely with the Scottish government and other partners to attract new investment and jobs. Senior officials from the Office for Investment recently visited the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland to see the investment potential first-hand.