HC Deb 10 May 2004 vol 421 cc90-1W
Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 April 2004,Official Report, columns 43–44WS on small business service, how much financial support her Department intends to provide for the Phoenix Fund Building scheme from April; and for what period. [171611]

Nigel Griffiths

The total budget for the Phoenix Fund is £50 million from April 2004–March 2006. From that, the following allocations have been made to those parts of the Fund referred to in the written ministerial statement of 28 April 2004,Official Report, columns 43–44WS: City Growth Strategies—£3.5 million Building on the Best element of the Phoenix Development Fund—£13.4 million Building on the Best element of the Challenge Fund for Community Development Finance 1nstitutions—£8.4 million.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the devolution of Small Business Services. [169102]

Nigel Griffiths

As announced in the 2004 Budget statement the Government will devolve regional and local Business Link services to the RDAs, within a framework for setting national standards and services to be developed by the Small Business Service, the RDAs and other Government Departments funding business support. The Government intend to implement devolution from April 2005, and will publish more details on these new arrangements in the 2004 Spending Review.