§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Paymaster General if he has any plans to change the collection of data undertaken by his Department so as to increase its value in analysing trends within the small business sector.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Department recognises the importance of reliable data concerning the small business sector and is continually seeking ways of more effectively exploiting existing sources of information, both official and non-official.
However, further large-scale data-gathering exercises would prove costly and time-consuming, as well as representing an additional burden on those who run small businesses.