My Lords, I declare my various interests in this area. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord MacGregor, on initiating the debate. I also congratulate my friend the noble Lord, Lord Leigh of Hurley, on his excellent maiden speech. He is a fellow chartered accountant and we have known each other for many years. As he humbly said in his speech, he is also a fellow entrepreneur and a successful one at that. I read a book by a Wharton professor about givers and takers: in life you have givers, takers and matchers. It is not necessarily the case that the givers will get further in life, but when they do get there they always get there in a much better way and have a more sustainable, happier future. The noble Lord, Lord Leigh, is a giver. He has given to this House today his expertise as an entrepreneur, as an expert in corporate finance and as a chartered accountant. We welcome him here.
The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has launched the Sirius Programme at a festival in Manchester.
The program, which aims to attract entrepreneurs and young businesspeople from around the world, is seen as a major initiative by the British Government to increase the scope and diversity of the British economy. Students and recent graduates with an early stage business plan will receive £12,000 investment, expert advice and help with the logistics of moving to the UK.
Lord Bilimoria, a key figure in the government drive, was interviewed on BBC Breakfast television about the scheme. He said, “I found this country’s environment fantastic, I saw the glass ceiling that existed absolutely shattered before my eyes. People don’t realise what a great country this is to do business.”
The noble Lord, Lord Pannick, did an excellent job, and the noble Lord is absolutely right. Will the Government accept, learn and consult business more in future?