Coalition Government looks to Dyson Report

Sir James Dyson’s Ingenious Britain Report, authored for the Conservative Party earlier this year, outlines a number of suggestions for the design industry, including changes to design and technology education, a refocusing of tax credits and Government procurement on to small and hi-tech businesses, and a review of the Design Council.

The report suggests that the ‘funding, objectives and impact’ of the Design Council should be reassessed.

The coalition’s Programme for Government also outlines plans to promote small business by reviewing small business taxation, moving towards a ‘one click’ registration model for SMEs, introducing an aspiration for 25 per cent of Government contracts to be awarded to SMEs, and aiming to publish Government tenders in full and free of charge online.

The coalition says it also aims to replace Regional Development Agencies with newly created Local Enterprise Partnerships, which would be joint local authority/business bodies.