§ Mr. Moonmanasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a further statement about his proposal to set up a committee of inquiry into the problems of small firms.
§ Mr. CroslandAfter consultation with the C.B.I. I have now set up the Committee with the following terms of reference
To consider the role of small firms in the national economy, the facilities available to them and the problems confronting them; and to make recommendations. For the purpose of the study a small firm might be defined broadly as one with not more than 200 employees, but this should not be regarded as a rigid definition.In the course of the study it will be necessary to examine in particular the profitability of small firms and the availability of finance. Regard should also be paid to the special functions of small firms, for example as innovators and specialist suppliers.I am glad to say that Mr. John E. Bolton, Chairman and Managing Director of Growth Capital Limited and formerly Chairman of Council of the British Institute of Management, has agreed to be Chairman and the members will be:Mr. E. L. G. Robbins—Vice-Chairman of the Industrial Training Foundation.Professor J. H. B. Tew—Professor of Money and Banking at the University of Nottingham.Mr. L. V. D. Tindale—Director and General Manager, Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation Limited.