§ Lord Fearnasked Her Majesty's Government:
What help has been extended to small businesses connected with the hotel trade in 2002 to date. [HL554]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)The Government have assisted small accommodation providers in a number of ways during 2002. For98WA example, small hotel businesses will have benefited from over £5 million provided by government for the regional tourist boards (including London) to help promote their regions and individual businesses. In addition, the British tourist authorities' activities in promoting Britain overseas as an attractive tourist destination bring an additional £1 billion per year of expenditure by inbound visitors to this country. from which businesses of all sizes, including smaller ones. benefit. The Small Business Service (SBS), with an annual budget of over £400 million, is dedicated to championing the interests of small businesses and building an enterprise society in which all small businesses thrive and achieve their potential. The SBS recently published a new guidance pack for small business entitled Access to EU funding which complements the Government's comprehensive support for business start-ups and established small firms. The money is primarily available to improve competitiveness, productivity and innovation. Finally, small accommodation providers also benefit from the existence of sensibly designed quality schemes, aimed at ensuring that consumers' expectations are met so that return visits and recommendations are made, and from quality scheme membership which gives free listing in the English Tourism Council's Where to Stay guide.