Call for single business body

British Chambers of CommercE, the national umbrella for chambers of commerce, is calling for single business support agencies to be set up in the ten or so regional development areas proposed by the Government.

This could mean the closure of agencies such as Business Links and Training and Enterprise Councils. But a BCC spokesman says the consultation paper being circulated to BCC members is more about integration than closure. “There is a natural synergy between Business Links and the chambers,” he says.

Design Council chief executive Andrew Summers says, “It makes a lot of sense to reduce any confusion among small businesses.

“We would want to make sure that the role that design counsellors play is in there… and we are providing information on encouraging design,” he adds.