Small firms key to regional wealth - Minister

Apr 19 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

MINISTER for the North East Nick Brown at a conference last night said small businesses were key to the region’s economy.

The Newcastle East and Wallsend MP was the after-dinner speaker at the Federation of Small Business’s (FSB) Ensuring Future Growth event for small and medium-sized businesses.

He said: “I’m doing my job as Regional Minister one step back from party politics. There are politicians in the region from all parties who care about the region and want to help small and medium-sized business to drive up the prosperity of the region.

“The private sector are collectively the most important players in my drive to create wealth and diversity in the region’s economy, so that we can enjoy the levels of prosperity in the North East that other parts of the United Kingdom currently enjoy.” The conference, at the Marriott Gosforth Park in Newcastle, was the second that region’s FSB has organised and attracted 350 delegates and 65 exhibitors, including the Prince’s Trust and Business Link. The FSB also used the conference to highlight its twin campaigns to crack down on crimes against small businesses and to encourage people to Keep Trade Local. North East businessman and FSB national chairman John Wright said: “One pleasing thing is going down a high street and there is a big variety of little shops. Local authorities are not doing enough to help – parking charges and increased business rates make it all the more difficult to compete. If people really want to preserve that variety, it is a case of use it or lose it.”