SCC's Rigby discusses channel credit with Gordon Brown

SCH chairman and chief executive Sir Peter Rigby has met with Gordon Brown as part of the Prime Minister's regional tour of England and Wales to detail what the Government is doing to help the commercial sector in the downturn.

The details of the meeting are confidential but the questions posed by the IT entrepreneur centered on the credit crunch, ways to improve ICT skills in the UK and Rigby offered up his opinions on the digital economy.

"The Prime Minister was particularly interested in our training and re-skilling schemes introduced under our own initiatives and our views on the digital economy and how to leverage IT for competitive advantage," Rigby told Microscope.

The downturn that started with the credit crunch has permeated all industries and sectors and the channel has seen its faire share of reductions in credit insurance, with the underwriters reducing their exposure, particularly in the retail sector.

"We also discussed the importance of access to capital; specifically to fund future planned investment and the critical issue of decreasing trade credit insurance," Rigby added.