Small Firms (Hansard, 9 January 1996)

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the Ministers who have had responsibility for small firms since 1979. [7550]

§ Mr. Page
The following Ministers have had responsibility for small firms since 1979:

David Mitchell

John MacGregor

David Trippier

John Cope

Timothy Eggar
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Eric Forth

Baroness Denton

Lord Strathclyde

Lord Ferrers.

I am the current Minister with responsibility for Small Business.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what publicity business links undertakes to bring to the attention of small and medium-sized enterprises the existence of training and development national vocational qualifications. [7585]

§ Mr. Page
Business links tailor their services and publicity to meet the needs of local firms. They promote training and development, including national vocational qualifications, as an essential component of a broader strategy to help small and medium-sized enterprises achieve business competitiveness.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many business mentors are currently available to small firms through business links. [7548]

§ Mr. Page
There are currently around 460 personal business advisers and 60 specialist advisers—export development counsellors, innovation and technology counsellors and design counsellors—employed or contracted by business links to provide independent advice and help to smaller firms with growth potential.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the initiatives which his Department has begun for small firms since 1979, stating when they(a) began and (b) ended. [7582]

§ Mr. Page
Initiatives introduced since 1979 with the aim of assisting small firms are outlined in the annual report, "Small Firms in Britain". Copies of the 1995 report and previous years' reports are in the Library of the House.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated regarding the relative rules for the creation and survival of small firms in (i) Scotland and (ii) England and Wales. [7549]

§ Mr. Page
My Department is currently undertaking, or has recently conducted, research on a range of topics which can influence the creation and survival of small firms in England and Wales. Topics covered include: why small firms' growth rates differ, management training, franchising, networking, the use of information technology by small firms.
Information on the research evaluated by my Department can be obtained from the departmental report in the Library of the House.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland can supply information on the particular situation in Scotland.