The availability of bank finance to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is important to allow SMEs to start up and finance investment for growth. To assess changes in such availability over 2001–12, we used data from a series of surveys that provide detailed information on the characteristics of a sample of UK SMEs, their owners and experiences of obtaining finance. Using econometric models, which included controls for SME characteristics and risk factors, indicators of changes in the provision of bank lending over the time period abstracting from borrower risk could be obtained. The results suggest ongoing restrictions on the availability of SME bank finance up to 2012 – which appear to have persisted into 2013. Further research using macro data shows an impact of economic uncertainty on such finance. If unresolved, these patterns could imply adverse effects on economic performance in the short and long term.

This paper uses a nationally representative data set to examine the extent to which family migration history helps explains interethnic variations in mental health in the United Kingdom. We confirm that there is significant variation in mental health across ethnic group and generation of migration. Furthermore, we show how these dimensions interact. The analysis explores the extent to which neighbourhood, personal characteristics, and migration experience are related to mental health. We find evidence that all are important. Our results are consistent with a dynamic view of migration and settlement whereby individuals' circumstances and how they might contribute to mental health change over time and across generations. KEYWORDS ethnic group, immigration, mental healthThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Since 2010 the UK Government has aimed to reduce net-migration. The UK Government cannot restrict EEA migration, and it has focused instead on restricting non-EEA migration, including closing routes intended for non-EEA high-skilled workers. We identify a possible substitution effect in this context: restricting one type of migration may lead to an increase in an unrestricted type (i.e., 'balloon effect'). We present evidence which is consistent with this substitution effect for the case of high-skilled migrant workers in the UK. We also construct counterfactual estimates of the number of different types of migrant workers in the UK with pre-policies conditions. JEL: F22; J24

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