HC Deb 27 October 1997 vol 299 c688W
Mr. Horam

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what response her Department made to the Bank of England's October 1996 report on the financing of technology-based small firms. [12237]

Mrs. Roche

The Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe, Lord Simon of Highbury, welcomed the Bank of England's report as a very useful contribution to pinpointing the issues associated with the financing of technology-based small firms when speaking in the House of Lords on 19 June 1997 in the debate on the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee's report "The Innovation-Exploitation Barrier".

The Government are now discussing with the Bank of England the recommendations for action in the report.