§ 2. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications have so far been received for consultancy support under the enterprise initiative.
§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr. Tony Newton)More than 20,000 applications for assisted consultancy have been received since the launch of the scheme in January 1988.
§ Mr. NicholsonIs my right hon. Friend aware that the scheme, with the measures announced yesterday, will be of great help in the coming year, especially to smaller firms? Can my right hon. Friend give the House any idea of the target for the coming year and the evidence showing that the scheme is especially used by smaller firms?
§ Mr. NewtonI very much agree with my hon. Friend. We are well on course and the evidence is that we have already achieved the 1,000 per month target for applications which was set for last year. We expect to be able to achieve the 1,250 per month target in the forthcoming year. About 90 per cent. of applications come from firms with fewer than 100 employees. There is no doubt that the response from those firms and the benefit to them has been considerable.