All 1 Debates between Mark Prisk and Michael Ellis

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Michael Ellis
Thursday 18th November 2010

(13 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Ellis Portrait Michael Ellis (Northampton North) (Con)
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T3. I recently visited the Abington pharmacy in my constituency, where I switched on a robotic dispenser—[Laughter.] It delivers pharmaceutical products, and I switched it on rather than turned it on. Many successful small businesses such as that pharmacy struggle to get the banks to give them loans, and small and medium-sized businesses are suffering as a consequence. What can my hon. Friend do to encourage the banks to lend to small businesses?

Mark Prisk Portrait The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk)
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No. 1: ensure that we enforce the lending commitments. No. 2: extend the enterprise finance guarantee—and the third action that I would encourage would probably be to leave those buttons alone!