HC Deb 20 January 1997 vol 288 c428W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what conclusions his Department has drawn from the Grant Thornton 1996 European business survey regarding(a) the percentage of United Kingdom SME which export, (b) the figures in each European Union country and (c) the European Union average. [11229]

Mr. Page

I welcome the survey's findings that as many as 45 per cent. of United Kingdom SMEs export, and that the share is significantly higher in only six other European Union countries. SMEs clearly make an important contribution to Britain's position as the world's fifth largest trading nation.