Oral Answers to Questions

Fiona Bruce Excerpts

Thursday 15th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

T4. There are almost 4,000 small businesses in my constituency, in towns such as Alsager, Congleton, Sandbach and Middlewich, and many of them are micro-businesses. What are the Government doing to support micro-businesses and to enable them, when they want to, to develop and grow?

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

Alongside helping with things such as bank lending and the new equity schemes, I would point most obviously to the business angel co-investment fund, which is crucial to plug that equity gap for micro-businesses—not the larger equity businesses but the ones looking for funding of between £200,000 and £2 million. It is a £50 million package, and I commend it to my hon. Friend.