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Nigel Griffiths MPHelping British Business Reach the Future First |
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| Let me first of all say how pleased I am to be here as the New Minister for Small Business, and to thank you for the many warm words of welcome I've received.
Manufacturing has benefited enormously from the appointment of Patricia Hewitt as the Secretary of State. She will be an outstanding Cabinet Minister. This year's Celebration of Innovation has reached new heights, with over 100 events taking place around the UK. And today, we're here to witness just one of the showpieces. Launching the event in Belfast on Tuesday, Jackie Stewart – or Sir Jackie, I'm delighted to say is one of my lifelong heroes – Sir Jackie set this year's focus on Innovative Manufacturing. He made us all appreciate just how much excellence already exists amongst our manufacturers. He inspired us all to emulate their success. This is also a message at the heart of these awards. I have been extremely impressed by the standards demonstrated by all the entrants for this year's awards, and am delighted to see the breadth of talent exhibited - not only by the traditional national champions among you - but also from the large number of small businesses represented here today. This year's Manufacturing Excellence awards have again demonstrated the wealth of talent we have in this country. The innovative designs featured here today surely herald a bright future for manufacturing. And it is through our ongoing support for innovations such as these that this government will demonstrate its continuing commitment to help British business get to the future first. To this end, I am delighted to announce today that DTI will again be the key sponsor for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards in 2002. We want to provide a firm foundation for the promotion of engineering excellence and best business practice in the UK. A strong manufacturing sector is a vital and integral part of the economy, and I am delighted to see so many representatives of the sector here tonight to join together to celebrate the success stories of the past year. Some commentators have sought to argue that manufacturing is no longer important for the UK economy. I have always rejected that view. As manufacturers you account for almost a fifth of our national income, with around £150 billion of output per year. You employ around 4 million people directly. And indirectly, you contribute to the employment of another two and half million in service sector jobs. Increasingly, you are involved in ever more complex processes to make high value added products, which are a source of sustained competitive advantage. It is through your advances – both in new goods and new processes – that we have seen productivity improvements across the whole economy. It is in these added value products and processes that the UK has always excelled. The IMechE and its members have, of course, made a critical contribution to this success, and tonight's awards underline this fact. In the UK we have world class companies, managers, plants and workers, and we are world leaders in a number of sectors. One example of UK dominance of a sector is in motor racing, and it is appropriate that one of the leading lights in that field has launched the Celebration of Innovation. We are doing well, and we need to do better - by being the best in a broader range of sectors. To extend manufacturing excellence across the entire UK industry. To raise productivity, innovation, and skills in all sectors. We must remove obstacles to innovation. We must make competition work properly for the consumer, so that UK companies become the best at meeting consumer needs. Two of tonight's awards are sponsored by the Foresight programme, a DTI initiative to prepare industry, business, research - and government - for what might happen in the future. Foresight shows what we need to do now to secure a long-term competitive advantage. Along with the rest of DTI, the Foresight programme is aimed squarely at helping British business get to the future first. Enterprise is key to this future prosperity, and I want Britain to be the best place in the world to start a business. That is why tonight we also highlight the crucial importance of small businesses to the future of the UK economy - with a separate award to recognise manufacturing excellence amongst SMEs. We predict that the size of the SME population in 2010 will have grown to at least 4.5 million and that a majority of those existing in 2010 do not exist today. Therefore, we need to send a message to the entrepreneurial, the innovative and dynamic: if you are starting up, growing a business, investing, taking people on, seeking new capital or working your way up in business - we are on your side. This is why the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Industry have announced a package of measures to help small businesses start-up, grow and prosper. This package includes:
These Centres, will help us all to look forward to see greater opportunity for enhancement for many small and medium businesses nationwide. This will be a much needed contribution to the pursuit of manufacturing excellence; particularly the high value added manufacturing which the UK needs to excel in to successfully compete in global markets populated by increasingly demanding customers. The future business environment will still be challenging. The challenge for management is to identify and pursue those high added value growth opportunities - and our Foresight programme helps you identify these. Congratulations to all of you here tonight for your involvement in recreating the spirit of invention that helped us lead the world in the first industrial revolution. Let us now ensure that we lead it in the future – the successes of motor sport can and must be replicated! |
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Other speeches by Nigel Griffiths MP
(the following are available from the archive) |
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