Mr Kirit Patel, chief executive of the Day Lewis pharmacy group and recently elected to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council, has been appointed to the Small Business Council (SBC).
Announcing the appointment of Mr Patel and 18 other members of the SBC on May 18, the Minister for Small Business and E-commerce (Ms Patricia Hewitt) said: "I am particularly pleased that this is a council of active entrepreneurs - people who are taking risks, making commercial decisions and who understand from their daily experience the issues facing small businesses today."
According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the SBC is an advisory non-departmental public body independent of Government. It advises the chief executive of the Small Business Service and will report at least annually on the needs of small businesses to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
Mr Patel was chairman of the National Pharmaceutical Association for the year 1999-2000 and is a member of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.