Lords debate on motion to call attention to government assistance to small and medium-sized businesses. Motion withdrawn.

Lords debate on motion to call attention to government assistance to small and medium-sized businesses. Motion withdrawn.

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing such an interesting debate that has attracted such a wonderful range of speakers. I have learnt something from every one of them. Before I make my contribution, I must declare an interest; I have finally been tempted back into retail after many years. At the...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing such an interesting debate that has attracted such a wonderful range of speakers. I have learnt something from every one of them. Before I make my contribution, I must declare an interest; I have finally been tempted back into retail after many years. At the...

My Lords, it is not that I was against regulation per se; I was against disproportionate and excessive regulation, much of which, in the eyes of commonsense, does not appear appropriate. That is what is pouring out of Europe and that is where the objection comes. It is deeply felt by small...

My Lords, it is not that I was against regulation per se; I was against disproportionate and excessive regulation, much of which, in the eyes of commonsense, does not appear appropriate. That is what is pouring out of Europe and that is where the objection comes. It is deeply felt by small...

My Lords, I am happy to hear the noble Baroness say that. I was going to say something that I think she will agree with—that today, with the regulations that we have, what is really important for small businesses is the ability to get advice on how to comply, and that enforcement should...

My Lords, I am happy to hear the noble Baroness say that. I was going to say something that I think she will agree with—that today, with the regulations that we have, what is really important for small businesses is the ability to get advice on how to comply, and that enforcement should...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Harrison on initiating this afternoon’s debate. In his introduction the noble Lord demonstrated his very wide knowledge of business, not only in this country, but in Europe. I would like to focus, briefly, on retailing. I should declare something of an interest: I was chairman of the Co-operative...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Harrison on initiating this afternoon’s debate. In his introduction the noble Lord demonstrated his very wide knowledge of business, not only in this country, but in Europe. I would like to focus, briefly, on retailing. I should declare something of an interest: I was chairman of the Co-operative...

Fortunately, my Lords, I have to hand an example of why that is not the case. Europe is doing something about waste reduction, pollution and many of the serious issues on the environmental agenda. If Europe addresses those issues, it often allows a national government to pursue things it might have...

Fortunately, my Lords, I have to hand an example of why that is not the case. Europe is doing something about waste reduction, pollution and many of the serious issues on the environmental agenda. If Europe addresses those issues, it often allows a national government to pursue things it might have...

My Lords, I begin by declaring three small peripheral interests. First, I am a founder member of the Small Business Bureau, a pressure group that campaigns on behalf of small businesses. Secondly, I am a director of and shareholder in a group of family property companies, many of whose investments consist of properties...

My Lords, I begin by declaring three small peripheral interests. First, I am a founder member of the Small Business Bureau, a pressure group that campaigns on behalf of small businesses. Secondly, I am a director of and shareholder in a group of family property companies, many of whose investments consist of properties...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Harrison began his speech by demonstrating how, through the creation of a successful macro-economy, small and medium-sized enterprises have been assisted immensely. He also pointed out that the Government can bear in mind the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the interests of the...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Harrison began his speech by demonstrating how, through the creation of a successful macro-economy, small and medium-sized enterprises have been assisted immensely. He also pointed out that the Government can bear in mind the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the interests of the...

My Lords, I was not in any way decrying the position, as obviously it is right to have that sort of regulation. All that I was trying to say was that it is increasingly an additional burden because of the length and complexity of regulations that are now in being.

My Lords, I was not in any way decrying the position, as obviously it is right to have that sort of regulation. All that I was trying to say was that it is increasingly an additional burden because of the length and complexity of regulations that are now in being.

My Lords, like other noble Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Harrison for securing this debate and introducing it so eloquently. By the way, if I may say so, it was rather cheeky of the noble Lords, Lord MacGregor and Lord Dykes, to say that we were not interested in small and...

My Lords, like other noble Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Harrison for securing this debate and introducing it so eloquently. By the way, if I may say so, it was rather cheeky of the noble Lords, Lord MacGregor and Lord Dykes, to say that we were not interested in small and...

