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Business Advice to SMEs
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the light of the recent MORI survey conducted for Compaq, they consider that their delivery of advice to small and medium-sized enterprises, via initiatives such as the Information
- Society Initiative Programme for Business and the Small Business Service, is performing adequately.[HL3913]
The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Government are committed to ensuring that all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to world-class business support and advice.
I am satisfied that timely, good quality business advice is already being made available through the network of Business Links. The establishment of the Small Business Service and the launch of a new network from April 2001 will see further improvements via a single gateway to a comprehensive network of business support organisations, initiatives and information from the public, private and voluntary sectors, making extensive use of Internet and call centre technology.
Five thousand, three hundred and eighty-five businesses were assisted by UK Online for Business Advisers (formerly Information Society Initiative Centres) between April and June 2000, according to SBS Performance Information figures for that quarter. The recently published International Benchmarking Study 2000, Business in the Information Age, found that in the UK, 81 per cent of businesses are now online, compared with 63 per cent last year. The Government's target of having 1.5 million SMEs wired up to the digital marketplace by 2002 has been exceeded, with 1.7 million SMEs already connected.
UK/Taiwan Links
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to improve relationships between the United Kingdom and Taiwan.[HL4024]
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: The British Government are keen to develop their economic, cultural and social links with Taiwan. Although, for reasons that are well known, we do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, we continue actively to develop a substantial unofficial relationship in the fields of trade, investment, culture, education and science and technology. Taiwan is listed as a target market by Trade Partners UK. In support of British commercial interests, the Ministers for Trade and for
E-Commerce and the Lord Mayor of London have made private visits to Taiwan this year and the Mayor of Taipei has recently visited London.Taiwan Passport Holders: UK Visas
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many Taiwan passport holders have been refused visas to enter the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to the latest convenient date.[HL4022]
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: None.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What reasons were given for the refusal of visas to Taiwan passport holders to enter the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to the latest convenient date.[HL4023]
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: I refer to my earlier Answer (HL4022), which also addresses this Question.
Taipei Representative Office, London
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will review the diplomatic status of the staff of the Taipei Representative Office in London, with a view to according them tax and legal treatment similar to that enjoyed by the United Kingdom diplomatic staff in Taipei.[HL4025]
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: We do not recognise Taiwan as a state and therefore do not maintain diplomatic relations. In accordance with this position, neither the staff of the Taipei Representative Office in London nor their counterparts in the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei have diplomatic status. The tax and legal status of the staff of the Taipei Representative Office in London have been reviewed on a number of occasions. However, because of the constraints imposed by the special position of the Taipei Representative Office, it has not so far proved possible under UK law to find a way to accord staff working in the office tax and employment concessions comparable to those enjoyed by the UK staff of the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei.
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