SME finance inquiry launched by Treasury Committee

The Treasury Committee has opened an inquiry into small and medium sized enterprise finance, addressing lessons learned from RBS’ Global Restructuring Group, and the state of the market for SME finance. The inquiry seeks to consider:

• The extent of competition in the SME finance market;
• The sources of funding available to SMEs, including crowdfunding and P2P lending;
• Whether capital markets are functioning effectively providing SMEs with the finance to grow; and
• Whether the current regulatory framework provides adequate protection to SME borrowers – particularly whether banks should be bound by a broader set of duties when dealing with SMEs and whether protections and dispute settlement options are appropriate.

Separately, a BEIS Committee inquiry is examining whether small firms have sufficient access to good quality management training.