§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the impact of(a) his policies and (b) the work of his Department in helping small businesses in the past 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 results of such monitoring. [39148]
§ Mr. HanleySmall and medium-sized businesses are the main target of the chargeable services provided by the FCO's 218 commercial overseas posts. Users of these services are surveyed for their assessment of the help provided. We publish the results in the FCO's annual departmental report. In April 1996 the National Audit Office concluded that in four south-east Asian markets the assistance available to small firms provided by the FCO and DTI helped to stimulate extra exports worth almost 80 times the cost of providing the services. We also help open markets to small and large businesses alike by advocating the progressive liberalisation of world trade through forums such as the World Trade Organisation and by developing closer relations with major trading partners.