STEPHEN TIMMS OPENS FIRST ANNUAL WESTMINSTER ETHNIC MINORITY BUSINESS EXHIBITION

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms today opened Westminster's first annual ethnic minority business exhibition.

Mr Timms was visiting the Exhibition in London as part of pre-budget tour being carried out by Gordon Brown and his Treasury Ministers to take advice on the shape of the Government's employment and enterprise initiatives for the years to come.

Speaking at the Exhibition Mr Timms said:

"We want to see not only the work ethic reinvigorated in every community of Britain but a dynamic business culture which encourages enterprise open to all. That is the message we want to spread - enterprise expanded to people and places too often forgotten in the past.

"We know that more than one third of all unemployed people in London come from ethnic minorities. But we also know ethnic minority businesses already play a leading role in everyday business life across the country. Businesses from the ethnic minority communities contribute well over £8 billion each and every year to the British economy.

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"I have seen in other parts of London and across the country during my regional tours the contribution ethnic minority businesses are making. We know, for example, that the rate of business start-ups per head is higher in the ethnic minority communities than in the wider community. With more people in work today then ever before we now have a great opportunity to make sure the benefits of enterprise and rising prosperity and spread wider. That's why this business exhibition is so important for Westminster."

Notes to Editors

The Exhibition was held at the Paddington Basin Marketing Centre, 35-37 North Wharf Road, Paddington, London W2. The Exhibitor list included Westminster REC, Employment Service, Business Link, Prince's Trust, Metropolitan Police, Onyx UK, Treat Street, London Transport Vending Services, Red Star Parcels, Barry Brothers, Travis Perkins, Centre West Buses, Probation Service, Hilton Hotels and Project Full-Employ.

2. Photographs from the exhibition and of the minister meeting with ethnic minority business people from the area can be obtained by contacting Vincent Forrester on 020 8992 5135 or (mobile) 07932 678275.

Treasury Ministers have been visiting regions all over the country in the run up to the Budget on 21 March. Tomorrow, the Chancellor Gordon Brown will visit the Smethwick Enterprise Centre in Sandwell in the West Midlands. He will commence his visit to the Centre in Rolfe Street, Sandwell at 3.15pm. For further details on today's event or tomorrow's visit of the Chancellor to Sandwell, contact Malcolm Graves, Treasury Press Office on 020 7270 5192.

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