§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact of(a) his 274W policies and (b) the work of his Department in helping small businesses in the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors the impact and the statistical result of such monitoring. [39180]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the United Kingdom economy and aim to help them by providing sound economic conditions—keeping inflation and interest rates low; reducing legislative, administrative and taxation burdens; and where appropriate providing direct assistance in the form of specialist advice and support and easing access to finance.
Details of Welsh Office policies and programmes to help small firms in the Principality to grow and improve their competitiveness are provided in "Meeting the Challenge—the Competitiveness of Wales" which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales published on 13 June. A copy is available in the Library of the House.