Phil Hope said:
"The meeting with Banks today was a follow-up to the Regional Risk Finance Forum which took place at the end of last year. As Minister for the East Midlands, I want to do all I can to keep the regional economy thriving. I know that there is a huge risk that profitable and viable businesses might go to the wall during the coming months because they cannot gain access to finance or are subject to far tighter lending regimes.
"The Government has already launched a package of financial measures that will give real help to viable businesses with temporary cash-flow difficulties. These measures supplement government help already available. "But I wanted to find out more about what is happening on the ground here in the East Midlands.
"The banks are in business to do business, and that business is lending.
"There has been a slow start in delivering schemes like the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, but frontline staff have received training and they are now better equipped and ready to talk to businesses about new schemes and how best to meet their financial needs.
"I am pleased that banks have been set challenging targets in their lending so businesses will get a receptive response.
"And it's great that a number of banks are running seminars and events for their own customers to help support them to be sustainable.
"Banks are lending - and I have asked them to let me have examples of what they are doing."
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