Business & growth

Mark Prisk meets with Oxfordshire local enterprise partnership as it formally launches board: Business Minister Mark Prisk has today met with the Oxfordshire local enterprise partnership to discuss the vital role they will play in boosting local growth.

Local Enterprise Partnerships gather to showcase action plans for local growth: The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister hosted the first meeting of local enterprise partnerships from across the country.

£100m investment in skills to drive growth: Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, and Minister for Skills, John Hayes, today launched a £50 million a year fund to help businesses develop the skills they need to drive growth.

Agenda for growth: During a speech to the City of London at Mansion House, Business Secretary Vince Cable has outlined the importance of putting growth at the heart of the government’s work.

Midlands LEPs: Business minister Mark Prisk has met both the Leicester and Leicestershire local enterprise partnership and the Coventry and Warwickshire partnership and discussed plans to support businesses and boost local growth. 

Regulation

Reducing regulation burden: No small firm will have to have independently audited accounts any longer, Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced, saving 42,000 businesses £40 million per year.

Universities & Skills

David Willetts comments of the Office for Fair Access Guidance to Universities published today:

The Minister for Universities and Science said "“Universities are being asked to work much harder to recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the future. The Director has moved quickly to give universities clarity about what he expects from them on access."

Infrastructure

Intercity Express Programme announcement: Following the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond’s decision to resume the Programme procurement and proceed with the Agility Trains (Hitachi and John Laing) consortium’s plans, Vince Cable has announced that the Government is prepared to offer conditional funding to Hitachi.

Get involved

The department currently has 5 consultations open. These include:

• Employed students and the accommodation offset
• Toy Safety
• Repeal of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991