Small Business Service

HC Deb 13 July 2000 vol 353 cc1056-8

9. Mr. David Kidney (Stafford)

What plans he has to promote the work of the Small Business Service. [128948]

The Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce (Ms Patricia Hewitt)

David Irwin, chief executive of the new Small Business Service, is looking at how we can promote our services to our small business customers even more effectively.

Mr. Kidney

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Does she accept that the creation of the Small Business Service marks a step change in our country's appreciation of the significant contribution that small businesses make to the success of our economy? Does she agree that it is important that all the people who might benefit from the work of the service should know that it exists, and that it is there to help? Will she say something about the marketing that she intends to carry out to ensure that there is maximum awareness among the people who could benefit from the service?

Ms Hewitt

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. We are determined to ensure that locally, small businesses and people wanting to start small businesses are aware of what their local business links can offer, and nationally, that they are aware of the programmes and support for which the Small Business Service is responsible. We will be using every possible avenue—including, of course, the internet—to make sure that that message gets across.

Mr. Brian Cotter (Weston-super-Mare)

Does the Minister agree that the Small Business Service should be taking account of the European small business charter? The charter has some excellent aspirations for small business which, if implemented, would be extremely beneficial to the sector. Will the Minister indicate when the Government will start implementing these measures?

Ms Hewitt

We were, of course, responsible for promoting the idea of the small business charter, and we were delighted when the proposals were accepted at the Lisbon summit. We are now working with the European Commission and with our European colleagues to make sure that the proposals come into effect.

Let me stress the fact that not only are there 1 million more people in work than when we were elected, but 1 million new businesses have started up since then. It is not surprising that the Economist intelligence Unit recently concluded that the United Kingdom is one of the best places in the world to do business, and we intend to keep it that way.

Mrs. Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside)

Will my hon. Friend say how the Small Business Service will support co-operative and community businesses? How will it work with universities in supporting spin-out technologies into small companies? Can she give me an assurance that she will do all she can to ensure that the north-west has a strong scientific base? Can she also assure me that adequate support will be given to the recommendations of the working party now considering scientific developments based on the work of universities and research institutions in the north-west, including work done at Liverpool and Manchester universities, following the very regrettable decision about Daresbury?

Ms Hewitt

My hon. Friend makes several important points. We have asked the Small Business Service and business links specifically to support business start-ups in disadvantaged areas. Over the next three years, we are putting £30 million into the Phoenix fund to help support that initiative. We have already created and funded 12 enterprise centres in universities throughout the country to help to ensure that science-based ideas are commercialised. I know that my hon. Friend and vice-chancellors of universities in the north-west will warmly welcome the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of an additional £1 billion investment in the science base in our universities.

Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)

Does the hon. Lady not understand that for the hotel and restaurant sector, none of the initiatives of the Small Business Service remotely compensates for the fact that the regulatory burden for that sector consists of no fewer than 70 booklets and 1,500 pages?

Ms Hewitt

The recent report of the better regulation taskforce on the hotel and catering sector is excellent. With my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, we are considering carefully how we can implement its recommendations. May I remind the hon. Gentleman that a large part of the over-complex regulations that are undoubtedly burdening the hotel sector is a leftover from the time of the previous Government? We are putting effective measures in place to simplify business support. I challenge the hon. Gentleman to say whether he will exempt small hotels and bed-and-breakfast places from the hygiene and safety regulations that are essential for the safety of customers and workers alike.