Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Thursday 13th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Prisk]

Clearly, all applications need to go through the appropriate regional growth fund process, but I am always happy for my Department to receive the information on excellent private projects such as the one to which my hon. Friend referred.

[Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

18. What steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth through the provision of assistance for small businesses.

[The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk)]

On 5 January, the Prime Minister announced plans to overhaul the Business Link website, provide a national contact centre, establish a network of business mentors and launch the business coaching for growth programme. This is in addition to the enterprise finance guarantee, providing £200 million more in equity funds and extending and improving the manufacturing advisory service.

[Miss McIntosh]

I thank the Minister for that particularly helpful answer. I am concerned about local enterprise partnerships and the transition period, and about whether the businesses, particularly rural businesses in north Yorkshire that currently benefit will lose out in the interim.

[Mr Prisk]

There are two aspects to how we ensure that small businesses are helped. The first is the online offer and the modernising and improving of what is available in businesses’ own premises so that they can access the information they need. The second is the quality of business-to-business advice. We think that the people with real business experience—business-to-business mentors—are the best answer, which is why I am proud to stand at the Dispatch Box and say that already, six months ahead of launch, we have identified 40,000 experienced business people who have offered to provide precisely that kind of help.