Written question asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 June 2006.

Small Business Service

Question: Which Ministers of the Crown are accountable for the failures of the Small Business Service identified in the National Audit Office report.

Answer: The small business sector has continued to thrive and grow over the past seven years. There are now a record number of businesses, some 4.3 million, nearly 600,000 more than seven years ago. The United Kingdom remains one of the top places in the world to do business, as recognised by the OECD and the World Bank. The NAO report recognised a number of the major contributions made by the Small Business Service (SBS); in particular, the turnaround in Business Link performance, the impact of the award winning cross-government channel for businesses (www.businesslink.gov.uk) and the adoption of SBS initiatives such as common commencement dates for new regulations. The Government are considering all the recommendations in the report, including those where the NAO expressed concern. We are examining the 10 recommendations in detail. The chief executive of the Small Business Service reports, through the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 6037; 683 c82-3WA
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: Ministerial responsibility National Audit Office Standards Small Business Service
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk