§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for Industry which agencies giving help and advice to small businesses are financed wholly or partly by the Exchequer; and what is the annual cost of each.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe principal agencies are the small firms service of the Department of Industry and the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas—CoSIRA—which is administered by the Development Commission.
The cost of the small firms service in 1981–82 is estimated to be £3 million. Questions about the cost of CoSIRA should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.