§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department is taking to encourage management and employee training and development in SMEs. [51829]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 24 July 1998]: The Department encourages management and employee training and development in SMEs through its network of Business Links which provide companies with information and advice on management development and other training issues.
In addition, DTI programmes, such as Connect for Better Business, Inside UK Enterprise, and the United Kingdom Benchmarking Index, encourage companies to focus on key business management and training issues. DTI publications, such as Partnerships With People, and Small Business Action Update, also help in this area by disseminating best practice and/or by signposting companies to sources of assistance, such as TECs and other organisations.