§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what investigations have been made by his small firms inquiry into the need for, and potential value of, a Government loan guarantee scheme for small companies; and what are its preliminary conclusions.
§ Mr. LeverI have received a number of representations on this subject. It is one of the matters being examined by the Committee on Finance for Investment chaired by Lord Roll, and I will wait for its findings before considering whether such a scheme might be relevant to the needs of small companies in this country.