The CSR is today and my immediate thoughts are for all the poor civil servants who've been analysing, briefing, negotiating and revising policy over the past few months and are no doubt today, as the finals 'i's are crossed and 't's dotted before the Chancellor's speech, breathing a huge sigh of relief and heading shortly to the Westminster Arms for an ale or six. They are an unsung army of talented and dedicated people and I really do feel priviliged to have worked on small business issues at the Department for Business and Cabinet Office between 2008 and 2009 on policies assisting companies like the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and Capital For Enterprise Fund. I believe these measures made a real difference to companies in trouble during the most painful period of the recession for the private sector. It has left me with an admiration for small business owners who are the largest employers in the UK and every day face tough challenges in securing orders, understanding business regulation, maintaining cashflow and in recruitment and training of staff. You don't need to be an economist to understand how small businesses are at a disadvantage in scale efficiency on all of these areas and yet produce some of our most innovative ideas and products.
That's why I believe it's vital that the coalition government set out measures today to protect the confidence and ability of small businesses to grow. It's right that, along with the debt reduction measures that will be set out today, the Government should emphasise a private sector led recovery. I am sure that this will include a total assessment of the current business support landscape and the cancellation of many schemes. If this means a leaner, meaner business support network then good - but there needs to be something to assist small businesses. I will be looking carefully at the announcements to see what they say in this area.
Update:
I caught the following list of BIS related changes:
- 400mn cut in BIS admin budget
- Low priority programmes cut
- Quangos abolished (No numbers)
- Double apprenticeships budget
- Maintain post office..
- reply to browne report (HE) in due course
- Cut to BIS budget toal 7.1% of the budget. Ringfence science!
- Green bank funded in part by asset sales.
- (1bn Regional Growth Fund )
So in relation to my post, the devil will presumably lie in the detail of "cuts to low priority programmes" which no doubt will shortly be released on the BIS website. Surprised by the ringfence of the science budget, I must say.
Me again. I worked in the DTI for years until they got paid me to stop working, shortly was got rid of itself. Having been through Harold Wilson (just), Heath, Maggie, Tony Blair, etc much of what you say sounds very familiar - I often worked on business support. I may be biased about the (high) quality of most of my past colleagues, but I cherish the memory that Maggie, in her farewell letter to Civil Servants, effectively said that she had started out not trusting us, but had come to respect our dedication and quality of service.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteQuite a coincidence that we both worked in the same department (via a few different incarnations). I think the Civil Service can certainly do with reform but it's a mistake for people to think it can be run like a business, or bypassed by a command and control attitude from the centre. In that respect, the reputation that the Coalition Government has for due policy process - although marred by an awful lot of blatant leaking to the Telegraph this week - is entirely commendable.