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Written question asked by Chi Onwurah (Labour) on Friday, 19 April 2013, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 April 2013. It was answered by Michael Fallon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Business: ICT

Question

(2) what assessment his Department has made of steps taken to encourage the adoption of technology by small businesses;

[153146]

Chi Onwurah:

Answer

In developing the forthcoming information economy strategy, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is considering the impact and opportunities new technologies offer UK businesses. This has included dialogue with the sector about helping companies, understand the opportunities they can access in the fields of big data analytics, cloud computing and the online economy. Following completion of a pilot, we are working with the sector to develop a collaborative programme to encourage small businesses to transact online and make greater use of ICT to drive growth.

As announced in the Budget, the Government intend to provide small businesses in England with £30 million of growth vouchers to help them overcome barriers to growth, which may include the adoption of new technology. No assessment has been made of pricing plans for software licences as these are matters for commercial negotiation. The move to cloud based digital services provides small businesses with an opportunity to reduce capital costs and adopt a pay-as-you-go model.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
153146; 561 c995W
Session
2012-13
Subjects
Business ICT
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk