A business lobby group has urged the government to give members of the Small Business Forum a greater influence over its enterprise policy.
The Small Business Forum, a bi-monthly meeting between the government and key figures from the small business community, replaced the Small Business Council in 2007.
The Forum for Private Business (FPB) praised the Forum, saying its meetings provide members with a rare opportunity to air their concerns to competitiveness minister Stephen Timms.
And although it praised Timms’ effort in taking part in the meetings, it said businesses need a louder voice in enterprise policy.
Matthew Goodman, the FPB’s policy representative, said the Forum must play a role in deciding how the Enterprise Framework is to be implemented.
He added that direct access to the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) for the Forum would also be helpful to small businesses.
“At first glance, the Forum does appear to fail to provide appropriate levels of access to the upper echelons of government,” he said.
“However, the FPB believes that the Forum is both useful and necessary, even though the Business Council, composed of big business representatives, enjoys a higher profile.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008
