Business Links (Hansard, 18 April 1995)

§ Mr. Wilson
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to meet the criticisms contained in the internal audit report on business links development and funding published in January. [18107]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
The report was an internal management document. It is not the Governments practice to comment on leaked documents.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Battle) by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 5 April 1995, Official Report, columns 1726–27.

§ Mr. Wilson
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the business links outlets so far established and the principal funders in each instance. [18108]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
75 business links are currently open in the areas shown.
Funding in cash and in kind is provided by a number of partners including the local training and enterprise council, the local authority, the chamber of commerce, and local enterprise agencies, and my own Department.

Barnsley

Birmingham

Calderdale and Kirklees

Chester and Ellesmere Port

Devon and Cornwall

Doncaster

Dorset

Dudley

Gloucestershire

Hereford and Worcester

Hertfordshire

Isle of Wight

Leicestershire

Lincolnshire

Manchester

Merseyside

North and Mid-Cheshire

Shropshire

South Derbyshire

South and East Cheshire

Thames Valley

Tyneside

Walsall

Sunderland

Wigan

§ Mr. Wilson
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people are now employed in business links outlets. [18109]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
business links are private companies and as such DTI does not keep this information.

§ Mr. Wilson
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what programme is currently envisaged for the expansion of business links. [18111]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
Some 75 business links outlets are currently open and I have already approved plans for a further 146. By the end of May, over 100 business links should be operational and we are well on course towards our target of a national network of over 200 outlets, covering all parts of England, by the end of this year.