§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what comparisons have been made by his Department of the percentage of subsidised loan capital against total lending to United Kingdom small businesses against those of other industrialised nations; and if he will publish any details.
§ Mr. TrippierThere are no official statistics available for the United Kingdom on either the amount of subsidised loans to small businesses or total lending to small businesses. The Department is, therefore, not able to make such international comparisons.
§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what comparisons have been made by his Department as to the number of small and medium-sized businesses in the United Kingdom against those of other industrialised nations; and if he will publish any details;
(2) what comparisons have been made by his Department on the level of economic activity in the United Kingdom of small and medium-sized enterprises against those of other industrial nations; and if he will publish any results;
(3) what comparisons have been made by his Department on the contributions to the gross domestic product of the United Kingdom by small and medium enterprises over the past 10 years against those of other industrial nations; and if he will publish any results;
(4) what comparisons have been made by his Department as to the percentage of employment provided by small and medium-sized businesses over the last 10 years against those of the other industrial nations; and if he will publish any details.
§ Mr. TrippierThe results of a study carried out in my Department of small and medium sized enterprises in the United Kingdom and other countries were published in 503W British Business on 19 November 1982. Copies of the article "Small Firms Survey: the international scene" were placed in the Library. All the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.