Small business minister leaving role

Baroness Shriti Vadera, who is credited with having fought for the interests of SMEs during the economic crisis, is leaving the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Government has announced.

She will leave her current role as business minister for economic competitiveness, small business and enterprise, to work to support the upcoming shift of the G20 presidency from the UK to South Korea.

The prime minister, Gordon Brown, who is known to be a strong supporter of Baroness Vadera, said that her new role would strengthen the UK's involvement with the G20 in the future, referring to it as "an increasingly important global group".

And Business Secretary Lord Mandelson praised her input to the department he runs.

"She has worked tirelessly to ensure businesses, especially small businesses, are supported through the recession and emerge stronger at the other side," he said.

Her role at the BIS will be filled by Lord Davies of Abersoch, the minister for trade investment and business, who will take on her responsibilities.

British Chambers of Commerce director-general David Frost acknowledged the work Baroness Vadera had done in impressing upon banks the need to improve their relationship with small businesses, but stressed that Lord Davies' work promoting UK trade must not be allowed to suffer as the result of an expanding brief.

"There has never been a more important time to drive up our exports, which will be critical to rebalancing the economy as we recover from recession," he added.

IMAGE Anthony Devlin/PA