My Lords, I too thank my noble friend Lord Harrison for introducing the debate. I intend to talk about the Alternative Investment Market. That market was not, in fact, initiated by government, but it has most certainly been actively nurtured, given a favourable tax regime and defended from rather heavy-handed regulatory proposals, which...

My Lords, I too thank my noble friend Lord Harrison for introducing the debate. I intend to talk about the Alternative Investment Market. That market was not, in fact, initiated by government, but it has most certainly been actively nurtured, given a favourable tax regime and defended from rather heavy-handed regulatory proposals, which...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on securing this debate and particularly welcome the subject he has chosen. I was one of the very first Ministers for small business—or, as it was unkindly described, the small Minister for business—in the early 1980s. A lot of the measures to which the noble Lord referred had...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on securing this debate and particularly welcome the subject he has chosen. I was one of the very first Ministers for small business—or, as it was unkindly described, the small Minister for business—in the early 1980s. A lot of the measures to which the noble Lord referred had...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord MacGregor, made many valid points, one of which was that—I do not in any way wish to offend our Labour Party colleagues on the government Benches—a Labour MP or Peer would not normally have raised a subject such as the future of small businesses in the...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord MacGregor, made many valid points, one of which was that—I do not in any way wish to offend our Labour Party colleagues on the government Benches—a Labour MP or Peer would not normally have raised a subject such as the future of small businesses in the...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for giving way. Before the noble Lord passes from the benign or otherwise influences of the EU, would he care to mention that the surveys of small firms, and many larger ones, show that over 40 per cent of the regulations that they find so inhibiting and damaging...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for giving way. Before the noble Lord passes from the benign or otherwise influences of the EU, would he care to mention that the surveys of small firms, and many larger ones, show that over 40 per cent of the regulations that they find so inhibiting and damaging...

My Lords, that is a tendentious comment made by people with an axe to grind against Europe. I do not accept it. If one takes the evidence given by people who are asked properly about the service of the European Commission and the Union, they welcome them. Time does not allow—particularly...

My Lords, that is a tendentious comment made by people with an axe to grind against Europe. I do not accept it. If one takes the evidence given by people who are asked properly about the service of the European Commission and the Union, they welcome them. Time does not allow—particularly...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing this important subject today. It is topical, too, because today sees the publication by European Union Sub-Committee A, of which I have the honour to be a member, of its report entitled A European Strategy for Jobs and Growth, which...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing this important subject today. It is topical, too, because today sees the publication by European Union Sub-Committee A, of which I have the honour to be a member, of its report entitled A European Strategy for Jobs and Growth, which...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for raising this debate, which gives the House the opportunity to debate medium and small businesses. Despite all the regulations referred to by other noble Lords, I feel confident about this debate because I know I have a good story to tell, as I speak...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for raising this debate, which gives the House the opportunity to debate medium and small businesses. Despite all the regulations referred to by other noble Lords, I feel confident about this debate because I know I have a good story to tell, as I speak...

My Lords, as always, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Howells of St Davids. It is good to hear news of business success in her community, and we congratulate her on that. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing this debate, and it is good to...

My Lords, as always, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Howells of St Davids. It is good to hear news of business success in her community, and we congratulate her on that. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harrison, for introducing this debate, and it is good to...

rose to call attention to government assistance to small and medium-sized businesses; and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the Government have been good for small businesses. Their crowning achievement has been to run a sound economy, with low inflation and stable interest rates resulting in 54 quarters of...

rose to call attention to government assistance to small and medium-sized businesses; and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the Government have been good for small businesses. Their crowning achievement has been to run a sound economy, with low inflation and stable interest rates resulting in 54 quarters of...

My Lords, in concluding this debate I make three quick points. First, I shall dispute tongue-in-cheek with the noble Baroness, Lady Byford. She said that small businesses are not small beer, but my wife and I enjoy a pub lunch every weekend in Cheshire, the Wirral or north Wales where I usually partake of a...

My Lords, in concluding this debate I make three quick points. First, I shall dispute tongue-in-cheek with the noble Baroness, Lady Byford. She said that small businesses are not small beer, but my wife and I enjoy a pub lunch every weekend in Cheshire, the Wirral or north Wales where I usually partake of a...