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It’s been very interesting to hear what previous speakers have had to say, I’ve learned from it and I hope all of you have too. In
particular I want to comment on the presentation by Janis (Janis Rogers, Director, The Living Room). Every one of our communities needs to face up to the problems presented
by drug and alcohol abuse. Parents Against Drug Abuse was founded in my area some years ago, at that time even Cheshire County Council was telling me there was no drugs
problem in their schools. In fact they told me that the same day that several children were arrested at a local High School. I hope that local businesses
present will help Janis help your community.
Turning to the other contributors, I was particularly interested to hear of the importance of aerospace, biotech, IT and motorsport to the
region. In many ways a region in direct competition with my own area, the North West – of course there is nothing wrong
with healthy competition. Comments were made about the R&D spend in the area, this is of course vitally important and reflects why David Sainsbury, the science
Minister, has successfully argued for greater investment in science. I am delighted to be here today to celebrate national and local small business success.
I want to thank my colleague, Barbara, for arranging a very worthwhile event. In Barbara you have an excellent MP, who fights very hard for her
constituency.
I’m filling the slot that would have been occupied by Nigel Griffiths, Small Business and Enterprise Minister. Nigel
unfortunately can’t be here today due to other engagements - indeed, the wider portfolio he now has is, in itself, a testament to the Government’s ever-increasing commitment to
UK business. Nigel’s absence is my opportunity to be here to share with you the impressive achievements made by small businesses
throughout the UK – including, of course, Stevenage!
Supporting enterprise is one of the priorities for this Government. The Government’s ambition is for Britain to be the best place in the world to start and grow a business. I know that the Minister and his colleagues spend a lot of time
talking to business people and they appreciate just how much hard work and determination goes into building a company.
It was because the Government recognises the vital importance of small businesses to our economy and wants to do all it can to help small businesses
succeed, that it set up the Small Business Service, in April 2001.
The Small Business Service – working primarily through the Business Link Network - aims to help all small businesses realise their potential, to
promote world-class business support services and to help encourage enterprise across society. You’ll forgive me if I take this opportunity to highlight just some of the
successes the Small Business Service has had over the last two years:
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310,000 businesses were helped in the Financial Year 2002/2003 by Business Links, including on average 33,000 pre-starts per quarter.
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In the 1st quarter of this Financial Year, over 140,000 businesses and almost 45,000 pre-starts have been helped- a 40% increase on
the1st quarter of the previous financial year.
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A Business Link client satisfaction survey of over 15,000 businesses in May 2002 found that overall satisfaction with Business Links was over
80%.
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Over 1,000 of the brightest businesses received help during the Financial Year 2002/2003 via SMART awards (now called the Grant for Research and
Development),
· By the end of March the Small Firms Loan
Guarantee Scheme passed the £3bn mark in the value of loans guaranteed to small firms.
· As from the beginning of next week, if you
look at the www.businesslink.org site you will be re-directed to www.businesslink.gov.uk, which is a radically improved site. In its pilot phase it has been praised by Digby Jones
and other business leaders.
· In the first quarter of this financial year
over 1,200 loans were guaranteed – the highest in one quarter for several years.
But some might scoff and say “so what?” Does this matter, as we are only talking about small businesses. Surely they can’t be important? I would answer “far
from it” and cite just two telling figures:
· On average, 998 of every 1,000 UK
businesses are small or medium sized;
· SMEs employ 12 million people in the
UK (if you want to picture that, imagine 12 Birminghams). That’s around 55% of the private sector workforce and three times as many as the FTSE
500.
So much for the national picture- what’s happening locally?
As someone with a great interest in IT and communications, I’m delighted to report that, in the central Stevenage area, there are almost 100 IT related
companies – everything from IT security and encryption software right through to data recovery and mathematical modelling consultants for the Space sector. Hertfordshire
Chamber of Commerce has some fifteen IT members in Stevenage, employing a total of over 400 employees. Examples include– Cadcorp, Datec, Drive
Software Solutions Ltd, Triage Services Ltd and Intrinsica Technology Ltd.
I’ll highlight one of the companies I’ve just mentioned as typical of local IT success:
Cadcorp – or the Computer Aided Development Corporation in full – was established in 1991. It has 40 employees and is now
active in 36 countries. It derives most of its revenue from exports - good for them, and good for the country.
The stereotypical image of Korea is that of a developing, technological nation that can teach the UK a
thing or two. Well, Cadcorp has secured interest from 5 Korean companies in its digital mapping and geographic information system. Congratulations to
Cadcorp and MD Mike O’Neill, if he’s here today!
IT success isn’t restricted to just Stevenage; happily, other parts of Hertfordshire are well represented by success. Obviously, time
precludes me from listing a roll call of all the wonderful achievers in Hertfordshire, but here’s a few in passing:
The Classic Envelope Company (Berkhamsted) used website technology to grow its business. It now supplies around 200 million
envelopes each year to such users as Air Miles, HSBS and Deutsche Bank.
Virtual Reconstructions (Hitchin) specialises in reconstructing crime scenes through computer-aided design modelling techniques, for use in police
investigation and court cases. It is now applying for ISO 9001 with the assistance of Business Link Hertfordshire.
European Technology for Business Ltd (Codicote) is a leader in microsystem technology and is a major designer for European companies and
SMEs. I am pleased that Diane (Diane Hodgins, the founder) is here today.
The work we are doing on Broadband, together with BSG and other Departments will further strengthen the UK’s ability in many of these
areas. This work is not only vitally important in terms of the UK’s competitiveness, it will also impact beneficially upon some of the transport
issues that have been raised with me today.
This merely gives you a favour of what’s happening in Stevenage and Hertfordshire more widely on the small business
front. I’m sure you’ll agree that the story is very encouraging.
I will conclude by saying “Congratulations, Stevenage. Congratulations, Hertfordshire. And congratulations to
everyone here today.
Andrew Miller MP, Parliamentary Private Secreatry to DTI Team
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