§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department has taken to encourage small businesses in the Nottingham, North constituency.
§ Mr. CopeI am responsible for co-ordinating policy affecting small businesses throughout the Government.
Specific Department of Employment measures of particular help for small businesses which are available in the Nottingham, North area include: the small firms service, which provides information and business counselling to new and established firms; the small firms centre in Nottingham dealt with 5,193 inquiries between April and October 1988 and delivered some 566 initial counselling sessions for the Nottingham region alone. In the same area there are currently 1,838 people operating under the enterprise allowance scheme which enables those on benefit to start a business. Since the introduction of the loan guarantee scheme in June 1981 some 1,318 loans to the value of £44,380,000 have been guaranteed, as at 31 October 1988, in the east midlands region.
This Department has also supported the local enterprise agency in Nottingham, which provides advice 422W and guidance to small businesses in that area. This assistance was first given under the local enterprise agency grant scheme and this year additionally under the local enterprise agency project scheme. The Training Agency operates a minutes of business training programmes of particular value to small businesses.