Improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises
Published on:The range of government initiatives to help small and medium businesses gain access to finance are not operating as a unified programme.
The range of government initiatives to help small and medium businesses gain access to finance are not operating as a unified programme.
Under the Scheme, the Treasury guarantees that lenders to infrastructure projects will be repaid in full and on time, irrespective of project performance. The NAO is calling for the Treasury to be rigorous and objective in assessing whether the guarantees, which transfer risk to the public sector, are genuinely needed.
The FCO and UKTI will need to contribute much more effectively to efforts to increase the value of UK exports to £1 trillion a year by 2020.
An update for the Committee of Public Accounts on the Programme’s progress, including rollout and take-up of superfast broadband under Phase 1 (delivery to 90% of UK premises by December 2016) and comments on initial progress for phase 2.
This report makes early observations on the progress and risks in upgrading the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down.
Good regulation can be used to achieve a range of different aims and opportunities. It can support innovation, make workplaces safer, or help to keep essential services affordable.
There are some good examples across government of alternatives to regulation being used to achieve policy objectives. However more needs to done to share these examples to highlight when alternatives are most likely to work and how they should be designed.
Local authorities have worked hard to manage reductions in government funding, but the DCLG needs to be better informed about the situation across England.
Local authorities have worked hard to manage reductions in government funding, but the DCLG needs to be better informed about the situation across England.
Although government provides billions in tax reliefs each year to encourage growth, it does not monitor or evaluate them closely enough.
Improvements have been made to the running of the Regional Growth Fund, but there is still a significant amount of public money to allocate through the Fund.
Examining transport accessibility to key local services in England About this tool Local public transport provision influences how people can access the services they need, including healthcare, education, employment, leisure and business facilities. The Department for Transport (DfT) and other organisations have identified that investment in local transport supports economic growth, helps build sustainable communities […]
The NAO believes a review of the New Homes Bonus scheme is essential to ensure the Department understands the substantial financial risks to local authorities.
This report examines the progress made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Competition and Markets Authority, and National Trading Standards in building the UK’s legal framework and capacity and capability in consumer protection, competition and state aid.
This report considers lessons DLUHC has learned from implementing local growth policies, and how it has applied them.
Government efforts to improve the quality and take-up of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills have yielded some positive results but there remains an urgent need for departments to set out a shared view of what they are trying to achieve and a co-ordinated plan for achieving it.
In late 2008, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills stepped in to offer targeted support to struggling, but viable, businesses in the face of a severe economic downturn. It reacted quickly and prioritized a fast response over perfecting its policies. Under the circumstances, this approach was appropriate, according to a report published today by […]
The Regional Development Agencies’ physical regeneration programmes have helped to generate additional regional wealth. However, because of Agency weaknesses in identifying the projects which would maximise regional economic growth, the National Audit Office is unable to conclude the Agencies have secured as much benefit as they should have. Since 1999, the eight RDAs outside of […]
Government needs to ensure its growth plans for Cambridge are aligned with its £6-7bn investment in a new regional railway (East West Rail, Oxford to Cambridge), so it can maximise the economic benefits of the line, a new report by the National Audit Office says.
The UK Government will pay £370 million under the UK-Rwanda Partnership, a further £20,000 per individual and £120 million once the first 300 people have been relocated, plus £150,874 per individual for processing and operational costs, according to a new report by the National Audit Office.