§ 7. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to increase the representation of small businesses on the deregulation task force. [1304]
§ Mr. WillettsFive of the 12 members either run small to medium-sized businesses or are involved in small business in other ways.
§ Mr. CunninghamBy affording small business men so little representation on the task force, does the Minister not confirm that the Labour party, and not the Government, is the friend of small business?
§ Mr. WillettsThe latest set of appointments to the deregulation task force reveals that the representation of people from small and medium-sized businesses is very good. Our deregulation policy is aimed specifically at helping small businesses. I refer to measures such as the enforcers green card, the Prime Minister's involvement in the "Your Business Matters" conferences and our wider measures designed to ease the burden of accountancy obligations on small businesses.
§ Mr. John MarshallWould my hon. Friend care to ask the deregulation task force whether it wants wages to be regulated by a Labour Government through a national minimum wage or our social policy to be regulated from Brussels? If that were to happen, the deregulation task force could be wound up.
§ Mr. WillettsMy hon. Friend has put his finger on the key point. The idea that the Labour party can masquerade as the friend of small business when it is committed to the minimum wage and to signing the social chapter is absolutely absurd.