§ Mr. David Shawasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department in helping small businesses over the last three years; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
§ Mr. HurdThe Home Office, as part of the Government's policy to promote small businesses, is undertaking a number of initiatives intended to help business.
The Home Office has reviewed all the licences for which it is responsible, to ascertain whether they place a burden on business and if so to see whether that burden could be reduced. A number of changes have been made which will help small business: for example, restrictions on betting offices have been relaxed; the requirement to hold a public billiard licence has been abolished; legislation has been introduced allowing bingo clubs to participate in a national bingo game; and a requirement for pest control firms to hold Home Office authority as well as Minister of Agriculture licences has been removed.
For future developments, the Government are proposing to introduce a Bill later this Session to liberalise the laws on liquor licencing hours; new Cinema (Safety) Regulations and a guide to fire precautions in existing places of public entertainment should reduce burdens on both businesses and local authorities; the Home Office will also be publishing, as a result of the Fire Safety and Safety at Places of Sport Act 1987, a guide specifically intended to help small businesses ascertain what measures are necessary for fire safety. Performance indicators and statistics are not available to show the result of these activities, which are in the main enabling and assisting provisions.
The Home Office, in partnership with other Government Departments, the private sector and local authorities, has helped to establish and fund four enterprise agencies in inner city areas with a high ethnic minority population. Though open to all, they are especially designed to counsel and support ethnic minority small businesses. The performance of the first three agencies, opened last year, is undergoing independent evaluation, using a number of performance indicators, including the number of businesses established and their rate of survival. An estimate will also be given of the value of the benefits flowing from the agencies' work in relation to the expenditure involved. An interim report will soon be made, but meanwhile there is evidence of ample demand for the agencies' services and that small businesses are being established as a result. As the evaluation progresses, more quantitative data are expected.
The Home Office is also providing funding, through section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966, for a number of local authority posts concerned with ethnic minority business development, and a grant for similar work to an existing enterprise agency in an inner city. Routine monitoring arrangements will cover all such posts.
In addition, my Department has for many years sponsored the Community Projects Foundation, which exists to demonstrate community development techniques in a range of local projects. Several of these have led to the 471W setting up of small businesses. The work of the foundation has been regularly reviewed and we are at present considering proposals for research into the more systematic analysis of community development project.