§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will assess the impact of Business Link on company productivity. [152055]
§ Nigel GriffithsTwo studies of the impact of Business Link have concluded that it provides good value for money in terms of additional jobs, turnover, profits, assets, exports and productivity growth. The work will be updated this summer.
An integral part of the new Business Link Performance Management Framework is the inclusion of a Gross Value Added measure. This enables Business Link Operators to quantify—in terms of wealth creation and productivity improvements—the impact of their support to businesses with whom they have built a more intensive relationship. Data will be available later this year.