HC Deb 23 March 2004 vol 419 c770W
Brian Cotter

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the support programmes for small businesses that(a) his Department and (b) its agencies have financed in each of the last five years; how much money was allocated for each scheme in each year; how much money has gone unclaimed under each scheme; and how many small businesses have benefited from each scheme. [161253]

Yvette Cooper

The Cross-cutting review of government services for small business, published by the Small Business Service in December 2002 contained information on the services available to small businesses. This reported that the Government spends about £2.5 billion on a wide range of services for small firms. Further details can be found at the Small Business Service website at: http://www.sbs.gov.uk/crosscutting/default.php.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Annual Report 2003 published in May 2003 (Cm 5906) contains details of the Office's programmes, a number of which would be available to support the work of small businesses.

The specific information asked for on individual schemes is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.