Committees

Small business strategy

Inquiry

At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced its intention to publish a Small Business Strategy “setting out the government’s vision for support for small businesses”. This will be published in 2025.

To ensure the Committee and Parliament can scrutinise this policy effectively, the Business & Trade Committee will conduct an inquiry to develop recommendations for the strategy and to set criteria against which to judge the Government’s progress. 

In particular, we will assess how small business success can contribute to the Government’s overall objectives of raising the rates of economic growth, increasing disposable income and closing regional inequalities. We shall also seek to learn lessons from the approaches taken in other countries, such the US.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 16 July 2025.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Tuesday 25 November 2025
2:00pm Private
3:00pm Public
Small business strategy - Oral evidence 25 November 2025
3:00pm
  • Ms Wendy Martin (Director at National Trading Standards)
  • Martin Swain (Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Engagement at Companies House)
  • Sal Melki (Deputy Director, Illicit Finance at National Crime Agency)
3:40pm
  • Blair McDougall MP (Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Isobel Stephen (Director General, Domestic and International Markets and Exports at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Ros Wall (Director of Small Business Strategy at Department for Business and Trade)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 16 September 2025
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Small business strategy - Oral evidence 16 September 2025
2:30pm
  • Josh Clarke (Director and Flat Roofing Manager at Clarke Roofing)
  • Tim Balcon (Chief Executive at Construction Industry Training Board (CITB))
  • David Hughes CBE (Chief Executive at Association of Colleges)
  • Sarah Maclean CBE (Chief Executive Officer at Skills England)
3:10pm
  • Jon McGinty (Managing Director at Gloucester City Council)
  • Nick Plumb (Director of Policy and Insight at Power to Change)
  • Daniel Thompson (Managing Director - UK Development at Greystar)
3:50pm
  • Allen Simpson (Chief Executive Officer at UKHospitality)
  • Stephen Montgomery (Director at Scottish Hospitality Group)
  • Lydia Papaphilippopoulos-Snape (Owner at Warwick Street Kitchen & Saint Kitchen)
  • Morgan Schondelmeier (Policy Manager for Tax and Trade at British Beer and Pub Association)
Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 2 September 2025
2:30pm Public
Small business strategy - Oral evidence 2 September 2025
2:30pm
  • Jonathan Athow (Director General of Customer Strategy and Tax Design at HM Revenue and Customs)
  • Alice Jeffries (Tax Policy Manager at Confederation of British Industry (CBI))
  • Alison Kerrey (Chair, Digitalisation and Agent Services Committee at Chartered Institute of Taxation)
3:10pm
  • Dhara Vyas (Chief Executive at Energy UK)
  • Chris Norbury (Chief Executive Officer at E.ON UK)
  • Venus Galarza-Mullins (Principal Policy Manager for Retail Energy Markets at Citizens Advice)
3:50pm
  • James Lowman (Chief Executive at Association of Convenience Stores)
  • Chris Morris (Deputy Head of Research and Policy at Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW))
  • Superintendent Lisa Maslen (Lead at National Business Crime Centre, City of London Police)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 1 July 2025
2:30pm Public
Small business strategy - Oral evidence 1 July 2025
2:30pm
  • Andrew Goodacre (Chief Executive Officer at British Independent Retailers Association)
  • Paul Wilson (Policy Director at Federation of Small Business)
  • Jonny Haseldine (Head of Corporate Governance & Business Environment Policy at British Chambers of Commerce)
  • Dominic Armstrong (Head of Policy and Communications at Community Trade Union)
3:10pm
  • Caroline Larissey (Chief Executive at National hair and Beauty Federation)
  • Toby Dicker (Chief Executive at Salon Employers Association)
  • Gareth Penn (Registrar at Hair and Barber Council)
  • Victoria Brownlie MBE (Chief Policy and Sustainability officer at British Beauty Council)
3:50pm
  • Brian Berry (Chief Executive at Federation of Master Builders)
  • Paul Brain (Managing Director at Ashcroft Services Limited)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

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