Mr. AmissTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list those Government measures of particular help for small businesses since 1979.
§ The Prime MinisterIn 1979 responsibility for the small firms sector resided with the Department of Industry. Responsibility was transferred from the amalgamated Department of Trade and Industry to the Department of Employment on 3 September 1985. Government policy throughout has been to create a climate in which small firms can flourish and to tackle the particular disadvantages faced by people setting up a new business or wishing to expand an existing small firm.
394WThe principal Government measures of particular help for small businesses include the small firms service which provides information and business counselling to new and established firms; the business improvement initiative launched by the DTI in January 1988 which offers access to specialised consultancy in a number of key business areas; the rural development commission, which provides advice and technical services to small firms in rural areas; a range of tax changes to improve the incentives and rewards for successful small business owners; the loan guarantee scheme introduced in 1981; the business expansion scheme introduced in 1983; the enterprise allowance scheme introduced in 1983; a range of training programmes operated by the Training Commission which take account of new and established small firms' business training needs.