European Charter for Small Firms

HC Deb 13 July 2000 vol 353 c615W

27. Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the European charter for small firms. [128968]

Ms Hewitt

The Government welcome the commitments in the European Charter for Small Enterprises agreed at the Feira Council to take action, both at the European and member state level, on areas such as better regulation, strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship, improving access to finance and enhancing business support. The Charter sends a clear signal of the European Union's positive attitude to enterprise and gives substance to the recent commitment to make the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.