§ Q15. Mr. David Mitchellasked the Prime Minister if he will instruct each Department in the Government which has, during the past 12 months, sent out forms, returns or circulars requiring information to be provided by small businesses to place a copy of each such document in the Library.
§ The Prime MinisterNo. It would be difficult to define which forms, returns, and circulars are issued specifically to small businesses and I do not think the administrative cost to Departments of making the selection and sending the documents to the Library could be justified. But I am aware of the onerous288W nature of the calls made upon the owners and managers of such businesses by these communications and, following the report made by the Bolton Committee of Inquiry on Small Firms, I asked all Ministers in charge of Departments to pay particular attention to easing the burden of form-filling.