VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Small Businesses

Asked by Marsha De CordovaLabourDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 9 December 2025UIN 96764

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of encouraging more businesses to become certified B corporations.

Answered by Blair McDougall

Purpose-driven businesses, including B Corporations, have a unique and powerful ability to innovate and scale solutions to the big social and environmental challenges that we face as a country. The Government recently launched the Office for Impact Economy, which will look at the vital role of policy levers in helping the UK Government to harness and grow the impact economy, including B Corporations and other purpose-driven businesses. This builds on our manifesto commitment to support diverse business models which bring innovation and new products to the market, and to double the UK’s co-operative and mutuals sector. As part of the Autumn Budget, DBT launched a Call for Evidence on business support for Co-operatives and Non-Financial Mutuals which will be open across Great Britian for 12 weeks.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim