§ 18. Mr. HarrisTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications have so far been received for consultancy projects under the enterprise initiative.
§ Mr. ForthMy hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that a large and growing number of firms are improving their competitiveness by taking the enterprise initiative. Since January, 15,000 applications have been received for the self-help package of assistance with consultancy projects —2,500 of them in the last six weeks.
§ Mr. HarrisDoes my hon. Friend agree that this scheme has special value for small firms? Can he give any information about the number of applications made by small firms?
§ Mr. ForthMy hon. Friend is right. The initiative is aimed primarily at small firms. We have been delighted with the take-up. I shall tell my hon. Friend what I probably do not need to tell him: we have already received 288 applications for consultancy projects from Cornwall, and 128 projects have been approved for assisted consultancy. I am sure he will agree that this is encouraging. We hope to see this greater progress maintained.