Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Internet)

HC Deb 24 May 2000 vol 350 cc520-1W

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small and medium-sized enterprises have gained the ability to buy and sell over the Internet with the help of Local Support Centres associated with Business Links in each year since 1997(a) in each region and (b) as a percentage of all businesses. [123538]

Mr. Alan Johnson

Usage figures for Information Society Initiative (ISI) Centres associated with Business Links are published quarterly as part of Business Link Management Information, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. Figures are not available prior to 1998. Since 1 January 1998 ISI Centres associated with Business Links in England have provided support to thirty seven thousand (37,016) businesses.

The International Benchmarking Study (DTI/Pub 4108/3k/4/99/NP URN 99/797) provides data on uptake of information and communication technologies among small and medium sized companies. However, such uptake cannot be attributed to any single provider of advice.