NORTH West Business Link appeared to be doomed last night after a Government minister gave an interview in which he said the organisation was to be scrapped.

Business and enterprise minister Mark Prisk told a website: “We’re going to wind down the regional development agencies, and as part of those, we’ll be winding down the regional Business Link contracts.”

North West Business Link is funded by the Northwest Development Agency and has an annual budget of £18m.

Employing 348 people, it has its headquarters in Preston and offers advice and support to small firms across the region.

It employs around 27 people in Merseyside who are out on the road speaking to firms face-to-face.

Officially no decision has been made and a source within the NWDA claimed the internet report was “premature”.

And in a statement yesterday, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, said: “We are reviewing all the functions of the RDAs.

“We believe some of these are best led nationally, including responsibility for business support.

“The forthcoming White Paper on sub-national economic growth will set out our approach in more detail. We are determined that the transition from the existing RDAs be orderly, working to a clear timetable.”

However, the comments from the minister indicate that the decision to scrap Business Link has already been made.

Liverpool Chamber of Commerce said in a statement last night: “We are disappointed that a business support service is threatened with closure.

“It is important that a structure for continuity is in place if this service is to be dissolved.”