Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the results were of the impact assessment carried out on the effect on the small marine business sector of his Department's decision to withdraw enhanced funding from the British Marine Federation.

Earlier this year, the indicative amounts of funding for value added services (‘enhanced activity’) to be delivered by the British Marine Federation (BMF) for UK businesses at the Dusseldorf Boat Show and the Miami Boat Show were withdrawn. Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) grants for small business customers at these events were unaffected. Subsequent to this, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has offered an additional five TAP grants to assist new-to-event exhibitors at Dusseldorf. Since UKTI and the BMF had not progressed beyond the basic planning stage on the enhanced activity to be delivered alongside grants at these two shows when the funding was withdrawn, it is not possible to estimate accurately the impact of this withdrawal on small businesses in the sector.