SERIOUS FLAWS IN GOVERNMENT'S SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT - BURT

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Apr 2006

Lorely Burt, Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull and Small Business Spokesperson, attended the launch today of the Federation of Small Businesses bi-annual survey for the West Midlands.

The survey, Lifting the Barriers to Growth, has highlighted some worrying issues.

• Only 8% of West Midlands small businesses are wholly owned by women.

o This compares with a national average of 14% and 42% of small businesses being wholly owned by men.

• Only 5% of small businesses utilise the professional help of Business Link compared with 18% two years ago.

o 30% of small businesses were not even aware of the service

• 49% of small businesses had been victims of crime, however, only 61% reported the crimes predominantly because they believed the police would not take any action on the issue.

• Nearly 50% of respondents said they worked more than 50 hours a week. The EU Working Time Directive places a limit of 48 hours per week on employee's hours.

• 99% of businesses nationwide average less than 50 employees.

Commenting on the revelations, Mrs Burt said,

"These statistics show some serious flaws with the way the Government supports small businesses. It is disgraceful that such a number of small businesses are wholly owned by women in the West Midlands. Women are a huge source of untapped creativity in Britain and we should be encouraging women to develop new businesses throughout the country.

"Advantage West Midlands must look at how it is communicating with small businesses and provide services which more closely correspond to their actual needs.

"I'm calling for business crime reduction to be a made a key performance indicator for the police in the West Midlands.

"People do not realise just how tough it is to run a small business, and just how hard you have to work to keep one running. The Government should endeavour to ease the burden where possible."

ENDS

Photograph: Carol Undy - FSB National Chairman, John Curtis - GOWM, Patrick Palmer - AWM and Lorely Burt MP.

Notes to editors:

The report is available to download at www.fsb.org.uk