Minister 'sceptical' over Business Link offices

Mark Prisk told the Sunday Times that he wanted to examine Business Link's regional services "very carefully".

It was reported that a final decision on the fate of Business Link, which employs 400 people in Yorkshire, will be made in six to eight weeks.

Mr Prisk said he wanted to cut costs and offer more face to face contact

He told the paper: "I am keen to make sure that the intervention Government offers is a modern service and that means a strong emphasis on it being online, so that it is accessible on every business person's handheld and desktop computer."

In February, while in opposition, Mr Prisk said that one of his first acts as a Conservative small business minister would be to scrap the regional Business Links because he believed they were "failing in their task".

Business Link in Yorkshire and the Humber is delivered by a private company, Y&H IDB. It costs the taxpayer around 35m a year and represents regional development agency Yorkshire Forward's largest single contract.

Earlier this year, the Yorkshire Post revealed that Business Link had suffered problems with a 1.4m computer system that didn't work properly.