The Public Services Reform White Paper is something I very much welcome. But one lesson we need to learn from Southern Cross is that if private companies are to be encouraged to manage the care of vulnerable people, funded in part by the taxpayer, they should have to satisfy financial viability criteria as well as meeting the normal regulatory requirements around quality of care.

The issue of access to credit among SMEs is a chicken and egg conundrum. Is it a lack of demand or a lack of supply? The Business, Innovations & Skills select committee in Parliament, of which I am a member, has debated this issue with business leaders, bankers and the Secretary of State himself. Are we any the wiser?