Business Links (Hansard, 17 January 1996)

§ 29. Mr. Jacques Arnold
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the introduction of business links. [7917]

§ Mr. Lang
Business links are making excellent progress in raising the quality of business support services and simplifying access to them. For the first time, businesses have a simple route to top quality public and price sector support—support delivered by local business for local business and tailored to the customer's individual needs. Across the country, thousands of companies, especially small firms with the desire and potential to grow, are experiencing the tangible benefits which business link offers—a single point of access to a complete range of support, including help with exports, innovation and technology, access to finance, sources of supply and so on.
The national business link network is nearing completion. With 176 outlets now operational, close to 80 per cent. of VAT registered firms in England can now benefit from the services of their local business link. Complete coverage is expected by April.

§ Mr. Pearson
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of his Department's internal audit report into business links. [7902]

§ Mr. Page
This was a valuable report which has helped my Department to improve its management of the business link project. On 6 October 1995, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and Industry wrote to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) as the then Chairman of the Trade and Industry Committee, providing a memorandum which included details of progress and covering key issues identified by the report. I have asked my officials to seek the agreement of the Committee to placing the memorandum in the Library of the House.