Small Business Service (Hansard, 22 October 2001)

§ Nigel Griffiths

The Small Business Service (SBS) has undertaken research and taken action to identify and tackle the barriers faced by women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs.

Firstly, SBS has commissioned research to explore the evidence of barriers (as part of research strategy on socially excluded groups). Reports on women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs have been completed and the reports are now publicly available. Other research projects are ongoing.

Secondly, SBS has sponsored two events to help identify barriers: a Kingston University Seminar on 1 May 2001 to examine ethnic minority businesses; and sponsorship of a three-day female entrepreneurship conference at Durham, 10–12 September 2001.

Thirdly, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry created an Ethnic Minority Business Forum in July 2000. The forum's remit to strengthen Government's dialogue with ethnic minority business communities. It advises the Secretary of State and the SBS Chief Executive, David Irwin, on policies to help ethnic minority communities at work and in running their own businesses. Its first annual report was published on 18 September 2001. The DTI and SBS plan to respond formally to the report's recommendations at the forum's next meeting on 4 December.

Fourthly, SBS is supporting projects through the Phoenix Development Fund to encourage innovative ways of promoting enterprise in deprived areas, and among 9W groups of people currently under-represented in terms of business ownership. Of the 96 projects currently supported, 37 directly target women or ethnic minorities.

All SBS and Business Link services aim to meet the needs of all existing and "would-be" entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender or ethnicity. We will continue to research barriers which exclusively or disproportionately affect women or ethnic minority entrepreneurs, and where appropriate will take prompt and efficient action to remove these or reduce their impact.