The government is set to consult with small businesses on plans to cut red tape by at least £10bn over the next five years.

Under a new Enterprise Bill announced by business secretary Sajid Javid, the government aims to make Britain the best place in Europe to start and grow a business.

“Small businesses are Britain’s engine room and the success of our whole economy is built on the hard work and determination of the people who run and work for them,” Javid said in Bristol on Tuesday.

“We will sweep away burdensome red tape, get heavy-handed regulators off firms’ backs and create a Small Business Conciliation Service.”

Small business minister Anna Soubry added: “We will be asking businesses for evidence in the coming weeks.”

Javid was making his first speech as business secretary in the city where he grew up above his parents’ shop.