The All-Party Parliamentary Small Business Group
ACCA is proud to be providing secretarial support to the All-Party Parliamentary Small Business Group' (APPSBG) for the next year. The APPSBG is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers chaired by Andy Love MP. Its purpose it to further the aims of small businesses and to provide feedback on small business issues to Parliament. The group has almost 400 members and is believed to be the largest and most influential All-Party Group in Parliament.
Small business
According to the latest statistics from Office of National Statistics (ONS), there are an estimated 4.5 million business enterprises in the UK. They account for more than half of the private sector employment (58.9 per cent) and turnover (51.9 per cent) in the UK. SMEs play a vital role in the economy, providing new ideas, products, services and jobs. The following three areas are particularly significant in the success, productivity and growth of small businesses:
- Business regulation has a disproportionate impact on small firms as compared with larger counterparts, and we call on government to ensure that regulations do not impose onerous burdens on small businesses and are simple for them to understand.
- Government business support services are also of vital importance to SMEs. The Government currently spends around £2.5 billion a year on services to small firms. Central to this is the national network of Business Links. These have come under criticism for the variability in the quality of advice, the difficulties for small businesses finding out what help is available and appropriate for them and continuous changes in policies and personnel.
- Government also has a role in monitoring the ability of small businesses to access finance and ensuring that any finance gaps are filled accordingly. It is crucial, therefore, that the Bank of England's important work in monitoring the ability of small firms to access finance is continued. Government also has a role to introduce changes in the tax laws to ensure that small business firms' owners are encouraged to grow their businesses.
The APPSBG will be examining all issues affecting SMEs, in order to further their aims and represent the issues affecting them to Parliament.
Future meetings of the APPSBG - speakers to be confirmed
2 December 2008 â SMEs in the 21st Century. How to ensure that UK SMEs are equipped with the skills and advice they need to go global. Speakers include Doug Richard, entrepreneur and former dragon from Dragon's Den. 8:45am, dining room A in the Houses of Parliament.
February 2009 - Will positive discrimination make or break SMEs? The impact of the proposed Equality Bill on the SME sector. Speakers tbc.
April 2009 - More red carpet, less red tape - treating SMEs better to increase productivity. Speakers tbc.
June 2009 - Access to finance: alternative sources or mainstream banking? Speakers tbc.
Inquiries
We will also be holding a series of inquiries into issues affecting small businesses. We will be inviting interested organisations to submit written memoranda, and will call witnesses to present oral evidence. Reports will be presented to the relevant Ministers and other thought leaders and will be released to the media.
New inquiry
The first inquiry will be into SME participation in public procurement and the barriers small firms face in winning public sector contracts. In order to respond to the recommendations outlined in the Glover Review, the inquiry will be launched in the week that the Glover Review is published.
We will be inviting written submissions from interested parties addressing the above issue and relating to the points set out in the terms of reference, to be announced when the inquiry is launched. There will be two evidence sessions at which we will take oral evidence from twelve witnesses in total, depending on the written submissions. These evidence sessions will take place in December.
If you wish to receive a copy of the terms of reference so that you can submit written evidence to this inquiry when it is launched, please contact Veena Hudson or call 0207 059 5615.
Other inquiries
The second inquiry will take place in the new year. We are happy to receive suggestions for inquiry themes.
Current possible topics include:
- The impact of the proposed Equality Bill on SMEs
- Beyond legislation: improving late payment business culture for SMEs
Related photographs
(click on each photograph to see a bigger version)
Photo 1: Andy Love MP, Chair of the APPSBG, addressing the group
Photo 2: An ACCA sponsored APPSBG breakfast in the Houses of Parliament