§ 21. Mr. BoothTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to improve the participation of small firms in exporting. [21962]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe DTI and FCO overseas trade service already provides a comprehensive and high quality range of export assistance and advice, which is primarily of benefit to small and medium sized companies. In addition, support for small businesses is being greatly improved through business links partnerships. One of the objectives of business links is to encourage and help small and medium sized companies to develop effective export strategies.
§ 23. Mr. John MarshallTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the trends in exports in 1995. [21964]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe outlook for exports in 1995 is excellent. The Confederation of British Industry reports that export orders are growing faster than ever before and that optimism amongst exporters is at its highest for a generation. The volume of exports has risen by 121/2 per cent. over the last year.