Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Industry what specific steps he is at present taking to encourage the growth and expansion of small firms in the North-West region.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe Department's small-firms service operates in the North-West region from its centre in Manchester and sub-office in Liverpool and offers a free information service to small businesses and those thinking of setting up in business. In addition, confidential and impartial business advice is provided by a team of 25 counsellors. In the first half of 1982 the service received 14,298 enquiries and held 2,123 counselling meetings in the region. Technical advice is available from the new small firms technical inquiry service. Small firms in the North-West also benefit from over 90 measures we have introduced to help small firms throughout the country. Under the loan guarantee scheme, 678 guarantees had been issued by the end of June in respect of £21.8 million of bank lending to small firms in the North-West.