§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many businesses have received help and assistance from business links since their establishment. [32123]
§ Mr. PageThe number of different businesses using business links has more than doubled between April 1995 and March 1996 from 38,093 different businesses using business links at least once in the first quarter to 85,108 doing so in the final quarter. This means that more than 6,500 different businesses are now using business links each week. The figures for the final quarter are based on returns from 53 business link partnerships out of the 79 that are open.