Mark Prisk, Minister for Business and Enterprise, visits The Ashmolean Museum with Beard Construction

Mark Prisk, Business Minister at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, joined Mark Beard, Managing Director of construction company Beard and Oxfordshire business leaders for a roundtable discussion on 8 March 2011.

The minister was also invited to see Beard’s progress on the Ashmolean’s latest redevelopment – the new Egyptian Galleries, due for completion at the end of 2011.  

Mark Prisk took part in a roundtable discussion with directors of seven local SMEs and three Beard directors on issues affecting smaller companies. They covered topics such as current employment laws, undue regulation, the likely impact of the proposed localism bill on Oxfordshire development and venture capital funding of smaller companies. The minister promised to take these issues and real life experiences back to his department for consideration.

During the visit he also met some Beard apprentices who shared their experience of the Beard training programme with the Minister.

“I was delighted to show Mark Prisk around the Egyptian Galleries as they take shape,” said Mark Beard, Managing Director of Beard. “My fellow business leaders and I really appreciated the chance to share our ideas of how the government could improve this business climate and we look forward to seeing more help for smaller businesses in the future,” he added.