Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Graham Excerpts

Tuesday 13th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

The independent forecast published by the OBR at the time of the Budget demonstrated that employment would rise over the course of the next five years.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

Five thousand small and medium-sized companies in Gloucestershire will welcome the Minister’s comments on progress for economic growth in the south-west, but will he tell us what specific plans the Government have to deal with the red tape and bureaucracy, which many of those businesses feel is an impediment to growth?

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend is right to point out the barriers to investment that red tape can create. That is why we have set out a series of specific measures in the Budget to reduce the burden of red tape. We believe that that will help up to 500,000 businesses in the south-west.